By The UNCHARTED® editors · 6 min read
Here are our bucket-list destinations for hardcore nature travelers.
On these trips, immerse yourself in pristine wildernesses with up-close-and-personal encounters and fascinating animals both big and small. And of course, the UNCHARTED approach guarantees world-class hospitality and guiding by our expert naturalists!
Serious Monkey Business — and Much More! — in Uganda
Often overlooked on the safari circuit, Uganda pretty much has it all: Celebrated as the "Green Gem of Africa," it is not only a premier primate destination with lush, verdant landscapes full of elusive gorillas and lively chimps, but it also features pristine, golden grasslands that are home to four of the Big Five.
The key to this country is its three crucial wildlife havens:
Kibale National Park is one of the best places in the world to see chimpanzee troops, but these dense forests are also an oasis for other monkeys, like the adorable red colobus and the funky looking grey-cheeked mangabeys.
Queen Elizabeth NP, the jewel in Uganda's crown, is set against the backdrop of the sprawling Rwenzori range, or the "Mountains of the Moon.” The tapestry of high-altitude lakes and crags stretches out into the vast Ishasha Plains, famed for its tree-climbing lions. Track leopards hunting kob, topi, or waterbuck antelope.
Mgahinga National Park is known for mountain gorillas. The area also has a huge cultural significance for the indigenous Batwa pygmies, whose ancient knowledge of its secrets remains unrivaled.
Answer the Call of the Wild in Patagonia
This wilderness at the bottom of the world is the place to let your active imagination run wild — you can scramble up volcanoes, hike ice masses, and horseback through remote estancias all in one day.
Renowned for its snow-capped jagged peaks, churning rivers, wild coastlines, cerulean lakes, and hardwood forests, Patagonia is a deeply dramatic destination where nature's grandeur unfolds in every direction. Trek through Torres del Paine National Park, kayak the Futaleufú River, or marvel at the colossal Perito Moreno Glacier.
In the windswept plains of the steppe, view grazing guanacos, a relative of the llama, and in the foothills shy gray foxes slink about. The surrounding fjords and icy waters are home to orcas, and the towering granite pinnacles shelter the nests of soaring Andean condors.
But above all there is the powerful grace and piercing gaze of the puma. These predators’ tawny coats blend into the alpine scenery, so seeing the solitary hunters can be difficult, but with a knowledgeable tracker by your side, you’ll likely spot one prowling through the underbrush.
The White Desert of Antarctica
A glance across the frozen frontier might make you believe there is nothing around, but in reality that isn’t the case. From the ombré of blues in glaciers to the radiant golds that adorn flocks of emperor penguins, there are more arrays of color than one might expect to find in a polar landscape.
Penguins slip and sneak below the water’s surface alongside your kayak paddle, and breaching humpbacks can appear thirty feet away, making your boat suddenly feel very small. Off the balcony of your expedition ship, spot sunbathing leopard seals, or board a Zodiac and motor your way to the nearest iceberg to strap on snowshoes to get a closer look at an elephant seal colony.
Kookie Creatures Found Only in Oz
From kangaroos and koalas to wallabies and wombats — not to mention enormous saltwater crocs in sunlit billabongs — Australia’s staggering geographic diversity makes it perfect for a wide-ranging safari.
The Northern Territory’s “Top End” has sprawling sheep stations and rivers teeming with barramundi.
Queensland is all about reefs and rainforests: Swim by Dwarf Minke whales and stroll down the beach near cassowaries, or see platypus gliding through freshwater streams and meet the curious and little-known tree kangaroo.
Along the Great Australian Bight, sip wine from the Adelaide Hills and picnic at coastline cliffs while listening to black cockatoos crack open oak cones, echidnas scuttling up the shore, and penguins calling out for their mates.
Take in the ruddy sunsets of the rugged Outback interior, home to bilbies and dingoes. Follow it up with horseback rides through ancient gum forests in the Blue Mountains, where you’ll likely see emus under eucalyptus trees.
This is all to say that at the stellar homesteads, camps, and lodges we send you to, there is an absolute abundance of unusual creatures to observe!
Chase the Great Migration in Tanzania
It’s a common misconception that the famed wildebeest migration can only be seen seasonally. But it is actually a year-round spectacle due to the circular journey of over a million of them (as well as a couple-hundred-thousand zebras) in search of fresh grazing grounds.
Along the way, hungry predators ensure that only the strongest survive. Dubbed “The Greatest Show on Earth,” the journey is fraught with peril. Youngins are seized, the slow are taken down, and the weak and exhausted succumb to drowning or death by crocodile.
The first few months of the year are considered birthing season, and travelers will spot tiny wildebeest all over the eastern edge of the Serengeti near the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. 400,000 babes are born here — nearly 8,000 a day! In the springtime, the herds head toward fresher vegetation in the west and south.
May is mating season, so you’re likely to witness males battling it out head-to-head before they attempt to traverse the first of two daunting waterways. The Grumeti River is chock-full of reptiles waiting to feast, and steep banks offer lurking lions an excellent vantage point, ready to pounce. By the start of the dry summer season, the animals once again leave the eaten-up grasslands and head north to an even bigger obstacle: the surging Mara River. Crossings are always full of confusion and panic, and by the fall the chaos has ended (for now) … but they still have to return to their birthing grounds, which means — you guessed it! — a return river crossing. And so, the cycle continues.
The Eye of the Tiger in India
With its colorful festivals, spirituality, history, and landscapes ranging from massive mountains to jungles, beaches, and deserts, India is the perfect place to blend both wildlife and culture.
The serene backwaters of Kerala are home to the Asian elephant and peacocks, and the Himalayas are where to spot snow leopards. In the sun-scorched plains of the Thar (where the blue city of Jodhpur lies), the Bikenari camel thrives.
And in the dense forests of Madhya Pradesh, you can track the majestic Bengal tiger. There are a little over 3,000 in the wild — a huge improvement from a few decades ago. In 1971, there were only nine tiger reserves, and now there are over 50. The felines prowl through forests with an air of regal authority, and they easily blend in with the jungle’s dappled shadow. Accompanied by expert naturalist guides, you'll listen for the telltale signs of their activity.
The Galapagos: Salt, Sea, Sand, and Land
The Galápagos Islands are a wildlife enthusiast’s paradise, and this remote archipelago is renowned for its remarkable biodiversity and the unique species that inspired Charles Darwin's theory of evolution.
Fom iguanas creeping on boulders at the beach and colorful finches flitting in the trees to giant tortoises lumbering through the highlands and flamboyant blue-footed boobies performing their courtship dance, there's a lot to see.
Aquatic life is also spectacularly abundant: Snorkel with graceful sea lions, spot small seahorses, and dive with hammerheads and manta rays. If you’re really lucky, you’ll see a whale shark or two as they pass through the feeding grounds.
It is a largely unspoiled living laboratory of evolution, so make this a bucket list destination if you’re a dedicated wildlife enthusiast!
