Whether you’re traveling with little ones or going solo, an animal adventure can be a very memorable vacation choice. We all know about African safaris or trips to our favorite aquatic amusement park, but we wanted to dig a little further and find some truly unique animal experiences you can plan for your next vacation.

The Family Vacation Critic has a list of the 12 Best Resorts That Get You Close to Animals. Gunflint Lodge in Grand Marais, Minn., is what we added to our list. Families can go dog sledding, you’ll learn how to harness the dogs and command them to take you across frozen lakes and snow trails.

CNN Travel’s list of 15 Trips for Animal Lovers is filled with unique opportunities. While hanging out with turtles in Greece sounds fun, who could pass up the opportunity to wash elephants in Thailand? You can spend a week at the elephant sanctuary planting trees, developing the on-site school and, of course, working with the elephants – all for around $400 per person.

The World Wildlife Foundation is a great resource for trip planners. The Foundation can help you book a trip to nearly any part of the world. Whether you want to see Bengal tigers in India, pandas in China or polar bears in Canada, you’ll find the best destination for you and your fellow travelers.

The Travel Channel’s list of extreme animal adventures isn’t for the faint of heart. From catching catfish with your bare hands in Oklahoma and ostrich racing in South Africa to healing therapies such as leech or bee therapy in New York and Michigan, these animal encounters require a special kind of traveler. No wimps allowed!

What’s your favorite animal vacation? Let us know on Facebook or Twitter!