See them while you still can: 19 bucket-list wildlife experiences

The thought that lions, leopards, jaguars or whales could soon be looming large in the lenses of your binoculars can seem like a distant fantasy.

Yet, with just a few clicks of a friendly mouse, all of these and many more could be yours to experience; across habitats ranging from tropical forests to remote islands, and from the polar regions to the African savannah.

To turn that fantasy into reality, it’s important to book now while availability is still good. To help you choose your wildlife fix, we’ve found some of the most inspiring trips on offer.

All have something new to offer, so if you’ve been there, done that, you may find something surprising; it might be a new destination, a new lodge, a new activity or a new time of the year when different species can be seen.

At a time when the world’s wildlife is under more pressure than ever, it’s reassuring to know that many of these trips – either directly or indirectly – help to fund conservation projects and the scientists who run them.

MARINE

Meet the monsters of the sea in Mexico

A humpback whale off Baja, Mexico. Credit: iStock

Assist researchers studying large marine animals including dolphins, humpback whales and whale sharks in the waters surrounding Mexico’s Baja peninsula. Locations include Laz Bay and Punta Lobos. Your findings will help scientists understand the effects of climatic events, urbanisation, and a growing ecotourism industry on marine ecosystems. They may also lead to policies that support a sustainable future.

Make it happen: Earthwatch’s Sea of Giants: Marine Life of the Baja Peninsula is a nine-day experience that includes accommodation and meals as well as research activities. From $4140 a person. See earthwatch.org.au

Swim with exotic fish and turtles in The Philippines

The seas around the Moalboal peninsula on the west coast of Cebu Island are among the most biodiverse in the Philippines with more than 25 dive sites. Experienced and novice divers can swim alongside turtles and explore the coral reefs while enjoying the spectacle of a sardine bait ball or learning what mandarin fish get up to at dusk. Expect to see ghost pipefish, shrimp, porcelain crabs, nudibranchs and many other species of reef fish.

Make it happen: Dive Adventures (diveadventures.com.au) offers a seven-night land-only package from $2339 a person. Includes meals, and five days of unlimited dives.

See the majestic seabirds off Scotland’s coast

Guillemots nest on cliff faces on the Farne Islands. Credit: Getty Images

Discover seals, dolphins, puffins and giant colonies of seabirds on a tour of the Farne Islands, Bass Rock and the Isle of May off the coast of Northumberland and Scotland. The 28 Farne Islands are home to grey seals and seabirds from puffins to guillemots, while Bass Rock has about 150,000 northern gannets. The Isle of May hosts the largest puffin colony on the east coast of Scotland. All three destinations are favourites of Sir David Attenborough.

Make it happen Wilderness England (wildernessengland.com) offers the six-night Wild Isles trip from $4608 a person including full-board accommodation and expert guide. Departs May 10 and June 15.

DESERT, BUSH AND SAVANNAH GRASSLANDS

Go green in the South African green season

Join a conservation safari to the Kalahari Desert in the green season while staying at a private reserve and participating in an eco-tourism initiative. Wild dogs, Kalahari lion, cheetah, black and white rhino, and rarer species such as brown hyena, caracal, aardvark and aardwolf may all be seen. You can also go on a pangolin tracking experience.

Make it happen: Crooked Compass (globaljourneys.com) offers the 12-day Raw Namibia itinerary from $12,296 a person including full-board accommodation, safari and transfers. Departures are in March, April and September.

Search for the elusive black leopard in Kenya

Visit Laikipia Wilderness is the only camp in Africa with regular sightings of black leopards alongside other big cats and the rare African wild dog. Game drives, bushwalks, river swims, mountain biking, fly camping and meals in the bush are all on offer. You can also stay at Tangulia, a traditional tented camp in the Maasai Mara owned by Jackson Looseyia from BBC One’s Big Cat Diary.

Make it happen: Expert Africa (expertafrica.com) offers the seven-day Great Kudu Fly-in Safari from $12,950 a person including full-board accommodation and transfers; excludes flights.

