Think you need to fly to Africa to go on safari? Think again! Australia's animals are just as diverse and wonderful as our landscapes, which provide plenty of places to have close-up encounters in the wild. But if you’re hoping to spot more than just a koala or a kangaroo, our top wildlife parks also offer the chance to see Tassie devils, rock wallabies, echidnas and even cheeky quokkas. Want to know the best spots to see them all in one place? New research has just unveiled the most picturesque wildlife locations in the world, and four are right here in Australia.
The researchers at Titan Travel recently published a Wildlife Safari Index, which aims to spotlight the best destinations around the world for animal lovers outside of Africa. They compiled a list of locations offering the ideal balance of diverse wildlife, endangered species conservation and accessible travel, then ranked them across categories like most affordable, top-rated and most Instagram-worthy.
Australia scored four shout-outs in the ranking of the world’s most popular wildlife experience on Instagram, with Featherdale Sydney Wildlife Park topping the list with more than 160,000 tagged location posts. Given that the research is based solely on Instagram popularity, it’s worth noting that more remote, harder-to-reach parks might fly under the radar. But we still think the list is a good indicator of the type of wildlife experiences people are most eager to snap and share around the world.
Located deep within Sydney’s sprawling west – just a 45-minute drive from the CBD – Featherdale boasts the world’s largest collection of native Australian wildlife. With more than 2,000 native animals, including 68 endangered species, the park puts a big focus on conservation – but also on unforgettable hands-on encounters with its (generally) cute mammals. You can hand-feed wallabies and kangaroos, pat a koala, step into a penguin enclosure and snap a quokka selfie – talk about a guaranteed Instagram win!
Victoria’s Werribee Open Range Zoo ranks as the second most Insta-worthy wildlife location, with more than 126,000 tags. The highlight is the zoo’s open-air safari buses, which take visitors on an African-inspired journey to see giraffes, rhinos, zebras and hippopotamuses splashing in the river.
Just outside of Melbourne, Healesville Sanctuary claimed fourth spot for the most picturesque wildlife experience (94,400 tags), with Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park following closely in fifth (56,900 tags). You can check out the full results below.
The 5 most Instagrammed wildlife experiences in the world
- Featherdale Sydney Wildlife Park, Australia
- Werribee Open Range Zoo, Australia
- Horton Plains National Park, Sri Lanka
- Healesville Sanctuary, Australia
- Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park, Australia