Getting Up Close with Wildlife: My Best (and Worst) Animal Encounters

Listen — I love a good animal encounter. From cuddly koalas to mildly unhinged monkeys trying to steal my sunglasses, traveling gives you some of the best (and weirdest) up-close moments with creatures you never knew you needed in your life… or your nightmares.

So grab your bug spray and let’s unpack some of my wildest wildlife stories — the good, the bad, and the ones that left me Googling “rabies symptoms in humans” at 2 a.m.

The Best Animal Encounters

1. Swimming with Sea Turtles in Barbados

Imagine gliding through crystal-clear waters while these majestic creatures float by like chilled-out, underwater celebrities. I even named one Chad.

Pro tip: Book your tours and adventures hassle-free with WeGoTrip — they’ve got options for every kind of animal lover (and snack-lover, because priorities).

2. Feeding Kangaroos in Australia

These fuzzy jumpers are basically living teddy bears with abs. I fed one straight out of my hand, and we shared a real moment.

Pro Tip: Make sure your phone’s connected for those selfies — grab an Airalo eSIM before your trip so you never miss a share-worthy snap.

The Worst Animal Encounters

1. The Monkey Who Stole My Banana (and Dignity) in Bali

Picture this: Me, being my charming self, holding a banana for an Instagram pic. Enter: aggressive monkey. He snatched it, slapped my sunglasses off, and left me shrieking like a tourist stereotype.

If you’re renting scooters to visit temples, book them through BikesBooking — so you can at least outrun the monkeys.

2. Getting Chased by a Goose in Canada

I thought Canadian wildlife would be polite. Spoiler: it’s not. One hissed at me while I was innocently enjoying a lakeside stroll and chased me for what felt like a solid marathon.

Travel insurance tip: Always be covered for the unexpected — from goose bites to gorilla selfies. VisitorsCoverage has your back.

Wildlife Travel Tips (From Someone Who’s Lived It)

• Always book reliable transportation to remote wildlife spots — KiwiTaxi keeps things smooth and stress-free.
  
  

• Need a ride from the airport to your animal adventure? GetTransfer saves you from last-minute haggling.
  
  

• Use Radical Storage to stash your bags when you’re off chasing elephants (or running from aggressive geese).
  
  

Planning Your Next Wild Adventure?

Get the best deals on flights with Aviasales and book your stay through Hotellook — because you deserve a comfy bed after a day of dodging monkeys and making friends with turtles.

Join the Wild Side

Love a cheeky travel story and tips to charm waiters, dodge wildlife, and land dreamy adventures? Sign up for my email list! Get travel hacks, exclusive deals, and scandalous stories from the road. Zero spam. Maximum sass.

Join the fun here

Affiliate Disclosure:

Heads up — some links in this post are affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you). It helps fund my travel addiction and keeps me caffeinated enough to outrun hostile wildlife. Thanks for the support, wild one!

Build your own bold travel blog like this with Hostinger — it’s easier than fending off a monkey mid-snack.