Animal lovers are not only drawn to iconic monuments, attractions, or culture when they go on a trip. They have another purpose, to see and live with incredible and majestic creatures. There are many destinations for animal lovers where they can enjoy the contact of penguins, elk, elephants and camels. Do you want to know what these wonderful places are? Read on!
What are the best destinations for animal lovers?
Nairobi, Kenya
The capital of the African country is on the list of the best destinations for animal lovers thanks to the “Giraffe Manor”. Which is a beautiful boutique hotel of The Safari Collection group. This is in charge of bringing together the best luxury camps in Kenya, assistance services and specialized trips in safaris in East Africa.
The hotel has 12 acres of private land and 140 acres of native forest in the Langata suburb of Nairobi. In addition, with 12 exclusive rooms, with personalized service. From its location you can reach, in less than an hour, the Nairobi National Park and the Maisai National Reserve.
The biggest draw for animal lovers is its herd of Rothschild giraffes that freely visit the hotel. The most spectacular thing is that they are allowed to stick their necks out of the huge windows. These amazing animals are always waiting for tourists to give them a treat in exchange for their big appearance. This is undoubtedly a true luxury for those who want to have an unforgettable experience with animals.
Elephant Nature Park, Thailand
Elephant rides and elephant walking is an extremely popular activity in Thailand. However, for animal lovers who decide to visit this country, there are other ways to enjoy these amazing creatures without hurting them. Elephants are considered deities in the region.
At the north of Thailand is the Elephant Nature Park. This is a sanctuary that has rescued dozens of elephants victims of mistreatment by the tourism industry and the exploitation of ivory. The park offers a one-day visit for all those animal lovers eager to face an elephant as safely as possible.
This natural park tries to protect and care for wild animals, so elephant rides are an experience that will not be had during the visit. However, significant time will be spent with these animals, while visitors can help them with their feeding and bathing.
Penguins in Antarctica
Penguins are one of the greatest attractions in the freezing, arid lands of Antarctica. While it is not an easy destination for animal lovers to visit, it is well worth the effort. Here you can get to know 7 of the 17 species of penguins that exist, including the powerful variety of the emperor penguin. Visiting the place is only possible between November and March, since it is the summer time in the southern hemisphere and the crossing is usually done on a cruise. Several service lines offer routes to Antarctica.
Pushkar Fair, India
This is one of the most important celebrations involving camels and is held every November. The event draws thousands of animal-loving locals and tourists to Pushkar village. Here they gather to participate in a series of festivities in which up to 50,000 camel specimens can be seen each year. These desert animals are decorated and put on parade. In addition, they compete and are even sold during the fair. Without a doubt, it is one of the most famous and important events in India for all those animal lovers who want to have contact with camels, there is this place.
Ya’an, China
Two and a half hours from Chengdu, in Ya’an in southwest China, is Bifeng Valley, there is a refuge for adorable pandas. Who can resist them? In this place, animal lovers, and especially of this species, can take a private eight-hour tour of the home of these charming animals. The visit begins with a lunch from the guide, to later learn to interact with the pandas, helping to feed and clean them.
Some of the amenities it offers are: the tour available in English, private transportation to and from your hotel in Chengdu, meals included in the ticket, even insurance against accidents and luggage transportation.
Nara, Japan
This ancient city shelters Nara Park, an interesting place that houses one of the most beautiful temples. Named a UNESCO World Heritage Site and featuring the largest wooden Buddha in Japan. In addition to this temple, what makes it the ideal destination for animal lovers, is the possibility of living with more than a thousand adorable deer.
They freely roam the park and are considered a natural treasure. Outside the enclosure you can find local vendors with packets of cookies to feed the deer. It must be done carefully, remember to do it carefully as some tend to demand more food. The best part is that there is no need to worry about their horns, as each October they are trimmed in a well-known event called the Deer-horn Cutting Ceremony.
Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
The must-see destination for animal lovers is the Galapagos Islands, home to giant tortoises. These are the main attraction of the place, along with other unique species such as the Galapagos penguin (the only species in the northern hemisphere), the seal or the friendly frigate bird, which swells its reddish chest until it is completely inflated, make up this wild microcosm where Darwin uncovered many of his theories about the animal kingdom.
Responsible tourism for animal lovers
The most important thing when visiting the best destinations for animal lovers is to do it responsibly. Respect their natural habitat and do not fall into the temptation to violate them because of our desire to want to live a close experience with these creatures. For this reason, we have three simple tips that you should take into account for responsible and animal-friendly tourism.
- Look after the environment. This is an unbreakable rule, whether we are animal lovers or not. Avoid throwing garbage outside the places designated for this purpose. If you are in a natural park, take everything you brought with you when you leave, including garbage. This, in addition to speaking very badly of you, ugly and contaminates the place. And as if that were not enough, on many occasions the animals eat the waste, which could cause serious consequences.
- Do not promote or carry out activities in which animals are being used in a tourist way. These activities are discriminatory towards these creatures. Yes, it is true that there are many places that depend on them to live, but it is not right for animals to become a business. Many of these animals are abused as part of their training.
- Around the world there are many sanctuaries that ensure the care and preservation of many animals. However, there are some that are fraudulent, their objective is to get money that is never destined to the care of these animals. Therefore, if you have any doubts about the reliability of a centre that claims to take care of animals, you can visit the website “Responsible Tourism” of the Foundation for Advice and Action in Defense of Animals (FAADA). There you can clear any doubts.
If you want to know more about being a respectful traveller, you can read more here.
Many are the places where animal lovers can feel happy to be in contact with them. Always in a careful and respectful manner. Do you really like animals? Which of these destinations would you like to visit? Tell us!
ALFA