Marvel at the mass migration in Tanzania

Take a front-row seat at the world-famous wildebeest migration staying at a private hill-top villa in the Grumeti Reserve adjacent to Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park. Part of the Singita Private Villa Collection, Singita Milele opens in May 2024 comes with a hefty price tag but looks out over the Serengeti with its herds of plains game and the Big Five (lion, leopard, rhinoceros, elephant and buffalo).

Make it happen: Singita (singita.com) offers full-board accommodation at Milele for up to 10 guests from $42,295 a night including dedicated villa staff, field guide and private game drives; excludes flights.

Revel among the rare creatures of remote Rajasthan

Guiding lights ... wildlife spotting Rajasthan.

Watch leopards hunting their prey on game drives at sunrise and sunset among the grasslands, winding sand rivers, caves and granite hills of Rajasthan. Rare bird species, crocodile, deer and porcupine are also regularly seen. The luxury tented camps are in a remote wilderness at the bottom of the Aravalli Mountains in the most successful rewilding and community conservation tourism project in India.

Make it happen: Banyan Tours (banyantours.com) offers an itinerary for $11,775 a person twin share staying at two SUJAN tented camps. This includes game drives, most meals, transfers and international and domestic flights.

Get right on track in South Africa

Immerse yourself in all facets of tracking wild animals. Tracking looks at the signs left by invertebrates, amphibians, birds, reptiles and mammals. All learning takes place in the field using field guides, photographs and presentations to supplement practical training. Learn directly from Shangaan trackers who have dedicated themselves to mastering the skills of traditional hunter-gatherers.

Make it happen: Eco-training (ecotraining.co.za) runs seven- and 14-day Eco-Tracker courses from several remote camps in South Africa from $1923 a person and $4373 a person respectively. Includes full-board tented accommodation and all activities; excludes flights.

Do the Delta in style in Botswana

Spot spotted leopards in Botswana.

Atzaro Okavango, a new eco-friendly safari lodge made from recycled materials and powered entirely by solar energy, is owned by African Bush Camps, and offers sustainable luxury in the heart of Botswana’s Okavango Delta. Air-conditioned suites with their own plunge pools offer year-round sightings of lions, leopards, elephants, hippos, giraffes, lechwe and many other species.

Make it happen: Atzaro Okavango (africanbushcamps.com) from $1062 a person a night with a minimum stay of three nights. All meals and game drives are included; helicopter transfers are not.

HIGHLANDS AND MOUNTAINS

Go ape in Uganda

Kibale National Park, Uganda.Credit: iStock

Face-to-face encounters with Africa’s primates rank among the most rewarding of wildlife experiences. Volcanoes Safaris, pioneer of gorilla and chimpanzee eco-tourism, is opening its fifth lodge in May, 2024. The location of the new Kibale Lodge has been chosen for its proximity to the population of 1500 chimps in Uganda’s Kibale National Park and its views over the Rwenzori Mountains.

Make it happen: Kibale Lodge (volcanoessafaris.com) is from $1828 a person a night, which includes meals, beverages, laundry, spa treatments and lodge activities.

Head for the hills in the Scottish Highlands

Search for mountain hare, pine marten, water voles, red squirrels, otters and leaping salmon alongside red and roe deer during a stay at the Alladale Estate, a rewilding pioneer in the highlands of Scotland. Visit nearby Loch Fleet and Handa Island, home to grey seals and breeding seabirds including puffins, guillemots, skuas and razorbills. Critically endangered wild cats are being bred on the estate and a pine marten hide opens in the spring.

Make it happen: Naturetrek (naturetrek.co.uk) offers seven-day stays from $5850 full board including activities. Departs May 19 and 26.

Make a link with the lynx of Spain

An Iberian lynx in Andujar, Spain.Credit: iStock

Search for the endangered Iberian lynx in the company of expert guides among some rarely visited mountainous pockets of southern Spain. Bison, wild boar, red deer and rare bird species are also likely to be spotted. Due to the efforts of CBD-Habitat (the local lynx conservation project), local lynx numbers have risen from 100 to more than 500 over the last 20 years.

Make it happen: Steppes Travel (steppestravel.com) in conjunction with the European Nature Trust (theeuropeannaturetrust.com) offers a tailor-made six-day guided trip to southern Spain from $5460 a person including full-board accommodation and a donation to CBD-Habitat. Excludes flights.

