Top 10 wildlife holidays

Thinking of taking a safari for your next holiday? We got the experts at experiential travel company Exsus to come up with their top 10 wildlife holidays.

See grizzly bears in Canada
The grizzly is one of North America’s most iconic beasts and there are luxury lodges in Canada’s British Columbia that are ideal for spotting them. Knight Inlet Lodge is one of the best places in the world to spot bears, with regular tours and expeditions into the surrounding Great Bear Rainforest. At Tweedsmuir Park Lodge grizzlies and other wildlife can be viewed just a couple of hundred metres from the lodge’s viewing platform, while at Spirit Bear Lodge guests can go in search of the elusive Kermode or ‘spirit’ bear, many of whom have striking white or cream-coloured coats.

Look into the eyes of mountain gorillas in Uganda
The mountain gorilla is one of the world’s most charismatic wildlife icons, and – sadly – of conservation. To look into the eyes of these beautiful creatures is one of the most special wildlife experiences in the world, and a luxury Uganda safari allows you to do just that as well as spotting lion, cheetah, buffalo and many more besides.

Spot the Scarlet Macaw in the Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica
These beautiful birds mate for life and are rarely seen flying solo – they will always have their mate following closely behind. Other highlights of a visit to Costa Rica include hearing howler monkeys in the canopy, seeing humpback whales swimming in the shallow waters, and witnessing the birth of baby sea turtles after sun down.

Meet armadillos, sea lions, capybaras and turtles in Argentina
Span the considerable diversity of Argentina’s amazing wildlife, from the elephant seals and whales of the Valdes Peninsula, to the caimans, eagles and howler monkeys of Ibera, via the torrential majesty of the Iguazu Falls.

Encounter iconic African wildlife on the Skeleton Coast, Namibia
The desolate beauty of the Skeleton Coast is the setting for newly-opened Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp, where the incredible abundance and diversity of life belies the stark surroundings. Elephant thrive alongside giraffe, as well as lion and brown hyena. Gemsbok (oryx), springbok, steenbok, scrub hare, and inquisitive ground squirrel are also seen here, while the Skeleton Coast hosts Cape fur seals in their thousands along with black-backed jackals and brown hyena.

Set sail for extraordinary wildlife in the Galapagos Islands
Famous for their prominent role in the development of Darwin’s theories of evolution, it’s no surprise that the Galapagos Islands are one of the world’s premier wildlife locations, with the Galapagos tortoise, marine iguana and blue-footed booby among the animals who live here. Combine a cruise of the islands with a mountain retreat in the Andes.

Come across some of the world’s most unusual critters in Tasmania
The platypus and Tasmanian devil are two of the strange creatures that live Down Under, and both can be found at Tasmania’s Mountain Valley Wilderness Retreats. This is a privately owned wildlife conservation area, with platypus in the stream and abundant marsupial wildlife including devils, quolls, wallabies and pademelons, and many species of birdlife. This is now the only place in Tasmania where you are likely to see Tasmanian devils in the wild.

Trek into the jungle to find gibbons in Cambodia
Set out in pursuit of rare red gibbons, spot the endangered Irrawaddy dolphin, and be a bear keeper for the day on an intrepid adventure through the fascinating and beautiful country that is Cambodia.

Marvel at Africa’s biggest elephant herds in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe’s largest national park, Hwange, is home to some of southern Africa’s last great elephant, buffalo and sable herds and plays an integral role in a network of southern African conservation areas. The large numbers of animals all year round – elephant, buffalo, sable, roan, giraffe, wildebeest, impala and even gemsbok – are followed by their predators: lion, leopard, wild dog and cheetah, along with African wildcat, serval, honey badger, civet and spotted hyena.

Come face to face with the iconic orang-utan in Sumatra
Ride by elephant back through the jungle looking out for wildlife like proboscis monkeys and orang-utans, with the opportunity to observe them being fed milk and bananas, grooming each other and swinging from tree to tree in their natural habitat.