Love Nature? 5 of the Best Wildlife Trips in the World
/If you love nature, you’ll want to ensure any wildlife holidays you undertake are truly sustainable.
Unfortunately, often wildlife travel and ecotourism isn’t necessarily that eco-friendly, but rather uses ‘greenwashing’ to portray positive intent, whilst actually creating negative impacts.
At Earth Changers, we only work with the very best sustainable tourism partners who deliver positive impacts through travel to ensure inclusivity and benefits for local people and places alike, for truly transformative tourism for conservation and communities.
So if you’re looking for the best nature holidays in the world, you can’t get much better than these nature trips and wildlife vacations.
The Evolution of Nature Tourism: The Galapagos Islands
There are few places that are truly out of this world, but one is The Galapagos Islands.
On this, the first community-based tourism of the Galapagos on Floreana Island, staying on one of the less populated islands means really experiencing the habitats of its remarkable and highly adapted local population and endemic and indigenous wildlife.
With Darwin's finches, frigate birds, sea lions, blue-footed boobies, giant tortoises, iguana and marine iguana, with the bonus of the underwater world while snorkelling such as manta rays, sharks, turtles, dolphins and whales, it really is a magical world of mystical creatures!
More info & enquire about The Galapagos Islands >
Magical Madagascar
“This is the story of what happens when a set of animals and plants are cast away on an island for millions of years. This is how this curious wonderland came into being” - David Attenborough, Madagascar, BBC, 2011
Geographically isolated for 80 million years, Madagascar is home to an astonishing variety of plant and animal species, such as lemur and chameleon. Endemism among its flora and fauna is estimated at over 80% : 8 out of every 10 species found in Madagascar are not found anywhere else on Earth, and many species yet to be named or even discovered.
What better experience than to hands-on help to support conservation to preserve one of the planet's most unique and endangered environments and most significant biodiversity hotspots? Maybe to also stay in the remote bush with authentic villages on beautiful beaches? More info & enquire to volunteer on conservation in Madagascar >
Kenya – An Iconic Safari
One of the most unique and iconic safaris and inspiring soul journeys in Africa – a sustainable luxury camp in true partnership with the Maasai.
In the volcanic deep cloud forests of Kenya’s Maasai Chyulu Hills, a natural wildlife corridor between Tsavo and Amboseli National Parks, with the foothills of Kilimanjaro just 35 miles away, Campi ya Kanzi offers the romance of great safaris, stunning views, incredible wildlife, and the luxury of top hotels, all the while protecting the community, culture and environment in which you’re immersed.
Being outside the National Parks means you are not restricted to staying in vehicles. Walk with a Maasai tracker in the bush in his native land, learn about the Maasai medicinal uses of plants and trek to the top of Hemingway’s Green Hills of Africa: the many different natural habitats bring remarkable biodiversity and huge conservation value with wildlife free to roam. The longer you stay, the more you’ll see: the Big Five (elephant, lion, buffalo, rhino, leopard), even rare wild dog and cheetah, as well as zebra, giraffe or more common antelope and baboon. More info & enquire to safari with the Maasai in Kenya >
Immerse in Nature in Costa Rica
Costa Rica is certainly known for its living laboratory of nature with its 850 species of birds (319 here!), 200 mammal species, reptiles, trees and plants.
This 930 acre private nature reserve is located at the southern-most tip of the Osa Peninsula, Central America's last remaining lowland dense tropical rainforest. On the western Pacific coast of Costa Rica, it acts as a wildlife corridor to Corcovado National Par, home to 2.5% of the biodiversity of the whole world, probably – so dense is the primary forest, it is not even known exactly.
The Lapa Rios Reserve (all primary forest) is exclusive to registered guests, with amazing wildlife-watching from its bungalow balconies, restaurant terrace and incredible canopy rooftop look-out gallery, even the paths, where you might spot monkeys, toucans and sloths. On the bay, take ours to spot any of the three species of dolphins (common, bottled-nosed or spotted), whales and turtles. Snorkel, go sea and mangrove kayaking, horse riding and tour the rainforest canopy zip-lining. More info & enquire about Costa Rica >
Private Marine Park and Protected Island in Tanzania
“One of the most spectacular coral gardens to be found anywhere in the world.”
Explore this stunning underwater coral reef sanctuary and coral rag forest island, relax in the exclusive eco-bungalows, savour traditional Zanzibari cuisine, all the while supporting conservation and education efforts.
Witness the breath taking beauty of more than 200 coral species on just one kilometre stretch of reef (90% of all coral species found in Africa) acting as a forest home, shelter and food for more than 450 fish species, plus turtles year-round, able to reside with enough food due to a no-take fishing zone and the park’s protected status. Be followed by Batfish, Spot Lobster, Blue-spotted Stingray, Giant Grouper, Oscar, a 1m+ potato grouper and colourful Parrotfish.
The whole of the Island is a nature reserve you can explore at leisure or with the guidance of experienced local rangers. Over 20 years as a protection area means an exceptional amount of biodiversity in rare and endangered plant and animal as well as marine life, such as such as the giant Robber or Coconut crab, the largest land crabs on earth, endemic Aders Duikers and seabirds such as the Roseate Tern. More info & enquire about this Marine Protected Island >
Find all of these places and more at Earth Changers,
featuring the best positive impact, transformative tourism for people to find & book trips that truly change the world.
