8 of the best trips for wildlife lovers

By day, spot the Big Five in Serengeti NP, bask beside Lake Victoria and hike the Gol Mountains. At night, transform your Land Rover into a mobile hotel, complete with bathtub, bed and balcony, to ensure you’re next to the action 24/7.

Encounter two of British Columbia’s big predators at once on Wildlife Worldwide’s 14-day Bears & Orcas Up Close trip.

Grizzly bear fishing for salmon (Shutterstock)

Visit Vancouver Island and spend two days whalewatching in the wildlife-rich Salish Sea – as well as orcas, look out for minke and humpback whales, sea lions and dolphins. Then fly to the Yukon to join naturalists who’ll help you spot grizzlies catching salmon in the Taku River.

Visit France’s champagne country just in time to see migrating birds on Naturetrek’s Cranes & Champagne trip. Spot six species of woodpecker in Orient Forest Regional Natural Park before the main event: the March migration of 60,000 common cranes through Giffaumont – also home to buzzards, marsh harriers and waterfowl.

A marsh harrier (Shutterstock)

Then toast the brilliant birdlife with a champagne tasting session at a local vineyard and wander the squares and half-timbered houses of historic Troyes. A spectacular 7 days.

Discover remote national parks – one with limited access to the public – on Explore’s Wild Zambia trip. Spot hippos and leopards in South Luangwa NP, gawp at giant granite inselbergs in the Mutinondo Wilderness, take a walk in picturesque Kasanka and stalk shoebill storks in Bangweulu Swamps.

Hippos in South Luangwa National Park (Shutterstock)

Finish the 14-day adventure in North Luangwa NP – rarely seen by most travellers – to gaze at prides of lions and herds of buffalo, far from the tourist crowds.

Explore one of the most biodiverse archipelagos on the planet on Discover The World’s 8-night Sailing the Islands of Haida Gwaii trip in British Columbia. Visit ancient villages on Graham Island before hopping on board a boat.

A humpback whale (Shutterstock)

Look out for several whale species, including blue, minke, humpback and orca, and see black bears on shore. Birdlife is abundant too: puffins, blackfooted albatross, peregrine falcons and more.

Have a truly wild weekend in the Western Cape’s first free-roaming ‘Big Five’ wildlife reserve on Fred Holidays’ Premium African Safari in Sanbona.

Lion cubs in the Kalahari desert (Shutterstock)

See the usual suspects plus rarer species: white lions, the endangered riverine rabbit, Verreaux’s 2016 eagle and the tiny dwarf blue butterfly. Be wowed by 1,500-year-old rock art, go stargazing and learn animal tracking too. Not bad for a 4-night minibreak.

Combine crumbling colonial grandeur and natural splendour on Rainbow Tours’ Cuba & Costa Rica Discovery trip. Over 12 days you’ll explore Havana’s UNESCO-listed Old Quarter and lively waterfront, before flying on to Costa Rica for a blast of biodiversity.

Quetzal in Costa Rica (Shutterstock)

Walk beneath Arenal volcano, spot resplendent quetzal in Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, and mix beach and jungle in Manuel Antonio National Park.

Bamboo Travel’s 15-day Adventures in Sumatra showcases the best of this wild isle, from its lush jungles to its steaming volcanoes.

An orangutan in Indonesia (Shutterstock)

While navigating through it, you can find Minangkabau culture thriving in the forests and Batak traditions alive and well on Lake Toba; seek elephant and orangutans in Leuser National Park; gaze up at the active cones of Sinabak and Sinabung volcanoes; and delve into mist-shrouded Ngarai Sianok Canyon.


Main Image: Three orangutans (Shutterstock)