Five of the world’s most thrilling places to see wildlife

One of the thrills of a visit to the world’s wild places is seeing how the (non-human) locals live.

The Arctic’s cold comforts

Polar bears aren’t the only wildlife attraction at the Svalbard Archipelago.Credit: Martin Johansen

• Start Bergen, Norway
• Finish Bergen, Norway
• Duration 16 days

I am a polar bear, and I live north of everywhere. So what better place to see the magnificent creatures than the northernmost edge of the world, to watch them prowl the snow and ice to hunt seals?

But they’re not the only wildlife attraction at the stunning Svalbard Archipelago, close to the North Pole. There’s also the gorgeous white Arctic fox, reindeer, walrus, whales and seals, with 30 species of migratory birds, like the Atlantic puffin, all to be seen against a spectacular backdrop of snow-capped mountains, mirror fjords and towering glaciers in the land of the midnight sun.

Cruise company Hurtigruten’s Svalbard Express, returning for the first time since 1982, has a 16-day roundtrip cruise from Norwegian city Bergen or 11 or 10-day options to or from Longyearbyen, with stops including the Lofoten Islands, Vesteralen, and the North Cape. But with three polar bears there for every two humans, there’s no doubt who is the real star of the show. See hurtigruten.com/en-au

Jungle fever in the African Congo

Classic Safari Company operates river routes in the world’s most remote areas.

• Start Brazzaville, Congo
• Finish Ouesso, Congo, then Brazzaville
• Duration 12 nights

Panthers, elephants, gorillas, pangolins, and fish with teeth so jagged that they even attack crocodiles. Discover the deepest hidden secrets of Africa in its rawest, most untouched beauty while travelling in four-star luxury aboard a newly refitted small ship through West Africa’s Congo Basin.

There are also chimpanzees, bonobos – like chimps but with longer limbs – the largest forest antelope, the bongo, the medium one, the sitatunga, and the small blue duiker, buffaloes, and bush pigs, as well as more than 350 species of birds and incredible fish like that savage goliath tigerfish.

Remember the classic 1950s movie The African Queen with Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn? Well, this is the modern version yet in a setting – the Congo River, surrounded by 200 million hectares of protected forest – that’s barely changed over time, unspoilt, undisturbed and rarely seen.

With very few people and even fewer roads, this area is still one of the most biodiverse parts of the planet, producing an astonishing 20 per cent of the world’s oxygen.

In the Republic of the Congo – as distinct from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) next door, which used to be called Zaire – the region is inhabited by Bantu tribes as well as the pygmy peoples, the hunter-gatherers who’ve largely preserved their ancient way of life.

The Congo is still one of the most biodiverse parts of the planet.

The small group “boutique hotel” cruise, with 14 cabins, is being offered by Australia’s Classic Safari Company and run by French company Ducret Expeditions, well-known pioneers in opening new river routes in some of the world’s most remote areas.

The return of the RV Ducret to the Congo mid-year will launch the revival of the long tradition of passengers plying the mighty river, but this time sustainably in a quiet, fuel-efficient, four-deck ship and luxuriously, in a series of beautifully remodelled suites. The observation deck up top has lounges for watching both the wildlife and the timeless river slip by, the restaurant is helmed by a Michelin-starred French chef, and there’s a day spa and two naturalist guides among the 21-strong crew, who take guests out in smaller boats and kayaks to wend up the tiniest tributaries.

There are both 12 and 15-night cruises departing from the Republic of the Congo’s capital, Brazzaville, and ending nearly 1000 kilometres downriver to Ouesso, where a private plane flies travellers back to the city over the forest canopy. The longer cruise includes national parks in the bordering DRC and the Central African Republic. See classicsafaricompany.com.au

Home-grown nature

Kangaroo Island is home to 270 species of birds. Credit: Australian Wildlife Journeys

• Start Kangaroo Island, South Australia
• Finish Kangaroo Island, South Australia
• Duration Three days

Get up close and personal with Australia’s own fabulous wildlife: shy echidnas, koalas, kangaroos, wallabies, sea-lions, fur seals, goannas and up to 270 species of birds, on a special wildlife tour of Kangaroo Island, 14 kilometres off the coast of South Australia.

Tour company Australian Wildlife Journeys now offers small group tours for two to 10 people or private three-day tours to show off the island’s creature treasures.

Highlights include a swim with wild dolphins, a walk on the beach with sea lions, a visit to a private wildlife refuge, a look at the black cockatoo conservation program and lunch with the world’s premier echidna expert Dr Peggy Rismiller.

