If you want to go on a wildlife travel holiday, you'll have plenty of choice. There are hundreds of wildlife travel holidays available, from Scotland to Thailand, Brazil to China. Some holidays give you opportunities to volunteer, too, some to combine beach & activity.
Ethical travel directory Responsible Travel have about 3,500 holidays to choose from. They have lots of wildlife travel holidays too, so here's a selection for you to consider. And if they aren't hiting the right buttons for you, just try the search box below. They screen all their holidays to ensure that they are helping the environment & promote responsible tourism - at the end of the info on each vacation, you'll find info on exactly how the holidays make a difference.
Help bears in Romania lf you're looking for something different to do, how about helping bears in Romania at a newly opened bear sanctuary near Brasov? The sanctuary provides a new home - temporary or permanent - to bears who have been kept captive in dreadful conditions, and you'll be able to see their progress as they get used to living in woodland, rather than a caged environment. This is a 1 - 12 week opportunity - find out more about helping bears in Romania
Hot spots in the Amazon
Get stuck into one of the hot biodiversity spots in the Amazon! Live and work in the jungle with local biologists on a survey covering jaguars, pumas, parrots & peccaries. You may find yourself on a night shift, walking a survey trail - who knows what you will see or find? More...
Help chimpanzees in Spain
Help with rescued chimps at this centre near Girona, Spain. You'll be a part of the team that cares for them. Prepare and distribute their food, help with cleaning their environments and make it more enriching, observe and get to know these chimps - and have a wonderful time! More...
Sabi Sands & Kruger Safari in South Africa Game viewing and birding experience beyond many expereinces. Leopard tracking, visit to Moholoholo Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre, Kruger National Park.optional late night bush drive, chance to trail in the Sabi Sands nature reserve... More
Help river otters in Brazil The River Otter is an endangered specie in Brazil, as they are hunted for their pelts & much of their habitat is being destroyed. You've got the chance to live, breathe and sleep otter on the island of Florianopolis and help with a project to protect these cheeky creatures; (and to enjoy surfing, sailing, scuba diving and exploring the local area....) You may find yourself working during the day or night, analysing the otter's frequency at the shelters, monitoring of nests, ethological studies and eating habits. You'll be asked to care for rescued animals and maintain their shelters, file reports, do lab work and camp if needbe in isolated areas. Otters are shy, so not easy to spot - you'll need to keep your own eyes open when you're in the field! More on endangered river otters in Brazil
Volunteer for rescued bears in Cambodia If you've a soft spot for bears, then this is the perfect holiday for you! You can help with 80 rescued bears at a sanctuary in Cambodia for a week or more. These bears have been rescued from various stiuations, including the black market and businesses using them for entertainment. What will you be doing? Volunteers generally feed the bears, enrich their environment to make their lives more interesting, such as filling up hollow bamboo with honey or other treats, rebuilding climbing frames, clean their enclosures, repair and maintain their enclosures & indoor holding pens and more. Imagine helping with 80 rescued bears
Help with dolphin research in Scotland Well, here's an amazing holiday for you to consider...helping withdolphin research & conservation in Scotland. You'll visit some of the remotest islands in the Hebrides, see some just stunning scenery, pick up sailing skills and help protect marine life & the environment - now that really is something to tell the office about! The west coast of Scotland has an abundance of wildlife, from bottlenose dolphins & harbour porposes, minke whales & Risso's dolphins, basking sharks, grey seals, otters, sun fish, nesting & breeding seabirds. Help with dolphin conservation
Go wild on a Kenyan safari Safaris..what do you think of when you hear the word? Camp-fire, starlit skies and the sounds of the African night, the Serengeti plains with elephant, buffalo, lion, cheetah, leopard, zebra, giraffe, hippo, crocodile, giraffe, impala, zebra and wildebeest, insights into the way of life and cultures of local communities, expert naturalist guides, the chance to see the rare rhino, both black & white species, and the Rothschild's giraffe, an experience that lasts with you in mind, memory & heart....This way to Kenya!
Endangered elephants in Sri Lanka What would it be like spending a holiday helping endangered elephants? These wonderful animals now face an uncertain future with less than 3,500 in the wild. You have the chance to help. There's a holiday on Sri Lanka which gives you the opportunity to help the work of the Sri Lankan Wildlife Conservation Society. Volunteers have the chance to be involved in hands on conservation work, working alongside field scientists and conducting surveys of the endangered Sri Lankan elephants in the forests, grass plains and water holes. How refreshed would you feel after two weeks or more off, returning to work to tell your mates there what you've been up to? More...
Turtle conservation in Thailand The Conservation Centre in Rayong is vital to ensure that the turtle population is stable and safe, and that the public are aware of these animals. You can actively help contribute to turtle conservation here, and help protect the centre's future. These turtles have their own beach for breeding, and the Conservation Centre watches them closely, frequently weighing, measuring and monitoring these animals to check their progress. Young turtles are collected, nurtured and released at various places throughout the Gulf of Thailand. Find out more about this turtle conservation opportunity
See tigers & rhinos & more in India How would you like a holiday enjoying India's Wildlife? Visit the Sunderbans, a World Heritage site, spread over 16,500 square km. They are also amongst the richest biosphere reserves in the subcontinent and are home to the largest population of Bengal tigers. But the area also has lots of other wildlife including salt water crocodiles, Olive Ridley turtles, Gangetic dolphins, fishing cats, wild boars, otters, monitor lizards, innumerable fishes, crabs, lobsters, shrimps, worms and many birds. More...
