Kris Flyer, Singapore, 2010

THE ULTIMATE

Call of the wild

Step into thick jungles, icy wonderlands and deep blue seas with these bespoke safari expeditions and eco-tours.

Lisa-Ann Lee lists down where the wild things are.

The wildebeest stampede on the dry grassy plains of Tanzania’s Serengeti is an incredible sight.

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THE ULTIMATE

Journey to a lost world

COURTESY OF PREMIER TRAVEL TASMANIA

Described as “an offshore island off the shore of an offshore continent” by the Australian academic Peter Conrad, Tasmania’s isolation from the Australian mainland – and the rest of the world – has resulted in a landscape of raw beauty and pristine wilderness. Endemic species include its most famous resident, the Tasmanian devil, as well as the cat-like eastern quoll and the pademelon. Wombats and wallabies roam the island’s unspoilt terrain while penguins and seals can be found in many of Tasmania’s coastal areas, with the northwest coast offering particularly good spotting opportunities.

The big game show

A truly unforgettable sight, Africa’s Great Migration is the largest mass movement of land mammals on the planet. Every year, over a million wildebeest and half a million zebra and antelope migrate north from Tanzania’s Serengeti to the adjoining Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya.

It’s impressive enough watched from afar but

That’s the advantage of a walking safari. The Tanzanian government now allows a select number of companies to conduct walking tours within the Serengeti National Park – ideal for travellers wishing to eschew the usual 4x4 whisk-around in favour of a rather more organic and intimate experience.

Details: Luxury outfitters Mark Thornton Safaris caps its clientele at 100 per year and delivers unparalleled intimacy on its bush treks across the Serengeti – all of which are led by a team of Maasai warriors and Thornton himself. Each walking tour is individually tailored, from the wildlife that a guest wants to see to the accommodation and the distance spent on foot. Prices start from US$650 per person per day. www.thorntonsafaris.com thirty two

From top: The Tasmanian devil is endemic to the Australian island state of Tasmania; Tasmania’s Cradle Mountain is covered with a rich variety of alpine and sub-alpine vegetation.

imagine being right there, inches away from the thick of the action as it unfolds around you.

What might you expect to see on a bush trek such as this? Apart from potential close encounters with species such as elephant and the endangered wild dog, some walking itineraries also offer magical moments of raw adventure – sleeping in a nest atop a giant tree on the edge of a waterhole, for example – that could only come from deep immersion in the African bush.

Clockwise, from below: Marinated sardines, fresh scampi and olives – typical Spanish tapas; steamed bean curd and scallops, a small plate served at Chinoix, Singapore; Chef Santi Santamaria.

Details: The wildlife safari caters to a maximum of eight guests and prices start from AU$3,204 per person. A part of the proceeds also goes towards Tasmanian devil conservation and research efforts. www.premiertraveltasmania.com

OPENING SPREAD: JON ARNOLD IMAGES/ARGUS PHOTO; THIS PAGE, TOP: ERIC NATHAN/ALAMY

Above: Zebras and wildebeest cross the Mara River during their annual migration in Kenya’s Maasai Mara National Reserve. Below: Maasai trackers accompany guests and their guide on a trek through the bush.

Luxury outfitters Premier Travel Tasmania’s wildlife safari takes participants through the island’s most picturesque regions, including the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. Tour highlights include a visit to the Devils@Cradle wildlife sanctuary, where guests can encounter the iconic Tasmanian devil up close and learn more about research efforts to protect them. The wildlife safari also includes a stop at Narawntapu National Park, often dubbed as Tasmania’s Serengeti for its rich biodiversity.

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THE ULTIMATE GOURMET

Tracing India’s tiger trail

sanctuaries – offers a range of options for tracking these regal creatures that’s almost as varied as the country’s landscape.

Bespoke safaris can be arranged through local outfitters such as Ibex Expeditions, which specialises in tailor-made adventure travel and eco-tours. Ibex Expeditions conducts trips in three regions – the Corbett National Park, Rajasthan and Central India. Visitors also have the opportunity to see how non-profit organisations are working with local communities to stop tiger poaching and promote conservation efforts.

A more hands-on approach to tiger conservation work can also be experienced via wildlife conservation specialists Steppes Discovery, which gives travellers the chance to take part in a foot patrol and conduct a park census, among other things, under the guidance of a naturalist.

Details: Bespoke trips by Ibex Expeditions start from US$300 per day. Prices for Steppes Discovery’s Tiger and Wildlife Study Safari start from £2,795 per person, based on twin-shared accommodation. www.ibexexpeditions.com www.steppesdiscovery.co.uk

Right: The chital (or spotted deer) roams freely in India’s nature reserves.

