It’s no surprise the lastminute_au team love travel, but you know what else we’re crazy for? ANIMALS! Name any animal, and there’s a Lovely who wants to pat it, cuddle it, or admire it from a safe distance.
Lucky for us our two passions are easily combined. So in the interests of gratuitous adorableness, here’s my Top 10 Animal Adventures.
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Veg out with sloths in Costa Rica
Utterly lovable: the brown-throated sloth
Not loving sloths is physically impossible for anyone with a soul. That’s not my opinion – it’s science! Just don’t ask me to link to any research…
No-one can resist this much cute
If you’re looking for a laid-back friend, head to the Sloth Sanctuary in Costa Rica. You can go on a tour or meet sloth superstar Buttercup. Also be sure to check out Mitzi’s blog post on Montreal for an epic sloth video – it’s almost too much cuteness.
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Eye off an aye-aye in Madagascar
The poor, misunderstood aye-aye
With its bug eyes, spindly fingers and constant bad hair day, the aye-aye probably won’t be your pick for cutest animal on this list. The poor little guys are so strange-looking they’re considered omens of death, and even today are often killed on sight.
Show the aye-ayes some love by visiting their native Madagascar. Spend a night on Nosy Mangabe island for your best chance of seeing them in the wild.
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Take a dip with a dugong in Moreton Bay
My new best friend
I’ve never met a dugong, but I bet that if I did we’d become instant friends. We’d take lazy swims, swap stories over a seagrass lunch, and laugh at anyone silly enough to mistake us for mermaids.
You can join us in Moreton Bay, Queensland. We’ll even introduce you to the neighbours, who include sea turtles, whales, and dolphins.
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Hang with orangutans in Malaysia
Old men in training
The word “orangutan” comes from the Malay and Indonesian words for person (“orang”) and forest (“utan”), which combine to roughly translate to “person of the forest”. I think that’s a fairly apt description, and I wish my hair looked as good in that kind of humidity.
Wanna hang out? Hop on a flight to Malaysia, then head for the Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabiliation Centre near Sandakan. Feeding times are at 10am and 3pm – arrive early if you want to beat the crowds!
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Tackle a tapir in Brazil
Aw, so tiny! A baby lowland tapir
If you’ve never seen a tapir, try to imagine the adorkably weird love child of a pig and an elephant. They’re one of my favourite animals, and despite the subheading of this section you should never, ever tackle them. Seriously, why would you do that?There’s five known species of tapir spread across Central America, South America, and Asia. They’re difficult to see in the wild, but keep an eye out for the lowland tapir in Emas National Park, Brazil.
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Pal around with a platypus in the Snowy Mountains
The majestic – and not at all ridiculous – platypus
If you’re Australian and see a platypus every time you look at a 20c coin, you can easily forget just how bizarre they are. With their duck bills, beaver tails, otter feet, and (if they’re male) poison spurs, it’s not surprising that many 18th-century European naturalists refused to believe they were real. Oh, and they lay eggs too, because being a poison duck beaver just isn’t enough.
Platypus are shy, but there are a few places you can see them in the wild. Check out the Bombala Platypus Reserve in NSW’s Snowy Mountains.
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Chill out with polar bears and narwhals in the Canadian Arctic
Do NOT try for a cuddle, no matter how cute they look
What’s cooler – a giant bear with transparent, reflective fur, or a whale with a unicorn horn? Because they both live close to the North Pole, I’m going to be diplomatic (and lame) and say they’re both as cold as ice…
Cool customers – 19th-century engraved illustration of narwhals
You can meet polar bears, narwhals, beluga whales and more in the Canadian Arctic. Fly to Canada first, or get in the mood for ice with this AMAZING Antarctica photo diary.
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Become partners in crime with a kea mountain parrot
Kea mountain parrot caught in the act
The kea mountain parrot is famous as the smartest bird in the world, but what does it use its superior intelligence for? Evil – or at least just being a jerk. In their native New Zealand, they’re notorious for petty theft, snooping in backpacks, and even vandalising cars! Check out this video of some keas in action.
Think you’re tough enough to join their gang? Fly to New Zealand and spend some time on the South Island.
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Learn to work, play, and get along with an aardvark
Not at all like Arthur
Remember Arthur the aardvark and his catchy reggae theme song? Remember his little sister, DW, who was about a thousand times more awesome?
That’s the extent of my aardvark knowledge, and I suspect it’s woefully inaccurate. Someone book me a seat on the next flight to South Africa and a stay at Samara Private Game Reserve. There I’ll say goodbye to my ignorance and hello to cheetahs, zebras, blue cranes, springboks, velvet monkeys, and, of course, aardvarks.
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Kick it with a kung fu (or normal) panda
Not quite martial arts…
Another bear you just want to hug (but seriously, definitely shouldn’t). The giant panda is China’s most famous natural icon, and not many international zoos have been granted the privilege of hosting one.
Pandas are shy and rarely spotted in the wild, but it’s still possible to see them in a natural setting. Head to the Panda Research Base in Chengdu, the Panda Capital of the World.