Wildlife guide
This wildlife travel guide is meant to be like a trailer for the new Attenborough series. Because we also have individual travel guides for more specific wildlife holidays, such as our safaris, bear watching and whale watching.
Tips for big cat safaris
Will Fox, CEO of our supplier On Track Safaris, shares his top tips for spotting big cats on safari in Brazil and India:
Where to see jaguars in the Pantanal
“In Pantanal the jaguars operate along the riverbank, which is the only habitat suitable for them to traverse. These river banks are well established with mature trees and foliage, that is also home to their prey species. The fact that they operate on riverbanks and that we travel by boat makes spotting jaguars easier than many other big cats.”
How tiger safaris work in India
“We work with big cats in a number of locations, but with regard to tigers in India we only use lodges with in-house naturalists that have been assessed by Travel Operators for Tigers, of which we are members and donators. In addition I visit each lodge to check that guide behaviour is correct and impart my knowledge to them where appropriate. These visits often result in additional two-way communication with guides and naturalists to maintain contact throughout the year.”
Our Big cat safaris Holidays
South Africa safari holiday, 14 days
Award winning safari in South Africa
From
£3865
14 days
ex flights
Ten day wildlife safari, South Africa
Award winning wildlife safaris in South Africa
From
£2500 to £2675
10 days
ex flights
Tiger tour in India, land of the Tiger tour
Wildlife tour through India
From
£2799 to £3449
16 days
inc UK flights
Three Reserve safari in South Africa
Best value, 10 days high quality stunning big game safari
From
£2495
10 days
ex flights
Bandhavgarh and Kanha tiger safari in India
10 Day Tiger Safari in Bandhavgarh and Kanha National Parks
From
£1495
10 days
ex flights
Brazil wildlife tour, jaguars and waterfalls
Jaguar spotting 100% success rate, Iguacu waterfalls & Rio.
From
£4895
16 days
inc UK flights
Sri Lanka wildlife and whales tour
Whales and the wildlife of Yala National Park
From
£2449 to £2599
11 days
inc UK flights
Tiger watching holiday in India
A chance to see the majestic tiger in the wild
From
£825 to £1050
9 days
ex flights
Tadoba National park tiger safari, India
Tadoba the best tiger reserve of India
From
£1000 to £1500
8 days
ex flights
Wildlife holiday in Sri Lanka, private departure
Wildlife holiday to see Sri Lanka's 'Big Four'
From
£2345
15 days
inc UK flights
Kenya cheetah safari
Explore Ol Pejeta, Lake Naivasha and the Masai Mara
From
£1860
8 days
ex flights
Pantanal wildlife holiday in Brazil
Wildlife Safari in Brazil's stunning Northern Pantanal.
From
£4870 to £4900
10 days
ex flights
Tiger safari in India, Bandhavgarh & Kanha
Ultimate wilderness experience in two of the best parks!
From
US $1320 to US $2250
7 days
ex flights
Snow Leopard tracking in the Himalayas
Join expert guides and track snow leopards in the Himalayas
From
£2395 to £2675
17 days
ex flights
Jaguar watching safari of the Pantanal, Brazil
100% Record for Jaguars and we average 1.1 sightings per day
From
£4745
11 days
ex flights
Tailor made wildlife tour of Sri Lanka
Wildlife tour around Sri Lanka - see blue whales!
From
£2490
13 days
inc UK flights
Snow leopard tracking in Ladakh, India
A quest to spot the rare snow leopard in Ladakh
From
£4895
14 days
ex flights
Puma tracking in Patagonia holiday
Track pumas in the valley of Torres del Paine National Park
From
£4495
10 days
ex flights
Nepal highlights tour, silver triangle
Kathmandu, Chitwan and Pokhara classic Nepal tour
From
US $990 to US $1260
9 days
ex flights
Satpura tiger reserve safari in India
Wlderness experience at Satpura Tiger Reserve.
