jungle - Goodtrippers

5 of the world’s best wildlife experiences

Imagine sitting in a safari hide at the crack of dawn, silence all around…then a lioness and her playful cubs come sauntering into view, oblivious to your presence. Or picture snorkelling on a coral reef, dipping your head underwater and seeing a technicolour marine world swimming around you.

Some of travel’s most memorable moments involve witnessing the world’s most incredible wildlife. Sadly, with the endangered species and habitats list growing ever longer, we are all too aware of how precious this wildlife is. Going on a wildlife holiday helps increase our understanding and respect for the natural world, but always remember to use a responsible tour operator for your trips.

Here are some of Goodtrippers’ ‘world’s best’ wildlife experiences:

Cruising the Galapagos Islands – This archipelago has attracted explorers for centuries. Its remote location and unique wildlife inspired naturalist Charles Darwin to write his theory of evolution. A trip today will bring you face-to-face with whales, dolphins, penguins, vast colonies of sea lions and birds, and real rarities such as the Galapagos tortoise, marine iguana and flightless cormorant. Flora includes mangrove, saltbush, cacti and carob trees.

Tiger watching in India – These beautiful and majestic big cats used to be found all over Asia in their hundreds of thousands. Today, there are barely over 3,000 left in the wild thanks to the destruction of their natural habitats and the illegal trade in tiger skin. However, a visit to some of India’s National Parks may reveal a rare and unforgettable sighting of species such as the elusive Bengal Tiger.

The ‘Big 5’ African safari – There are several countries, and several National Parks, where you can spot Africa’s ‘Big 5’ (i.e. lion, elephant, buffalo, rhino and leopard). South Africa’s Kruger National Park is one of the most well-known for a traditional safari experience – camping under the stars, exploring the bush and plains by Jeep, and keeping a pair of binoculars (and your wits about you!) at all times. The Big 5 are an awesome sight, but don’t bypass the rest of Africa’s natural wonders – watching a pack of wild dogs at night, bird-watching on a lake at dawn, or getting up-close to insect life are all unforgettable safari experiences. Try other spots including Zimbabwe’s Hwange National Park and the Okavango Delta in Botswana.

Diving on New Zealand’s Poor Knights Islands – Two-thirds of the Earth is ocean so an underwater experience has to make this list! There are countless top dive sites – Australia’s Great Barrier Reef and Thailand’s Similan Islands being just two – but I’ve included one you may not have considered (even though the great Jacques Cousteau named it one of his top ten dive sites in the world). As the 11 million year-old landscape is volcanic in origin, the cliffs, caves and tunnels harbour a unique biodiversity making New Zealand’s Poor Knights Islands an outstanding Marine Reserve and Nature Reserve.

Spotting orangutans in Sumatra and Borneo – These gentle red-heads are only found in Sumatra and Borneo, albeit in rapidly decreasing numbers as the animals are still hunted and their habitat destroyed to make way for palm oil plantations. Support local efforts to help protect these wonderful creatures by booking a trek through a National Park with a responsible tour operator, or volunteering at a rehabilitation centre. There’s nothing like looking up into the trees and spotting a flash of orange swing high over your head and catching your first glimpse of a wild orangutan!

The world is rich with wildlife experiences and our list barely scratches the surface! If you have a great wildlife experience to share, let us know. (This post by Goodtrippers was originally published on Frontier’s Gap Year Blog)

If that’s inspired you, browse our Amazon Affiliate store for some of the best wildlife books (buying via these links won’t cost you a penny more than using Amazon your regular way, but commission earned by Goodtrippers helps keep our site ticking along thanks to you!).

Nicaragua’s Morgan’s Rock helps define what ‘community tourism’ really means

Guest blogger Andrew Lisa reviews an eco-resort in the heart of the Nicaraguan jungle…

On a vast, 4,000-acre spread located deep in the Nicaraguan jungle, 15 bungalows await holiday-makers like us, who want to enjoy the natural wonders of the jungle without disturbing them. Imagine a private tropical beach, white sand, nesting sea turtles, and perfect weather – that’s Morgan’s Rock, an island paradise that is the pinnacle of luxury and eco-friendly planning.

Accommodation

The bungalows at Morgan’s Rock are the pinnacle of sustainability. Half of the 4,000 acres on which they sit is government-protected land. The other half is reserved for low-impact, sustainable agriculture.Each bungalow is perched on a cliff and comes with its own terrace. All the wood and furniture is sustainable and recovered from what would have gone to waste.