ISLANDS

Go barefoot at Bom Bom in Sao Tome and Principe

Summer 2024 sees the re-opening of the barefoot luxury resort of Bom Bom on the island of Principe, off the western equatorial coast of Central Africa. More than 30 species are unique to the islands, including 25 bird species and seven amphibians. Between July and October, humpback whales migrate around the islands, while between October and April, four of the five turtle species – including leatherbacks – lay their eggs on the islands’ beaches.

Make it happen: A seven-night stay at Bom Bom beach resort is available through Aardvark Safaris (aardvarksafaris.com) from $3962 for two, twin share on a half board basis, including drinks.

Encounter the kings of Komodo in Indonesia

Komodo dragon, Indonesia.Credit: iStock

Komodo National Park, in the Indonesian province of East Nusa Tenggara is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Although the Komodo dragons are its most famous residents, there is further rich biodiversity, both on land and in the sea. AYANA Komodo Waecicu Beach (ayana.com) in Labuan Bajo on the island of Flores is a luxurious base from which to explore Komodo National Park. AYANA also offers Komodo cruises onboard the 54-metre luxury wooden ship, the AYANA Lako di’a.

Make it happen: AYANA Komodo Waecicu Beach costs from $420 a room a night. Cruises on the AYANA Lako di’a from $1385 a night twin share.

FOREST AND WOODLAND

Be bear aware in the forests of Finland

Track bears, wolves, wolverine and elk – among many other elusive species – in the taiga forests of eastern Finland. During an overnight bear watching excursion, you will have the opportunity to first track (by identifying their droppings and marks left on trees) and then photograph these charismatic animals from a specially designed hide. You will also visit the Petola Visitor Centre with its exhibition about Finland’s carnivores including the rare lynx.

Make it happen: Regent Holidays (regent-travel.co.uk) offers the eight-day Finnish Wildlife & Wilderness Adventure from $3802 a person including accommodation, most meals, flights departing the UK, train tickets and transfers.

Breathe it all in at the biodiverse wilds of Costa Rica

Discover the biodiverse wildlife of Costa Rica on a self-drive loop of the country’s Caribbean and Pacific coasts as well as the mountainous rainforests of the interior. Among the volcanoes, cloud forests, wetlands, coastlines and beaches are monkeys, sloths, sea turtles, caiman, iguanas and tropical birds – from scarlet macaws to the rare, multicoloured quetzal. Dolphins and whales are often seen off the Osa Peninsula in the west.

Make it happen: Pura Aventura (pura-aventura.com) offers the 14-day self-drive Caribbean Escape & Osa from $7107 a person including accommodation, most meals, 4WD hire, a selection of guided activities and transfers. Excludes flights.

Cruise the wilds of Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands

Abercrombie & Kent has a new cruise sailing from Cairns to Honiara. As well as exploring the rich culture and World War II history on land and underwater, A&K will take guests in search of exotic birdlife, as well as reptiles, insects and crustaceans. The cruise is on Ponant’s luxurious Le Laperouse.

Make it happen: Abercrombie & Kent’s (abercrombiekent.com) 14-day South Pacific Cruise: Papua New Guinea & Solomon Islands adventure from $27,520 a person. Departs Cairns October 17, 2024.

POLAR

Visit the kingdom of penguins in Antarctica

Penguins as far as the eye can see. Credit: iStock

Follow in the footsteps of Australian explorer Sir Douglas Mawson on a “six-star” luxury cruise along the east coast of Antarctica aboard the Scenic Eclipse. Despite restrictions on Antarctic visitor numbers, it offers exclusive access to the Mertz Glacier. Planned around the wildlife calendar, the tour ensures maximum wildlife sightings including vast colonies of king and emperor penguins as well as whales, orcas and seals.

Make it happen: Scenic (scenic.com.au) offers the 25-day Mawson’s Antarctica: Along the East Coast from $39,495 a person twin share all-inclusive. Excludes flights to Queenstown, New Zealand where the cruise starts; departs December 15, 2024, and December 13, 2025.

Encounter polar bears in the Arctic

 Aurora Expeditions’ Spitsbergen: Realm of the Ice Bear cruise.

