10 Wild trips to make for animal lovers

10 Wild destinations for animal lovers

Amanda Lim

26 Oct 2015

updated the 28 October 2015 à 10:13

1/10
Jigokudani Monkey Park, Japan
This snowy valley is home to the Japanese Macaques, which are also known as Snow Monkeys. These monkeys live in large social groups and visitors can watch them gather in the hot spring pool to keep warm and socialise.
2/10
Sloth Sanctuary, Costa Rica
This privately owned reserve is one of the few sanctuaries for the sweet natured sloth. Here you can get up close and personal with the sloths by touring the nurseries as well as the lowland tropical landscapes.
3/10
Ranthambhone National Park, India
One of the largest parks in Northern India is the Ranthambhone National Park. If you love tigers, the safari is one of the best places in the world to observe the majestic Bengal tigers in their natural habitat.
4/10
The Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, China
Also known as the Chengdu Panda Base, the facility was founded to care for and breed this endangered animal. Here you can watch these cuddly creatures frolicking without worry. The highlight of a trip to the base is catching a glimpse the baby pandas in the nursery.
5/10
Churchill, Manitoba, Canada
Churchill, Manitoba is also known as Polar Bear capital. It is one of the few places you can safely get up close with these giants. Churchill is also one of the best place to go beluga whale watching and catch the northern lights
6/10
Lone Pine Sanctuary, Australia
If you’re a fan of the cuddly marsupial from downunder, head to Lone Pine Sanctuary, the world’s oldest and largest reserve dedicated to the Koala Bear. However you’ll also get to see roos, wombats and even the elusive platypus.
7/10
Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya
One of the biggest parks in Africa is the Maasai Mara National Reserve. It is also an animal lovers dream. Here you can catch a glimpse of giraffes, lions, elephants, rhinoceroses, zebras and the rest of the cast of The Lion King.
8/10
Ningaloo Reef, Australia
From April to July you can get close to one of the biggest creatures in the ocean, the whale shark, at Ningaloo Reef. Boat tours leave from Tantabiddi and Coral Bay, so you don’t need to know how to dive to get up close and personal with these gentle giants.
9/10
Eikesdalen, Norway
The wild reindeer herd in Eikesdalen is widely thought to be the last original wild herd in the world. Knowning this makes it an absolute privilege to be able to view these wild reindeer in their snowy kingdom.
10/10
False Bay, South Africa
Several species of whales can be found at the achingly blue False Bay. These whales get so close to the bay, you can see them from the shore. However, for the best experience, join one of the many tours dedicated to bring you as close as possible to these giants.

Whether you like crouching tigers or not-so-hidden monkeys, we’ve tracked down the best places on the planet to marvel at wildlife.

Some people travel halfway around the world to visit ancient old buildings or embark on a culinary adventure. However, animal lovers will travel to catch a glimpse of a rare creature.

Nothing stirs the wanderlust of an animal lover like wildlife documentaries such as BBC’s Planet Earth. For these aspiring David Attenboroughs, a week in a glamorous city can’t compare to the open range where the deer and the antelope play.

While most cities have zoos and aquariums, viewing an animal in captivity saddens animal lovers more than it does excite them. Thankfully, there are plenty of places to observe animals in their natural habitat, where they are nurtured and cared for rather than exploited.

If you can’t justify travelling just to shop, eat and see yet another shabby building, why not head to the wild savannah to spot cheetahs and wildebeest.

For that, we’ve rounded up a list of 10 places all animal lovers should visit at least once in their lifetime.

Amanda Lim

Photos: Getty Images

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