Did you know, for instance, that the echidna has a bird-like beak, a pouch like a quoll, lays eggs like a reptile and produces milk for her babies, called puggles, by oozing it out through her skin? How great is Australia? See australianwildlifejourneys.com

Bountiful Borneo

Orangutan sanctuary along Intrepid’s 11-day Malaysian Sabah Adventure.Credit: Intrepid

• Start Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia
• Finish Sepilok, Malaysia
• Duration 11 days

As the world’s smallest bear, the sun bear looks cute and cuddly, but in real life, it can be pretty unfriendly to humans. Yet, it’s still a thrill to see them in the wild or, second best, in the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre, where 43 are currently being rehabilitated after being rescued.

That’s one of the amazing wildlife experiences offered by Intrepid’s 11-day Malaysian Sabah Adventure, which also features wildlife spotting along the Kinabatangan River where the rainforest reveals macaques, proboscis monkeys, pygmy elephants, and at night, the civet cat.

There’s also a conservation sanctuary for orangutans, sea turtles on Turtle Island and a climb up Mount Kinabalu, the best trek in South-East Asia.

The trip includes a trail walk to Poring Hot Springs with a battery of bats and birds. See intrepidtravel.com/au

Animal kingdom Costa Rica

Costa Rica’s natural attractions are stellar.

• Start San Jose, Costa Rica
• Finish San Jose, Costa Rica
• Duration Eight days

Take a trip to see scaly armadillos, the bright red poison dart frog, sloths hanging lazily down from trees over the breakfast table … Latin America’s Costa Rica offers some of the most unusual wildlife on the planet, and it’s all endlessly fascinating.

World Expeditions’ eight-day Best of Costa Rica tour involves several animal encounters, some planned and others totally unexpected. Tortuguero National Park, for instance, has three varieties of sea turtles—the green sea turtle, the leatherback, and the hawksbill – nesting on its beaches, while the rainforest echoes with the screeches of monkeys – capuchins, spiders, and howlers.

The Monteverde Cloud Forest of the highlands alone is alive with 425 species of birds, 120 species of mammals, 101 species of reptiles and 60 species of amphibians, and with more than 13 kilometres of well-maintained trails and observation platforms, the stage is set for a fabulous fiesta of fauna. See worldexpeditions.com

Q&A: CAPTAIN ERWAN LE ROUZIC, THE EXPEDITION OCEAN CRUISE CAPTAIN, SCENIC ECLIPSE II

Scenic Captain Erwan le Rouzic.

My job involves... not just navigation and going from point A to B, and making sure we’re on time. It also involves making sure that our guests are happy and that, at the end of the journey, they’ve had a fantastic time. On a small-sized yacht like the Scenic Eclipse II, the captain is involved a lot with the crew and guests and the wheelhouse is open almost all the time so that the guests can meet me as I show them how the ship works.

My definition of a great journey is... meeting our guests’ expectations and also sharing with them some incredible moments. Most of our guests are very well prepared when they come on board, but it’s great to give them some exceptional experiences, too.

My greatest journey ever was... to Antarctica, where I was so close to the wildlife, the penguins, the whales and seals, and every day the scenery was so different, whether on ice or on shore. There was sunshine, there was snow, there was the polar plunge and kayaking and paddle boarding with penguins.

The most amazing thing I’ve ever seen on a journey is… watching humpback whales from a kayak, or paddle board or zodiac and having them just swim by and being so inquisitive and friendly. It was magical.

The great journey I still really want to do one day is... heading to Antarctica through the Ross Sea from Tasmania. Very few people ever go that way, and it feels like a true expedition, and we’re going at the end of the year. I’d also like to go to the moon but I think that’s still too expensive.

The world’s next great journey destination is... Portugal. Every decade has had its favourite place. It was once France, Italy, Spain and Greece and more recently it was Croatia. But now Portugal is becoming the place to go for its Mediterranean culture, its great villages, its scenery and its secrets.

My best tip for getting the most from a great journey is... to always be curious. Go a little bit prepared, but also with a fully open mind. Be ready to come out and participate in everything, even when it’s something unexpected. When we were in Iceland’s capital Reykjavík last August, at midnight I made an announcement through all the cabins about the northern lights and everyone came out in their pyjamas and bathrobes to watch. It was wonderful. See scenic.com.au
-Sue Williams