With the news that more children are turning into David Attenborough's Planet Earth II than the X-Factor* (frankly, you'd have had to be hiding like a baby iguana under the hot Galapagos sand to have missed it), family travel operator, Stubborn Mule has compiled what their top global wildlife experiences are, according to passenger feedback (parents and children).
Here's what our younger travellers have voted as their top wildlife viewing encounters.
- Orangutans in Borneo
You come to Borneo for one thing and one thing only: the animals. The main draw is, of course, the orangutans, “old man of the forest”, which we come up close and personal with at the Sepilok rehabilitation centre, a fabulous place where orphans are cared for and returned to the wild There's other fascinating wildlife encounters too, though, like watching from a respectable distance as turtles lay their eggs, or witnessing thousands and thousands of bats fly out of 'Bat Cave' each evening. For whatever reason, you'll be blown away by Borneo.
- Seeing “The Big 5” in Africa
The quintessential – or perhaps the original – wildlife viewing experience, no African safari would be complete without the opportunity to see the “The Big 5” i.e. lion, elephant, buffalo, rhinoceros and leopard. Where you see this rite of passage wildlife experience is up to you, but we recommend Etosha Park (Namibia), The Serengeti and Ngorongoro National Park (Tanzania) the Masai Mara (Kenya) and Kruger National Park (South Africa).
- Rainforest Wildlife, Costa Rica
Brightly coloured tree frogs. Turtles hatching in Tortuguera National Park. White-faced monkeys, porcupines, blue crowned motmots and squirrel cuckoos. We could go on, but we think you get the idea….Costa Rica's dense jungle, rainforest, coastline and volcanic areas are one of the most bio-diverse on the planet. Mix up wildlife encounters with zip lining and forest canopy walking and you're guaranteed the kids will never be bored.
- Swimming with sharks, Belize
Let's just say that again. SWIMMING WITH SHARKS!!! When it comes to bragging rights, anyone who says they've swum with sharks WINS EVERY TIME. Sounds dangerous, we know, but Shark Ray Alley, located just off the coast of Belize's biggest island, Ambergris Caye, is fast becoming one of the world's top dive and snorkelling sites due to the number of (docile) nurse sharks and rays which gather in huge numbers there. So far, it's not over-run with tourists. Go now, before it is.
- Washing elephants in Burma
Think elephants and Africa immediately springs to mind. A sanctuary in Burma, though, gives youngsters the chance to get about as up close and personal as is possible to these magnificent animals yet in a way that's not exploiting them, rather, caring for them whilst educating us. Whilst feeding and bathing the elephants at Green Hill Elephant camp, an impressive eco-tourism project outside Kalaw, your kids will never have enjoyed getting soaked more.
