After living in frantic, gray cities where the only sign of wildlife may be a pigeon, one of the best things about going on holiday is further contact with nature. While it’s lovely to be sat on a beach, hearing the birds and swimming with the fishes, some of us crave a little more contact with all things furry and feathered. Here, we’ve found 8 luxurious holidays for animal lovers that focus on that rather spiritual connection we have with the other living creatures with whom we share this planet.
1. Safari in South Africa at Karkloof Safari Spa
Passionate about the conservation of South Africa’s natural wildlife? Hate the idea of people hunting big game? Keep them safe for eco tourists instead by visiting this stunning spa, where you will encounter stunning wildlife living within a 3,500 hectare reserve. Get up close and personal with South Africa’s stunning wildest beasties, including white rhinos, hippos, giraffes, zebras, wildebeests and monkeys, whilst satisfying your need for nature by spotting flocks of ostriches and hearing the inspiring songs of the African fish eagle. This spot is also ideal for a luxury holiday, as there are plenty of opportunities to relax and unwind after an exhilarating day with unlimited treatments in the award-winning spa.
2. Dolphin Spotting in Portugal
For many of us, there is nothing more magical—almost spiritual—than encountering dolphins in their natural setting. This wellness retreat on the South East coast of Madeira is surrounded by large schools of dolphins swimming the waters of the Mid-Atlantic throughout the year. Why not climb aboard and witness the beauty of wild dolphins in their natural habitat as they play amongst the waves–you can even dive in and play with them! Whales also frequent these waters and may grace you with a once in a lifetime sighting. Of course, you can complement this incredible experience with a variety of other activities at this luxury retreat, be it perfecting your yoga or unwinding with rejuvenating Ayurveda spa treatments.
3. Tropical Wildlife in Costa Rica
Tropical Costa Rica is one of the most bio-diverse places in the world, and Discover Recover is the ideal destination for anyone keen to spot howler monkeys, iguanas, toucans, sloths, butterflies and hummingbirds and more. Take a guided jungle safari or Veragua rain forest park tour. After all that trekking, you can revive at Volcan Arenal’s hot springs and enjoy a unique and healthy dinner with a dramatic view of the glowing volcano.
4. Horse Riding at Red Mountain Resort in Utah
Interested in a taste of the American ‘Wild West’? Then there’s nothing better than exploring the sublime views of Utah’s natural Red Mountain range on horseback. Enrich your health and fitness as you follow your love of horse riding by traversing through the scenic Snow Canyon State Park on magnificent pedigree horses. Out of the saddle, keep active with daily hikes and a variety of fitness activities, from rock climbing to boot camp training and kayaking to kickboxing. Soothe aching muscles after a busy day with yoga or Tai Chi, before indulging with a rejuvenating spa massage.
5. Camel Riding in Morocco’s Paradis Plage
If horse riding on holiday is something you’ve already tried, spice things up on your next holiday tackling another beastie: the camel. Like the native Berbers, you'll ride across the beaches of Morocco on one of these Dali-esque creatures, experiencing the ultimate in this ancient form of desert transportation, cruising along the beautiful golden sands of Agadir on a camel. With an oceanfront yoga pavilion and three scheduled group yoga classes a day, Paradis Plage is the ideal beach location to stretch out the kinks after your camel ride. There’s also surfing, mountain biking and nature walks, as well as a wonderful spa here.
6. Helping Rescued Animals with WFFT in Thailand
This humbling holiday experience will introduce you to over 400 rescued animals at the WFFT Wildlife Rescue Centre in Thailand. From orphaned baby monkeys to injured lorises and civets, you can make this holiday one full of compassion and love by helping animals in need. Give a rescued elephant a shower, feed a monkey a banana or just learn how the work of the trust is helping Thailand’s most beautiful and endangered creatures. This is much, much better than visiting one of Thailand’s ’tiger sanctuaries’, which actually act as a front for breeding tigers for their skins and other body parts, or one of the country’s many ‘Elephant ride’ parks, where the animals are often abused in order to ’train' them, and where they are injured in the long run due to having weight they were not meant to carry on their backs.
Of course, exploring Thailand’s cultural surroundings on a temple tour or visiting the Damnern Saduak Floating Market are also essential ’must do’s’ while you’re visiting ’the land of smiles,' and if you decide to head to the country’s famous beaches, there are plenty of amazing eco-hotels to choose from, including the Sarojin Khao Lak, which we love!
7. Volunteering at the Lilongwe Wildlife Centre, Malawi
With its vast landscapes, welcoming people, the glorious sandy beaches of Lake Malawi and plenty of incredible wildlife, Malawi makes the perfect exotic holiday destination. Rather than just lounging on the beach reading a paperback, you could make your holiday experience all the more worthwhile by combining your visit with a stay at the award-winning Lilongwe Wildlife Centre. Volunteer holidays at the LWC range from two weeks to three months, and with great weather all year round, you'll be enjoying the great outdoors every day.
8. Gorilla Gazing in Rwanda
They’re one of our closest relatives, and are sadly highly endangered, thanks to poaching, the bush meat trade and humans encroaching on their territory. So there’s really no better time to support the survival of the mountain gorilla than now, and one of the best ways to do so is to stay at one of the eco-lodges that encourage locals to take tourists to see these noble giants, rather than hunting them for meat, sport or zoos.
Mountain Gorilla View Lodge is located in Kinigi in northern Rwanda and on the edge of the Volcanoes National Park, just at the foothills of Mount Karisimbi, one of the volcanic mountains that make up the Virunga Massif. The lodge is about 10 minutes’ drive to the main entrance of the Volcanoes National Park where gorilla trekking starts.
In addition to exploring the local cuisine and customs, you can also see loads of other wildlife in the forest, ranging from exotic birds to tiny monkeys, and as for the gorillas, there’s the option to shoot these intelligent creatures–with a camera only, of course–with one of the photography courses on offer.
This article was written by Diane Small and originally published on EluxeMagazine.com. Read the original here.