Food

The ultimate in locally grown, farm-to-table dining, about 60 percent of the cuisine you’ll enjoy at the restaurant is grown right there on the sustainable farm. Visitors can also visit the farm, milk the cows, and select their own eggs.

Facilities

Chill out in a beachside hammock and indulge in fresh fruit from the local organic working farm. Enjoy an exotic massage and marvel at the bizarre and beautiful wildlife that shares the jungle with you. A beautiful seaside restaurant and straw-thatched huts await you whenever you’re ready to leave your room.

Activities

Learn to surf in the surrounding warm waters. Tour the oldest city in Nicaragua, and marvel at its colonial architecture and design. Or, for the more adventurous, check out an active volcano. Zip across the canopy of the dense, primitive Nicaragua jungle; go fishing, cruising, kayaking, horseback riding, or walking at night.

Recommended for… The tourist who wants a slow, measured pace in an ancient jungle.

Be aware that… The city is two hours away. The bungalows are hidden on purpose, isolated on a private jungle island.

Good credentials

Sustainable agriculture used on site
Virtually no environmental footprint on protected land
Solar-powered hot showers
Salvaged wood and furniture

For more information and booking, visit www.morgansrock.com

About the author: Andrew Lisa is a freelance writer living in Los Angeles. He writes about travel and Spokeo Removal.

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Spotting orangutans in the Sumatran jungle

Love orangutans? Want to spend days and nights in the depths of the Indonesian jungle? Here’s what happened when Goodtrippers visited the small Sumatran town of Bukit Lawang and explored its wild jungle in search of the endangered orangutan…

High up in the trees sat a creature with fur that glowed orange in the light – it was our first sighting of a wild orangutan. This was day one of a six-day trek through the Sumatran jungle in Indonesia, and we were here to spot one of the world’s most endangered, and endearing, animals – the ‘person of the forest’, the orangutan.

There are thought to be less than 6,600 orangutans left in Sumatra (and under 54,000 in Borneo). Their jungle habitat is being chopped down at a rate of knots to supply the huge demand for resources such as timber and palm oil. Sickeningly, some baby orangutans are also taken from their mothers and sold as pets.

The small Sumatran town of Bukit Lawang, on the edge of the Gunung Leuser National Park, has become something of a wildlife-lovers destination thanks to its orangutan rehabilitation centre. The town was devastated after the Boxing Day Tsunami of 2004 but has rebuilt itself with ecotourism initiatives including jungle treks that are sensitive to the natural surroundings and local wildlife.

Trekking – this is no leisurely stroll

You can choose from a variety of treks from just a few hours to several days exploring the National Park. We choose the latter and spent seven days and six nights in the depths of the Sumatran jungle. Be aware that while you don’t need to be an expedition expert, a decent level of fitness (and aversion to creepy-crawlies) does help. We were covering around 10km a day but the hills are incredibly steep, and the climate hot and humid, making it tough going. You will be wading chest-deep through streams, traversing slippery ledges, swinging through the jungle on vines, and climbing down waterfalls (yes, really!).

Acommodation – a basic camp

Nights are spent on the ground (in your sleeping bag) under makeshift canvas camps, all together with your fellow trekkers, guide and porters. The rain will be kept off but the open-sided tent means anything can crawl in (I was convinced a rat was running over me during one night – but I was so exhausted I just didn’t care!).

The local guide and porters really make the trip special. Our guide was a keen environmentalist and would point out various flora and fauna as we trekked (it’s not just orangutans; the jungle is home to an incredible number of plant species, insects, birds, snakes, mammals, even Sumatran tigers although you would have to be very lucky to see one – they prefer to stay as far away from humans as possible…).

It’s clear the trek team have grown up in this environment and are extremely jungle-savvy. Our porters could carry 20kg backpacks containing the group’s bedding, equipment and food while walking at twice the speed we could manage! And if you get into a spot of bother (which I frequently did), they were there with a helping hand.

Food – a jungle feast

The food on the trek was a wonder in itself. I was expecting basic rations of beans and rice but our porters cooked up a veritable feast of Indonesian dishes that would be welcome on any restaurant menu, every evening. Spicy chicken, sambal, vegetable curry; and when the rations grew lower the porters gathered food from the jungle – fresh fish, banana shoots and greens.