Borneo Orangutans, Indonesia There's a volunteer programme in the Tanjung Puting National Park, Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo). Participate living "in the field" in conservation fieldwork to make a difference to these wonderful animals; and you'll see orangutans in their natural habitat. Volunteers work in & around the Lamandau Wildlife reserve, a Government designated orangutan release area. Past projects included the construction of a jetty, guard posts and a soft release site to enable release of further rehabilitated orangutans into the wild. The volunteering projects are largely manual construction tasks - but you don't need any experience, as everyone learns on the job. All volunteer work actively contributes to the protection of orangutans reintroduced from the Care Centre and Quarantine Facility, plus existing wild populations. Find out more about this holiday
Visit Pandas in China This amazing holiday features a visit to Tiananmen Square in Beijing, a 3 to 5 hour hike along one of the less visited parts of the Great Wall of China, a trip to see the Terracotta Warriors & Xi'an, an optional bike ride in the countryside, take a lesson in Tai Chi or Chinese, or shop for local handicrafts, an overnight stay in the cosmpolitan city of Guangzhou, a visit to Longsheng, the ‘Dragon’s Backbone’ rice terraces with its outstanding scenery and...most important of all - the chance to help out at theYa'an Giant Panda Conservation Centre where you'll help staff with their regular duties, such as cleaning out cages and feeding... Find out more
Gorilla Safari in Uganda This award winning holiday takes place in Uganda, also home to many jungle-living primates. Bwindi National Park is home to just over 300 surviving mountain gorillas, which means about half of those living - and this holiday gives you the chance to track them on foot. This trip gives you the chance to see a gorilla family in its natural habitat, plus you'll search for chimps in the amazing Chambura Gorge, watch big game & birds on the Savannah plains in the Queen Elizabeth National Park, and raft some of Africa's best rapids on the White Nile. Since these gorillas are monitored, the chances of sightings are high. On the Savannah plains, you may well see African wildlife such as elephants, lions, leopards, buffalo, hippos & aquatic birds..More...
Birdwatching in Hungary Just some of the species you may well see in Hungary's beautiful national park include the Syrian Woodpecker, Wryneck, Golden Oriol, Tree Sparrow, Nightingale, Hawfinch, White Backed Woodpecker, Honey Buzzard and Short Toed Eagle, Black and White Stork, Garganey, Wild Boar and Red Deer, possibly an Eagle Owl & a Scops Owl; Corncrake, Quail, Little and Spotted Crake, Black Kite, Saker Falcon and Osprey and Eastern Imperial Eagle and Saker Falcon. If that isn't enough, there's also an evening visit to Hungary's most famous wine valley with approximately 200 cellars to sample the famous wines of Eger. And an optional visit to a restaurant in Eger with traditional Hungarian cuisine.
Volunteer in Africa at the Shamwari Reserve Imagine the opportunity to work behind the scenes with the conservation department at the Shamwari Game Reserve. The reserve monitores and continually introduces game year round. And this project gives you the chance to get involved with 2 Born Free Big Cat Sanctuaries located at the reserve. Being at Shamwari is a great way to learn about the different aspects of the reserve and the wildlife & to feel part of the conservation team.The Born Free Foundation, Wilderness Foundation and Save the Rhino, all of which are actively involved in conservation work in South Africa. More about this holiday
Wolf Spotting in France Enjoy 5 fantastic days' walking as you search for wolf activity and enjoy the fauna & flora in the area. The Mercantour National Park is just 1 hour's drive north of Nice. The wolf had been hunted out of the region before the National Park was formed, and gradually les loups have come back. Very small numbers of wolves life in the Park - they are pretty shy creatures, so it will take some luck to spot one - but it can be done! It may be easier to hear a wolf howling than to see one! You can also visit Alpha - The time of the wolf – Scénoparc in Le Boréon near St Martin Vésubie. At this wolf sanctuary, you have the chance to come closer to wolves - and these will be at home More...
Dog sledding in Norway Fly into Alta Airport and transfer to Base Camp where you'll have dinner and meet your guide. The dogs are organised into teams of 4 or 6, depending on the strength of each participant; and you'll have a full briefing about the care of your animals and driving the sled. Once you set off, you'll cross lakes & frozen marsh land to get to your accommodation for 2 nights, a remote wilderness cabin. The weather and trail conditions will dictate where you spent the night. Since both nights are spent in the same cabin, you can travel pretty lightly on day three, which means that the dogs can travel faster - you could cover up to 50kms. Reindeer sightings could well feature in the adventure. Find out more about dog sledding in the Norweigian Lapland
Brown bears in Finland This holdiay will take you keep into the forest to specially prepared observation hides in small open wetland areas, adapting to increase the chances of spotting bears in their natural habitat. You may also spot elk, fox and wolverines. Sparsely populated Eastern Finland is an untamed expanse of pristine natural beauty. The vast dense forest offers a haven to the elusive European brown bear. And walks with local naturalist guides will give you greater insight into the natural history of this stunning area. Find out more about this holiday
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Please...
Always consult with your GP before starting any new form of exercise
Note that animals are unpredictable - and they may not always want to be seen or found. We cannot guarantee how close you may or may not get to animals in specific programmes - common sense must prevail.
WASH YOUR HANDS after touching animals BEFOREeating or snacking. (It could be a good idea to take some antiseptic wipes or handwash with you, just in case loo facilities don't provide soap.)Do not let children put their fingers into their mouths or suck thumbs after touching animals - it's common sense!
The amount of contact you can have with animals varies from one place to another & one animal to another. Common sense must prevail.
Before you visit places, check that there are no current regulations/conditions which could mean that they are closed. Also check for opening hours.
Note our disclaimer - we cannot be held responsible for any injury, damage or otherwise to you or any third party as a result of your taking part in any activities on this site.
Note that we do not sell products or provide voluntary opportunities. Any product or service you may purchase is subject to the terms & conditions, disclaimers & policies of the companies selling them. We are simply referring you on & raising your awareness that such opportunities exist
