Top 10 wildlife experiences

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Our top 10 wildlife holidays

It’s no wonder that wildlife holidays are so popular. Watching animals feeding, playing and interacting with their natural surroundings is a great way to get back to nature and escape everyday life. With so many wildlife holidays on offer in so many fabulous locations it’s hard to decide where to go or what species to see. So we’ve put together our top 10 wildlife watching holidays around the world - some in the remote wilderness, and some closer to home.

Whether you have three weeks to spare or three days there’s a wildlife holiday to suit you. As many species featured on this list are endangered, we make sure that these trips are run responsibly and respectfully. Many of our tour operators are actively involved in conservation projects so you can rest assured that your wildlife holiday will look after the wildlife as well as you.

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Our Wildlife Holidays

1. Gorilla tracking in Rwanda and Uganda

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.

2. A Big Five safari in Africa

An African safari is one of the most varied of all wildlife experiences. Go for a classic jeep safari in East Africa, following the Great Migration across the savannah, or opt for a self drive holiday in South Africa and Namibia. The intrepid can even step out of their vehicles in Botswana and Zambia for a Big Five bush walk, accompanied by an expert guide - or pole a dugout canoe along the Okavango Delta. The Big Five (lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard, black rhino) tend to take centre stage , but don’t forget that other creatures such as hippos, hyenas and zebra can be just as thrilling to see. Check out our African safaris here.

3. Polar bears in the Arctic

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.

4. Tiger Safaris

5. Galapagos Islands

The Galapagos Islands are one of the most biologically diverse areas on the planet and a must for any wildlife enthusiast. The archipelago's most famous visitor, Charles Darwin, began to form his theory of evolution here and it’s easy to see why. With birds and animals that are found nowhere else on earth, and which are completely unafraid of humans, the Galapagos Islands are a wildlife experience like no other. Take a look at our Galapagos cruises here.

Travel Team

If you'd like to chat about Wildlife or need help finding a holiday to suit you we're very happy to help.

01273 823 700

Calling us from outside the UK?

rosy@responsibletravel.com

01273 823 700

Calling us from outside the UK?

rosy@responsibletravel.com

6. Whale watching

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.

7. Grizzly bears in the rockies

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.

8. Watching orangutans in Borneo

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.

9. Antarctica

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.

10. Wildlife in Europe

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.

More about Wildlife

Best time to go on a wildlife holiday

It is a good lesson to remember that, on wildlife holidays, it is the wildlife that calls the shots. They tell us when the best time to go on a wildlife holiday is.

Wildlife travel 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.

Where to go on a wildlife holiday

Most people know that one day they would love to go to South Africa, Botswana or Namibia to see some of our planet’s great creatures in the wild.

How to choose a wildlife holiday

Sometimes it is straightforward. It has always been your dream to see gorillas in the wild. Or polar bears in the Arctic. Others may need help working out how to choose a wildlife holiday.

Wildlife holidays for families

Sometimes people wait until their kids have flown the nest before heading off on that trip of a lifetime to see our wilderness neighbours in the animal kingdom still brooding over theirs.

Wildlife holidays in Europe

You don’t always have to fly to the other side of the world to see wildlife. In fact, Scotland is one of our top destinations for wildlife holidays in Europe.

Top 10 Blue Planet-inspired wildlife holidays

Blue Planet returns to the BBC, inviting us into an extraordinary underwater world and inspiring us to explore and protect our oceans.

Guidelines for wildlife watching

One thing we have learned at Responsible Travel is that the more respectful you are to wildlife, the more incredible your encounter will be.

Wildlife holiday advice

One of the most important pieces of wildlife holidays advice isn’t about wildlife at all. It is about people. And their homes.

Responsible wildlife holidays

It is rare in the wonderful world of wildlife that watching wildlife in their natural habitats comes issue free. What can we say?…it’s complicated.

Wildlife selfies

Is there really such a thing as an ethical wildlife selfie? The spread of social media has encouraged a worrying trend in pictures of tourists holding, hugging and feeding wild animals, and NGO World Animal Protection has campaigned to stop this.

All our wildlife guides

This wildlife travel guide is meant to be like a trailer for the new Attenborough series. Giving you ideas of what you are going to see, when you can see it and where.

More relevant guides

Written by Catherine Mack

ABTA member P7085 so you are fully protected

Photo credits: [Page banner: AdA Durden] [Whale: Sho Hatakeyama] [Gorilla: Matijn.Munneke] [Tiger: Christopher Kray] [Grizzly Bear: Peter Mulligan] [Woodpecker: Frank Vassen]

Top 10 wildlife experiences