Have you ever experienced the feeling of unexpectedly spotting an animal in its wild, natural habitat? These moments are breathtaking and inspiring, so wildlife holiday are nowadays becoming very popular. Visiting a beautiful part of land where the claws of urbanization have not yet scratched the surface is not just great, but rather the only way for people to get out of the everyday hustle and smell all the fragrances of nature.

Have you decided for a wildlife holiday, but do not know where to go? This is a list of great places where you can find your own first wildlife experiences.

Manta Ray And Whale Shark Diving, Maldives

Maldives are an archipelago and an island country in the Indian Ocean. The country is situated on an oceanic volcanic mountain range. Its outer edge plunge do depths of almost 4 km, and is the epitome of a tropical paradise. There are 26 atolls, separated by deep channels, that run from Add u a toll in the South to Haa Alifu in the north (over 800 nautical miles). One can choose any time of the year to dive with manta rays and whale sharks, but the best time for it is from January to April, during the Northeast Monsoon season. It is when whale sharks and manta rays can be encountered on the western side of the atolls. During the Southeast Monsoon season, they will be encountered near the eastern edge of the atolls.

Meeting The Gorillas, Rwanda or Uganda

The best time for visiting Uganda or Rwanda is in January and February, as well as from June to September (their two dry seasons). Of all non-human primates, mountain gorillas are the rarest (only 700 of them remain in the world) and the most majestic.

They can be found in the border area between the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda and Rwanda. It takes a half, or even a full day to find them with a guided gorilla tracking, and you may spend 1 hour with the gorillas once you found them. All the travel efforts are worth it.

Searching For Tigers, India

One of the last remnants of wilderness in India is Ranthambore National Park. It contains a magnificent 10th century fort, and ruins of mosques and temples. Besides of deer, crocodiles, antelope, and langur monkeys, people mostly come to the Ranthambore (former hunting ground for the maharajas) to see the most majestic of them all – Royal Bengal Tiger. One must spend several days of holiday on tiger tracking, so to increase the chances for an encounter with the Bengal tigers. Equip yourself with some camouflage clothing, quality trail cameras, and with lots of patience. The best time for seeing them is in March, April and May, during the dry season when animals come out in search of water.

Cage-Diving With The Great White, South Africa

Going into the shark-infested waters is no joke, but an extreme wildlife holiday experience. These waters are just off the southern coast of South Africa. Gansbaai, a small fishing village east of Cape Town, is today the hub for professional divers and tour operators that specialize in providing this kind of encounter. The great white shark is one of the world’s ultimate predators, but there is no need to worry because the cages are secure and shark proof. The best time for setting off to cage-diving with great white sharks is from May to October.

Kayaking With Whales, Alaska or British Columbia

Imagine yourself kayaking across the cool sea water, and suddenly you hear a sound of a humpback whale, blowing as it slowly swims past your kayak, or see a pod of orcas (killer whales). Isn’t it something? Just you and these marvelous water creatures. The best places for kayaking with humpback whales are near Glacier BayNational Park (Alaska,), near Adolphus Point. And if you want to hang out with the orcas, then set your course for JohnstoneStrait (the northeast point of Vancouver Island). Whales are active in the area and the days are long in the period between May and September, but be prepared lots of rain and unexpected showers.

These are only some of the possible destinations for you to enjoy a holiday among wildlife holiday animals. Visit Antarctica (November-March) to see the magnificent king penguin colonies, seal colonies, albatrosses, and whales. You can find bisons and wolves during springtime (March-May) in YellowstoneNational Park, while the great migration of wildebeests can be observed in the Serengeti (Tanzania) in February and March.