From
US $1300 to US $2400
6 days
ex flights
India tigers and temples tour
Explore India's wonderful temples & track down its Tigers
From
£2545
8 days
ex flights
Bhutan tiger safari holiday
Follow in the footsteps of the BBC and search for tigers in Bhutan
From
£3995
14 days
ex flights
Track leopards and tigers in Siberia
Track wild Siberian Tigers & photograph rare Amur Leopards
From
£6850
18 days
ex flights
Snow Leopard safari in Ladakh, India
A lodge based snow leopard safari in Ladakh
From
£3865
14 days
ex flights
Transylvania wildlife holiday, lynx watching and tracking
Lynx watching and tracking in the land of Dracula
From
£600 to £1060
6 days
ex flights
Bangladesh tiger safari holiday
Cruise the Sunderbans Mangroves and Track Elusive Tigers
From
£1995
8 days
ex flights
7 day big five safari in South Africa
7 Day Safari with wildlife conservationists
From
£1995
7 days
ex flights
Clouded Leopards and rare mammals in Borneo tour
The only tour dedicated to all 5 species of cat in Borneo
From
£3995
15 days
ex flights
Martin Royle, director of our supplier Royle Safaris, on seeing tigers in Siberia and cloud leopards in Borneo:
Safari magic
“My favourite moment without a shadow of a doubt (which is actually my favourite moment in wildlife watching ever) was seeing a wild Siberian tiger for the first time. She just sat off the side of the road staring at us from around 10 metres away, then after two minutes the young female got up and moved deeper into the forest.”
Borneo nighttime safaris
“We generally do most of our activities during the night; in Tabin and Deramakot we will be out from 7pm until 12am/1am every night. This is the prime time, so we tend to not plan anything specific for the daytimes. There are some daytime activities that can be done, but most people choose to just do the seven to eight hours of wildlife watching in the night. This means we have the same time spent looking for wildlife as many other trips; it is just at another time of day. But yes it can be demanding on people if you are not used to that.”
Our top Big cat safaris Holiday
South Africa safari holiday, 14 days
Award winning safari in South Africa
From
£3865
14 days
ex flights
Small group travel:
2020: 5 Apr, 19 Apr, 3 May, 17 May, 31 May, 14 Jun, 28 Jun, 12 Jul, 26 Jul, 9 Aug, 23 Aug, 6 Sep, 20 Sep, 4 Oct, 18 Oct, 1 Nov, 15 Nov, 29 Nov, 13 Dec
2020: 5 Apr, 19 Apr, 3 May, 17 May, 31 May, 14 Jun, 28 Jun, 12 Jul, 26 Jul, 9 Aug, 23 Aug, 6 Sep, 20 Sep, 4 Oct, 18 Oct, 1 Nov, 15 Nov, 29 Nov, 13 Dec
Travel Team
If you'd like to chat about Big cat safaris or need help finding a holiday to suit you we're very happy to help.
Big cat safaris travel advice
At Responsible Travel, we think the best people to advise our travellers are often... other travellers. They always return from our tours with packing tips, weather reports, ideas about what to do – and opinions about what not to.
We have selected some of the most useful holiday advice that our guests have provided over the years to help you make the very most of your big cat safari holiday.
We have selected some of the most useful holiday advice that our guests have provided over the years to help you make the very most of your big cat safari holiday.
We went on this holiday in the hope of seeing a Tiger. Not only did we see one on the first day but had the privilege of seeing a total of ten tigers in three different National Parks. ![]()
– Peter Kemp on a tiger tour in India
“Enjoy everything about the trip, don't be hooked up on seeing tigers, they are there and can be hard to find, and when the moment arrives it is magical!!! Pack less than you think (laundry service available), have old clothes for game drives can be really dusty in hotter months and you do get dust everywhere, have something to do for between game drives / evenings as resorts are quite isolated ... Embrace the experience, the locals, the wildlife, the sights and the train, you may be surprised…This was a great holiday, enjoying a group holiday for the first time, meeting folks from different walks of life, mixing with the local people, enjoying the sights of India, and finally the wildlife and achieving my dream of seeing wild Tigers .... Awesome !!” – Ian Harrison on a tiger tour in India
“Seeing a leopard drinking from a water hole as we were hurrying (within the speed limit!) to try and reach the exit from the Kruger before the gate closed caused us a big dilemma! Naturally we stopped to watch it and risked a fine at the gate which fortunately didn't occur; Coming across a magnificent male lion lying just 25 yards from us whilst on a night game drive who obliged us by roaring shortly after we stopped to watch him. Hearing a lion roar so close was a truly memorable experience.” – Lena Hughes on a wildlife safari in South Africa
“Seeing a leopard drinking from a water hole as we were hurrying (within the speed limit!) to try and reach the exit from the Kruger before the gate closed caused us a big dilemma! Naturally we stopped to watch it and risked a fine at the gate which fortunately didn't occur; Coming across a magnificent male lion lying just 25 yards from us whilst on a night game drive who obliged us by roaring shortly after we stopped to watch him. Hearing a lion roar so close was a truly memorable experience.” – Lena Hughes on a wildlife safari in South Africa
We spent nearly 50 hours watching interaction between several different cats including hunting and mating.![]()
– Liz Cooke on a snow leopard tracking holiday in the Himalayas
