Africa may be considered the king of the savannah when it comes to animal experiences – lions! Elephants! Giraffes! Rhinos! You can see them all over there – but in comparison to the rest of the world, our humble state doesn't fare too bad.
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 Instagrammable.
And wouldn't you know it, three of the top five most Insta-worthy spots can be found in Victoria. Yep, if you were hoping to have a special wildlife encounter – whether that's hand-feeding a roo or joining a cheetah on its morning walk – you can do all that right here.
Coming in second place on the list is Werribee Open Range Zoo, with more than 126,000 location tags. Visitors have long flocked here to take an African-inspired journey on one of the zoo's famous open-air safari buses, where you can see giraffes, rhinos, zebras and hippopotamuses splashing in the river. In March, the zoo also opened the brand new Elephant Trail – an $88 million enclosure spanning a massive 21 hectares that's become home to a herd of nine Asian elephants.
Healesville Sanctuary – a haven for native Australian animals – claimed fourth spot for the most picturesque wildlife experience (94,400 tags), while Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park in Pearcedale – home to dingoes, quokkas and Tassie devils – followed closely in fifth (56,900 tags).
But it was another Aussie wildlife destination that landed in first place: Featherdale Sydney Wildlife Park topped the list with more than 160,000 tagged location tags. 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 check out the full results below.
The five 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
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