It was an incredible experience, although I must admit to relief when we reached our final destination (the going had gotten incredibly tough and there was not much energy left). The end of the trek was celebrated with a refreshing dip (fully clothed!) in the river before the porters strapped together several large rubber rings… This was to be our final jungle ride, a fun-filled white-water rafting journey all the way down the rapidly moving river and back to Bukit Lawang. What an experience!

The Indonesia Jungle Adventure (Sumatra) is available to book via Frontier – visit www.frontier.ac.uk for dates, prices and more information.

This post was originally published on the Inspiring Travellers website (www.inspiringtravellers.com)

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Our Jungle House, Khao Sok National Park, Thailand

Our Jungle House

Khao Sok National Park, Thailand

T: (from outside Thailand) 6681-417-0546; (from inside) 081-417-0546

www.khaosokaccommodation.com

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‘Our Jungle House’ is well away from the (small) town on the edge of the Khao Sok National Park, and is nestled deep inside 25 acres of privately owned rainforest. You will only hear the sound of gibbons, hornbills and the running stream! Run by American Bodhi and his Thai family, they are committed to responsible tourism and ensure that everything they do at ‘Our Jungle House’ has minimal impact on the environment and a positive impact on the local community. Bodhi has been working at similar tourism ventures (including Golden Bhudda Beach Resort also recommended on this site) and is always happy to suggest ways to expand your experience by volunteering in the area.

Accommodation: Over four nights we stayed in three of the thirteen tree houses and riverside cottages (due to a busy booking period!) so feel quite well-versed in their accommodation facilities – all very impressive! The Romance Tree House (with its ‘outdoor’ bathroom and large, secluded balcony overlooking the river and incredible limestone cliff face) was the best, closely followed by the Thai House riverside cottage (high on stilts and spacious with two floors – balcony does face the pathway though). The Hideaway Tree House is cute but is rather cramped in comparison with a tiny balcony! Cottages and tree houses suit from 1-2 people or 1-4 people (with one suiting up to 5).

Food: Thai, American and European food (breakfasts , lunches, snacks and dinner) is available at the restaurant and bar, both downstairs and upstairs (choose the upstairs open balcony seats for cocktails under the stars).

Facilities: Being on the edge of the Khao Sok National Park means you can’t stay here without booking a trek in the jungle. You can arrange a number of treks and tours (half, full day or overnight treks; treks to see the Refflesia flower; survival treks; wildlife tours; night safari, a trip to Chiew Larn Lake etc). If the river is high enough you can try river tubing or relax with a Thai or oil massage. Free internet available (they’ll even lend you their computer if needed at less busy times).

Recommended for… The fantastic tree houses (especially Romance Tree House) make the very most of the jungle environment – and what a view with those limestone cliffs on your doorstep!

Be aware that… Size and aspect of each tree house and riverside cottage can vary greatly – the small difference in price doesn’t reflect this so if it really matters to you (although all three of the choices we tried were very good), check this out before booking (via website pictures or asking staff).

Good credentials:

Energy conservation: by foregoing air conditioning, hot water, and televisions
Respectful building: treehouses and riverside cottages are made from natural materials, and even more importantly, over 80% of the property is undeveloped
Reduce, reuse, and recycle: all waste is sorted into compost, glass, plastic, metal, and paper. Since beginning this program, trash sent to landfill has been reduced by 50%. Even empty juice boxes are reused by an artist in Phuket who builds furniture out of them.
The owners love the forest: they’ve created a wildlife trail around the property and intend to live in harmony with the surrounding ecosystem
Food is bought locally: organic limes, cucumbers, green beans, and chili peppers are among the vegetables purchased from neighbours.
Staff are local: most of Our Jungle House service providers are locals, from guides and bartenders to the electricians and tree trimmers, so they make a big contribution to the local economy.
Supporting education: in 2011, Our Jungle House raised over 2 million baht to build a school for Burmese children who lack access to education. In 2012, they are building a new kindergarten for children at the local Bang Pru school (ask them about it – guests are invited to help if they wish)
Conservation and community development projects: the people behind Our Jungle House are involved in many projects including scholarships, building community centres, a youth conservation network, and community-based tourism

Date of visit: February 2012

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