Into the Wild

Do you love animals and love to travel? Are you always glued on to Animal Planet watching the wild animals in their natural habitat?

If you answered yes to both the questions then give your itinerant spirit a new lease of life with a wild life holiday. A safari is described as a once in a lifetime adventure in the ‘present’ surrounded by a unique landscape of each region and its amazing wild life. Let us help you choose a destination for this remarkable holiday that you may take next time.

African Safari

To state the obvious, an African safari is one of the most varied of all wild life experiences. Responsible Travel, an online travel agency, recommends going for a classic jeep safari in East Africa or a self-drive holiday in South Africa and Namibia. You could opt for a Big Five – lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard and black rhino – bush walk with an expert guide or in a pole dugout canoe along the Okavango Delta.

Galapagos Islands

Although tourism poses a significant threat to the delicate ecosystem of Galapagos, this is a must-visit destination for all wild life enthusiasts. The animals are endemic to the island and, interestingly, are used to the presence of tourists, which makes it easy to photograph them without being intrusive. Snorkelers can also find interesting spots from the beaches.

The Arctic

If bear watching is on your bucket list, why not go on an Arctic cruise to see polar bears, which have become iconic symbols of climate change? Make it into a responsible holiday for the family by doing your bit to minimise environmental impacts and help conserve the creatures. You could enjoy the wild polar bear experience with wildlife experts, researchers and conservationists.

Tanzania’s Serengeti

Visit Serengeti for the safari of a lifetime at one of its national parks (Serengeti National Park in Tanzania) and other game reserves. It hosts the largest terrestrial mammal migration in the world and is renowned for its large lion population; it is home to 70 large mammal and 500 bird species. The Great Migration herds typically inhabit the Serengeti from November to June/July, but you will not be disappointed at any time of the year as the region offers year-round game viewing.

Jim Corbett National Park

India’s Jim Corbett National Park, a part of the larger Corbett Tiger Reserve, is well known for its tigers. It has become a popular destination for wild life enthusiasts with its healthy population of tigers, as well as the rare species like Otters and the endemic fish eating crocodile. A visit to Dhikala is prescribed if you are looking to enjoy some scenic delights alongside the abundance of wild life present. It is also a haven for bird watchers with more than 650 species of resident and migratory birds. Avail the option to stay overnight in the park and increase your chance of spotting tigers.

Gorilla Tracking

A holiday in Rwanda cannot be complete without gorilla watching at the safari in Volcanoes National Park; it is the most famous of Rwanda’s three parks. Watching mountain gorillas is described as the most life changing of all wild life experiences; you could indulge your itinerant spirit with guided gorilla trekking safaris in Rwanda and Uganda. For a more traditional safari, visit the Akagera National Park, which has its share of wild life opportunities, but has remained popular for its beautiful scenery.

Rainforests in Madagascar

Madagascar’s popularity may have spiralled following the release of Madagascar, a computer-animated film, and the sequels, but wild life enthusiasts have been flocking the rainforests of the Atsinanana, Madagascar for its diverse and rich ecosystem. There are six national parks in Madagascar and in each of the parks visitors could see as many as ten different types of lemur.