Below: Bespoke safaris offer tourists the chance to observe India’s regal creatures up close.

TOP: COURTESY OF IBEX EXPEDITIONS ; BOTTOM: PHOTOLIBRARY

No one knows how many wild tigers survive in the Indian wild; some experts say as few as 1,500. The good news is that India – a country with 80 national parks and more than 400 wildlife

Kayaking with whales

ABOVE: PHOTOLIBRARY; BELOW: JOHN BASTON

The dramatic coast of Southeast Alaska is one of the few unspoilt frontiers left in North America.

An icy wilderness that’s nonetheless thick with wildlife, the land is host to brown bears, moose, deer and smaller mammals such as sea otters.

In the spring, summer and autumn, its waters play host to pods of whales, from playful humpbacks to greys and minkes.

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photographer Kim Heacox, who will be sharing his stories and photos of life in Alaska.

Details: US$3,995 per person. Trips will take place between 15-23 July, 30 July-7 August and 6-14 August 2011. www.nationalgeographicexpeditions.com

Cruises are a popular mode of travel round these parts but if you want to go where the masses rarely venture, then it’s best to suit up and grab a paddle.

National Geographic Adventures has a nine-day sea kayaking journey that takes you into the heart of Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve.

Here you’ll witness one of nature’s most spectacular shows of calving glaciers and encounter colonies of sea lions, puffins, orcas and minke whales as you paddle and hike your way through this rarely explored World Heritage Site. You’ll come within fin-touching distance of frolicking humpback whales and porpoises at Point Adolphus, widely regarded as humpback country. Over at Admiralty Island, you can paddle to watch brown bears and eagles fish for their supper, which is usually salmon.

Travellers who join the expedition on 30 July and 6 August will also be able to enjoy the company of award-winning National Geographic writer and thirty five

Above: Alaska is home to a diverse assortment of whales, including the playful humpbacks.

Below: Glacier Bay’s fjords and snow-capped mountains are a dramatic study of contrasts.

THE ULTIMATE

Swimming with giants

For many divers, swimming alongside the world’s largest fish ranks as one of the most unforgettable underwater experiences. Although the word “shark” often inspires fear, the massive whale shark is in fact a shy, solitary creature that feeds chiefly on plankton, earning itself a reputation as one of the ocean’s gentlest giant. Biosphere Expeditions, an award-winning not-for-profit conservation organisation, has a one-week programme that lets experienced divers with an interest in sea conservation assist marine biologists in studying the coral reefs and whale shark population in the Maldives. It is a particularly important project for the country, given that it is made up entirely of coral islands, with reef-based tourism playing a vital role in driving the economy.

From top: Swimming alongside a whale shark, the world’s largest fish, is an experience of a lifetime; participants can assist marine biologists in monitoring the coral reefs in the Maldives.

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Details: £1,620 per person, inclusive of meals and accommodation on board a fully appointed four-deck dive boat with air-conditioned cabins and en suite amenities. This year, expeditions will take place on 3-9 September and 10-16 September. www.biosphere-expeditions.org

TOP: PHOTOLIBRARY

Participants are trained as “Reef Check Eco-Divers”, whose tasks include taking gill ID photographs of whale sharks and monitoring the marine life around the reefs.

THE ULTIMATE

Jungle trekking in Borneo

Described by Charles Darwin as “one great luxuriant hothouse made by nature for herself”, Borneo has long captured the imagination of explorers and scientists with its untamed wilderness and rich biodiversity. Indeed, since 1995, more than 400 new species of plants and animals have been discovered here. The island is home to several iconic and endemic species, not least the endangered orangutan. It is estimated that there are just over 40,000 of these great apes left on the island.

Travellers who want to experience this Darwinian hothouse can join Asia Transpacific Journeys, which also organises tours for the World Wildlife Fund, on its expedition into the jungles of Borneo.

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orangutans as well as more than a hundred other species including the Asian elephant, Malayan sun bear and bearded pig.

Details: US$6,295 per person. Private custom journeys can also be arranged. www.asiatranspacific.com

PHOTOLIBRARY

Borneo’s Danum Valley is host to an incredible variety of both plant and animal species, including the bearded pig (right) and orangutan (below).

There will be a stop at the world-famous Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre to observe the work being done to return orphaned and captive orangutans to the wild. The real adventure begins with a trek through several of Borneo’s national parks and sanctuaries. Of particular note is the mist-shrouded Danum Valley, one of the oldest rainforests in the world, which affords visitors a chance to spot