By
Holly Foat, responsibletravel.com
From watching penguins to tracking bears, the wonderful world of wildlife offers something to inspire us all year round. You don’t need to be an enthusiast to be able to enjoy a wildlife holiday, and there are often plenty of opportunities for exploring the local culture, relaxing and meeting new friends. Here are some of our favourite wildlife holidays and the best time to go, month by month;
January Escape from the January sales and post Christmas blues with a trip to Antarctica. Meet the stars of ‘march of the penguins’, see whales, seals and birds and if you’re brave, try diving in the icy water to get a better view of the amazing marine wildlife.
February February is a great time to head to the beautiful Seychelles to see the spectacle of
hundreds of baby turtles hatching on the beach. Whilst you're there you might as well relax on the beach and enjoy the warm sun and stunning scenery.
March Spring in Japan is something not to be missed. Every year the cherry blossom (Sakura) floods from the trees and fills the country with an almost magical feel. Mount Fuji is always worth a visit at any time of the year. If you fancy something a little more adventurous try a trip to Lapland. Lapland in March is far quieter than around Christmas giving you more of an insight into the country. Visit the Sámi reindeer herders, see the northern lights (aurora borealis) and have a go at dog sledging.
April Enjoy spring in Spain with a trip to
Andalucia for some bird watching. Watch as the migrant birds return from over wintering in Africa.
May May is a great time for wildlife watching in Trinidad, Tobago and Dominican Republic as it is the time that the turtles hatch. These Caribbean islands are home to a huge range of flora and fauna. Snorkelling in the clear waters is a fantastic way of spotting the coral reefs and marine life.
June June is a beautiful time of year to visit Vancouver Island in Canada. Victoria is beautiful and a great base from which to head out on a whale watching trip to see the resident killer whales (Orca), bald eagles and seals. Grey whales and humpback whales can also be seen around Vancouver Island at this time of the year.
July 
July is a great time for a holiday in South Africa. This time of year is great to see Southern Right whales, Humpback whales and Great white sharks. Bottlenose dolphins can be found around Cape Town all year round and Boulders beach penguin colony is worth a visit. The dry and sunny weather is perfect for a safari and game watching in Kruger national park. Also in Africa at this time of year is the
wildebeest migration. Although very unpredictable, the migration usually runs through the Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Masai Mara reserves around this time.
August It’s the dry season in
Rwanda and Uganda in August and so is the perfect time to go Gorilla watching. This often life changing experience and is a great way to escape from everyday life to this remote and beautiful area. August is also a good time to visit Finland, Europe’s last wilderness. Spend some time in this remote area near the Russian border
watching the brown bear.
September The Galapagos Islands are great at any time of the year but in September the penguins and sea lions are more active as the weather is a little cooler. Other wildlife includes 27 species of reptiles including iguanas and tortoises, and sea birds including the famous blue-footed booby.
October October is a great month to discover Madagascar. October is special in Madagascar as it’s the season to see the lemur babies and also is the bird breeding season. If you like your wildlife a little bigger and more intimidating then head to Manitoba, Canada to see wild
Polar bears. Polar bears are now listed as endangered species so it might be worth seeing them now whilst you still can.
November 
Escape the falling temperatures at home and head to
China to see Giant pandas, the terracotta warriors and the Great wall. There are now
eighteen more panda cubs living in China's Wolong Nature Reserve which is a great success for this enigmatic endangered species.
December December is a good time to go on aTiger safari in India. The cool dry weather is ideally suited to safaris where you can enjoy the other mammals, birds and scenery as well as the beautiful but often elusive tigers.
Interested?
We have 400 wildlife holidays , 150 African safaris and 65 wildlife conservation holidays to choose from!
