5 countries that should be on every wildlife lover's bucket list

From spotting the 'Big 5' to glamping in a jungle, we list down experiences you must not miss if you are a wildlife lover. 

India

Explore spectacular, diverse areas of central India, starting with three nights sleeping in a treehouse high in the Bandhavgarh jungle, trailing Bengal tigers and glimpsing sloth bears on game drives. Then, take a meandering drive north to Pench Tiger Reserve—the park that inspired Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book—where you’ll find the eco-conscious, 10-tent Jamtara Wilderness Camp. Set under the sprawling branches of a banyan tree, the camp is a superlative base to spy flitting butterflies, scurrying jackals and monkeys jumping from branch to branch. Make your final stop the secluded Reni Pani Jungle Lodge in Satpura National Park, untrodden by tourists and resplendent with ravines, forests and mountains.

A two-week safari with Scott Dunn (www.scottdunn.com), from £8,000 (approx. ₹8,40,000) a person.

 

Zimbabwe

Just an hour’s drive from Victoria Falls, in the west of the Zambezi National Park, the newly opened Batoka Zambezi Sands houses 10 spacious and stylish tents—created by the South African designer Yvonne O’Brien—each with its own plunge pool. Lions, hippos and elephants walk the surrounding plains, making it the ideal base for wildlife spotting on game drives and river-boat cruises. Batoka is Africa’s first Black-female-owned safari lodge, and a percentage of its profits are donated to its charity, the Tesse Fund, which supports local communities.

Batoka Zambezi Sands (www.batokaafrica.com), from about £540 (approx. ₹57,000) a person a night.

 

Madagascar

Madagascar is home to plants and animals found nowhere else on Earth, including several species of lemur, which you can see in the Andasibe National Park, and rare tortoises, geckos and chameleons. Take a guided stroll through the Ifotaka rainforest after dark to glimpse nocturnal aye-ayes and see the cat-like fossas prowl; by day, head out on a canoe through the mangroves, and meet members of the Malagasy Antandroy tribe in their holy forests.

A 13-night ‘Classic Madagascar’ safari with Abercrombie & Kent (www.abercrombiekent.com), from £6,375 (approx. ₹6,69,465) a person.

Tanzania 

With the largest concentration of animals in Africa, Tanzania’s parks and game reserves are home to 120,000 elephants, 160,000 buffaloes and 2,000 rhinos. Travel bag’s itinerary will take you from the rocky mountains to the Serengeti grasslands, by 4WD or hot-air balloon—tailor your trip as you wish, either travelling independently or with an expert guide. Round off your voyage with a retreat to the nearby island of Zanzibar, whose warm beaches are the ideal setting for some R&R.

A 13-night Tanzania and Zanzibar safari with Travelbag (www. travelbag.co.uk), from £6,899 (approx. ₹7,24,500) a person, including flights.

 

Sri Lanka

Begin your adventure on a coconut estate an hour’s drive from the airport, and conclude it in Weligama, on the sandy shores of the island’s south coast. In between, visit the ruins of Polonnaruwa, discover the impressive architecture of Galle, stay overnight at one of the finest estates in tea country, and explore ancient fortresses and national parks, such as Minneriya (where you’ll find the endangered Asian elephant) and Yala, the roaming ground of the retiring Sri Lankan leopard.

At the latter, Resplendent Ceylon’s striking Wild Coast Lodge, designed to mimic both the boulders on the beach and a leopard’s paw, will be your base. Along the way, you might also catch sight of dolphins, whales, macaques and langurs.

A 10-night Sri Lanka safari with AndBeyond (www.andbeyond.com), from about £5,195 (approx. ₹5,45,000) a person. 

This article first appeared in Harper's Bazaar UK in June 2023