Cruise the largest island of the Svalbard archipelago, onboard the Greg Mortimer which slices through pack ice to find walrus and bearded seals, and polar bears hunting on the ice. There are walks across the tundra, visiting historical camps of explorers and hunters.

Make it happen: Aurora Expeditions (auroraexpeditions.com.au) offers the new eight-day Spitsbergen: Realm of the Ice Bear cruise which departs June 16, 2025 from Oslo, Norway, from $13,871 a person. Excludes international flights but all meals and some alcoholic drinks are included.

Five great Australian wildlife experiences

Explore the Kimberley, Western Australia
One of the world’s great wildernesses, the vast Kimberley, all 423,000 square kilometres of it, is home to an astonishing array of wildlife, from huge crocodiles to rare night parrots. Four-wheel drive adventures await those willing to rough it and travel big distances, while cruise companies offer the opportunity to traverse the uniquely aqua waters of the coast, spotting turtles, sharks and birds. Or you can spend a night at Horizontal Falls Seaplane Adventures’ Jetwave Pearl, moored in Talbot Bay. See westernaustralia.com

Get close to the devils at Cradle Mountain, Tasmania
Cradle Mountain is set in the heart of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area and Devils@Cradle is a Tasmanian devil sanctuary working to save these unique and threatened mammals with captive breeding, field monitoring and orphan rehabilitation programs. Stay nearby to the sanctuary at the iconic Peppers Cradle Mountain Lodge or the Cradle Mountain Hotel. See discovertasmania.com.au

Twitch every which way at Mount Mulligan Lodge, Queensland
Far North Queensland’s Mount Mulligan Lodge has partnered with FNQ Nature Tours to launch a new birdwatching tour. On a three-hour road trip between Cairns and Mount Mulligan, there’s the chance to see more than 450 bird species with expert guides. Mount Mulligan Lodge is on a 28,000-hectare cattle station where you can go paddle boarding and on guided nature walks. See mountmulligan.com; fnqnaturetours.com

Make the leap to Southern Ocean Lodge, Kangaroo Island, South Australia
Stay at Southern Ocean Lodge on Kangaroo Island off the coast of South Australia which recently reopened after the bushfires of 2019-20. The island is home to kangaroos, tammar wallabies, brushtail possums, koalas, echidnas, marbled geckos, White’s skinks, bottle-nosed dolphins and Australian fur seals. See baillielodges.com.au

Head off on the Humpback Highway, NSW
Each year more than 30,000 whales make their annual migration from Antarctica to the Pacific (and back again) between May and November. While you can catch sight of them from many places, including Sydney’s beaches, Jervis Bay is a popular resting spot for these spectacular giants along with their newborn calves. Jervis Bay Wild is one whale watching operator. See visitnsw.com; jervisbaywild.com

Paws for thought: how to support ethical wildlife tourism

Jill Robinson, chief executive of the not-for-profit Animals Asia says travellers seeking to experience wildlife sanctuaries should do their research to ensure the experience in which they are participating is ethical with the welfare of animals as the top priority.

Animals Asia’s sanctuaries are part of The Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries (GFAS) which has stringent membership criteria. The GFAS website provides a list of qualified sanctuaries.

Robinson believes tourists have great power to help end unethical animal “attractions”.

“We should be voting with our feet,” she says. “The world is becoming increasingly cruel. And every major pandemic has come out as a result of our cruelty towards animals. There are papers that are saying another huge pandemic is just around the corner because of our mistreatment of animals.

“So, you know, we need to figure this out. Welfare groups like Animals Asia are not talking about this just to protect the animals but to protect people too. And so coming into close contact with animals can carry the huge risk of disease as well.

“Very often elephants in the wild or in a captive facility can carry tuberculosis and if you’re too close to an elephant it carries risk for us as humans as well.

Why don’t we just step back and watch these animals behaving as naturally as they can in their own natural environment?”

Animals Asia has worked for more than 25 years on ending the bear bile industry, on cat and dog welfare in Asia, and captive animal welfare, including ending the practice of riding and bathing elephants. It also runs sanctuaries in Vietnam and China that welcome visitors. See animalsasia.org

This is an edited version of an article that originally appeared in The Telegraph, UK.