Top 10 wildlife experiences

Watching gorillas is often described as one of the most life changing of all wildlife experiences. Being face to face with a wild gorilla is on many people’s ‘must do before you die’ list. Whether it’s because of their intimidating size combined with their unexpected gentle grace or because they behave so much like us, it’s easy to see why gorilla tracking is such an amazing experience. Whether you want to see mountain gorillas in Uganda's Bwindi Impenetrable Forest or in Rwanda's Virunga Mountains, we have a selection of responsible holidays for you. Take a look our gorilla safaris here.

Polar bears are an iconic species that symbolises climate change and puts a cuddly face to the ugly problem of global warming. With concern over the conservation status of the polar bear it is more important than ever to make sure that your bear watching holiday is run responsibly.

That’s why all our polar bear watching holidays have to adhere to our criteria so that you know that your holiday is run to minimise environmental impacts to help conserve these magnificent creatures. Have a look at our Arctic cruise holidays for the ultimate wild polar bear experience in the company of wildlife experts, researchers and conservationists.

Tigers are one of the world's most endangered, elusive - and dangerous species, which means that a tiger watching holiday is an incredibly rewarding experience. With nearly 30 reserves, India is making a great effort to conserve its remaining tigers, and Nepal, too, is using innovative conservation methods to protect the tigers within its national parks. Our trips visit some of the best of these reserves including Kanha, Bandhavgarh and Ranthambore, along with Chitwan and Bardia in Nepal. Check out all our tiger watching holidays here.

Watching as an enormous whale breeches the ocean's surface and disappears to the ocean depths with a splash really can take your breath away. Whale watching is an increasingly popular activity and very widespread with boat trips operating wherever the whales are.

From Norway to Newfoundland, Iceland to Italy, all our whale watching holiday are run responsibly, ensuring that whilst you get close enough to take great photos, you won't be disturbing these ocean giants. Whether you want to see playful orcas or mighty humpbacks we have a range of trips and one to suit you.

Grizzly bears, a subspecies of brown bears, are amongst the eight remaining bear species on the planet. Many of the bear species, such as the sloth bear, are endangered or vulnerable but brown bears aren’t among them, so hopefully spotting one shouldn’t be too tricky! Watching a creature so huge and powerful can be an awe inspiring experience and if you go to the right place at the right time of year you might just be lucky enough to spot some little bear cubs out to play. Take a look at our bear watching holidays here.

Watching orangutans in the wild makes regular appearances on travellers' bucket lists - and with good reason. Watching orangutans can be utterly magical. Widespread deforestation to make way for palm oil plantations has reduced this species' habitat to a tiny fraction of what it once was, and they are now listed as endangered. It’s therefore more important than ever to ensure that responsible tourism contributes their conservation. All our tour operators abide by a code of conduct and most holidays to Sabah include visit to Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre, which houses and then releases injured orangutans back into the wild when possible. Have a look at our orangutan holidays here.

The vast, frozen continent of Antarctica is one of the planet's last true wilderness. Officially uninhabited and owned by no one, it is a place like no other on earth. But it's not empty; several penguin species, seal colonies, whales and albatrosses are among the creatures that call this frozen desert home. Small ship cruises incorporate onboard lecture programmes by biologists, geologists, conservationists and marine scientists, bringing the scenes to life. We have a selection of holidays in Antarctica here.

You don’t have to travel too far from home to find a great wildlife experience. Europe's wildlife may be little celebrated - but it is no less impressive than other more exotic locations. Whether you want to see birds or bears, wolves or whales we have an exciting range of wildlife encounters in Europe. Take a look at all our wildlife holidays in Europe here.

Don’t forget that all of our trips have to meet our criteria for environmental, social and economic responsibility which means that they minimise their environmental impact, benefit the local community or provide employment in the local area. They also abide by strict codes of conduct so not to distress the wildlife (for example not getting too close, and ending encounters when animals leave, rather than following them). Also, many of our wildlife tour operators regularly donate to and support conservation projects to protect and preserve endangered wildlife. You can find our criteria here and the campaigns we support.