Witness wildlife the world over with these unusual safari locales
By LISA KLEIN
The African safari – with its lions, giraffes, elephants, cheetahs, water buffalo, zebras and more – is a must on nearly every adventurer’s travel bucket list.
However, there is awe-inspiring wildlife to be found all over the planet, in a wide variety of climates, from tropical rainforests to dry deserts.
Below are just a few options that go beyond the traditional safari.
Amazon River
Pictured above, the Amazon rainforest and its river of the same name are the stuff of legend. Running mainly through Peru and Brazil, with arms stretching to Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia and Venezuela, the Amazon River is the largest drainage system in the world.
It also traverses the largest rainforest in the world, teeming with so much flora and fauna that many species are yet to be discovered.
On a river cruise safari, passengers will take skiff rides and jungle walks to view the river’s giant water lilies, famed pink dolphins, caimans, anacondas, poison dart frogs, hummingbirds, macaws, toucans, sloths, capuchin and spider monkeys, and perhaps the elusive jaguar.
Mongolia
Mongolia is a nation that has it all when it comes to nature – towering mountains, lush valleys and forests, sweeping steppe and sandy desert dunes. The country is home to many species of birds and mammals that are as large as its view are expansive.
Spoonbills, cranes, egrets and the golden eagles can be seen flying through the air. There are also a variety of antelope, sheep, gazelles and the Siberian musk deer that live in the often harsh conditions throughout Mongolia.
Other native animals include many that are rare or endangered: the Gobi bear, wild Bactrian camel, snow leopard and the iconic wild horse.
Sri Lanka
The island of Sri Lanka is covered in rainforest and wetlands that host countless types of insects, birds, reptiles, rare amphibians and mammals.
From butterflies, ibis, pelicans and pink flamingoes fly through the air, while crocodiles and turtles swim through the waters.
On land and in the trees, langurs and toque macaques, wild boar, water buffalo, sambar and spotted deer, and sloth bears roam. What’s more, Sri Lanka is home to the largest population of leopard and huge herds of Asian elephants that can be seen all over the island.
Australia
Australia’s wildlife is well-known for being weird, with a wide range of species found nowhere else in the world thanks to its long isolation from other continents.
There are, of course, dingoes, cuddly looking koalas and kangaroos to be seen. Add to that Tasmanian devils, echidnas and platypus, cute quokkas and wallabies, rakalis (also known as water rats), giant snails, and giant birds such as emus and cassowaries, and you have one wild experience.
The country is also home to the Great Barrier Reef, the largest reef system in the world and host to thousands of fish species, turtles, rays and sharks – an underwater safari in itself.
For some truly unique safari experiences in Australia read “Wonders down under” in the latest issue of Luxury Portfolio magazine.