“We went on this holiday in the hope of seeing a Tiger. Not only did we see one on the first day but had the privilege of seeing a total of ten tigers in three different National Parks. We actually followed a large male tiger along a track for more than half an hour while he sniffed and scent marked his way along. An experience never to forget.” – Peter Kemp on a tiger tour in India
“We spent nearly 50 hours watching interaction between several different cats including hunting and mating. Make sure you have good telescope, binoculars and camera lenses. Even if you don't see snow leopards, they are needed for the birdlife. Suggest getting a solar powered charger for electrical equipment – they don't weigh much and work really well. Have a care if you suffer from vertigo – you will be climbing up the side of mountains and walking along narrow trails in order to get good vantage points!” – Liz Cooke on a snow leopard tracking holiday in the Himalayas
“There were many (memorable moments) but it had to be finally seeing a Leopard in the wild...we were lucky and had wonderful views as an adult female came down to drink at a waterhole... It was a wonderful trip, providing many new sightings...The country was wonderful, and beautiful. The people very friendly. Our guides were very attentive. I would definitely recommend to any one to go to Sri Lanka.” – Chris Rose on a Sri Lanka wildlife and whales tour
“The walking safari was exhilarating. Just to be in and amongst the wildlife was brilliant. But the whole trip was fantastic from start to finish. Be prepared for long days bouncing around in a jeep. Its harder work than you think.” – Dawn Howarth on a Nepal tiger safari
“We spent nearly 50 hours watching interaction between several different cats including hunting and mating. Make sure you have good telescope, binoculars and camera lenses. Even if you don't see snow leopards, they are needed for the birdlife. Suggest getting a solar powered charger for electrical equipment – they don't weigh much and work really well. Have a care if you suffer from vertigo – you will be climbing up the side of mountains and walking along narrow trails in order to get good vantage points!” – Liz Cooke on a snow leopard tracking holiday in the Himalayas
“There were many (memorable moments) but it had to be finally seeing a Leopard in the wild...we were lucky and had wonderful views as an adult female came down to drink at a waterhole... It was a wonderful trip, providing many new sightings...The country was wonderful, and beautiful. The people very friendly. Our guides were very attentive. I would definitely recommend to any one to go to Sri Lanka.” – Chris Rose on a Sri Lanka wildlife and whales tour
“The walking safari was exhilarating. Just to be in and amongst the wildlife was brilliant. But the whole trip was fantastic from start to finish. Be prepared for long days bouncing around in a jeep. Its harder work than you think.” – Dawn Howarth on a Nepal tiger safari
More about Big cat safaris
Our guide to big cat safaris around the world takes you from the frozen wildernesses of Russia and Lapland to the jungles of India and Borneo, via the plains of Africa and the marshlands of Pantanal.
It can be a little difficult to pin down the absolute best time to go on a big cat safari given that they tend to keep to their own schedules, but to narrow down your chances of success, read on to discover when to travel.
Our big cat safaris map and highlights demonstrate the variety of locations you can see these elusive creatures in the wild, from Russia to Borneo and India, while an interactive map reveals where to see big cats around the world.
On big cat safaris in South Africa you’ll most likely catch the lions lounging in the shade but the chance of seeing them on the hunt will be enough to get you bounding into the jeep every evening.
Big cat safaris in the Pantanal focus on the Cuiabá riverbanks from Porto Jofre because cruising by boat affords superb opportunities to witness jaguars on the hunt or at their leisure in their preferred habitat.
India has more tigers in the wild than anywhere else, so big cat safaris in India typically take you around a series of national parks to maximise your chances of observing them as they emerge from the jungle.
Yala National Park is the key destination that big cat safaris in Sri Lanka focus on, as it's home to a higher concentration of leopards per square kilometre than anywhere else on the planet.
Big cat safaris in Russia are a truly spectacular experience, and a fantastic opportunity for those with the patience to wait on the appearance of Siberian tigers and Amur leopards, offering exclusive access to hides in prime locations.
Big cat safaris in Borneo are accompanied by naturalist guides and zoologists to help you track down nocturnal, tree-climbing clouded leopards and a host of other incredible creatures along the way.
Explore a true wilderness in company of expert naturalists and guides with snow leopard tracking holidays in the Himalayas, as you search the mountains for one of the world’s rarest and most majestic big cats.
Big cats are in urgent need of more responsible tourism - on this page we discuss some of the current issues around big cat conservation and how by choosing the right kind of trip, you make a difference to their survival.
More relevant guides
protection
Photo credits: [Page banner: flowcomm] [Will Fox Quotes: Gerry Zambonini]
[Martin Royle Quotes: Calgary Reviews]
[Peter Kemp Quote: Fitindia]
[Liz Cooke Quote: Ksuryawanshi]
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