ANDREA & ANTONELLA’S
TOP TRAVEL TIPS
A hand-picked selection of exotic wildlife and nature photography trips carefully chosen for the discerning traveller.
During forty years of worldwide travelling we have visited all these countries – on most instances more than once – and
we can safely vouch for their immense productivity as wildlife photography destinations.
These are the places one should visit at least once in a lifetime for an unforgettable experience in the wilderness!
Madagascar
The legendary “Red Island” is literally a time capsule – a surviving relic from times long past. Very few other countries in today’s world can boast the incredible rate of endemism’s found in Madagascar – from incredibly colourful chameleons to impossibly cuddly (and severely endangered) lemurs, from strange birds to rare insects, this unique destination – which given its difficult environmental situation is best visited on professionally guided tour – offers extraordinary wildlife photography opportunities to the discerning traveller. Not to mention its extraordinary landscapes and its beautiful tropical beaches! You can read about our richly rewarding trips to Madagascar here:
Borneo, Malaysia
The Malaysian state of Sarawak – together with neighbouring Sabah – forms the region of East Malaysia on the fabled island of Borneo. Despite rampant deforestation and a booming tourist industry, Borneo’s Malaysian provinces still offer unique, mind-blowing photo opportunities to the adventurous traveller – huge stretches of untouched coastal, mangrove, riverine and rainforest still survive here – the realm of Proboscis monkeys, Orangutans, Salwater crocodiles, fascinating snakes and exotic flora. You can read about our exceptionally rewarding trips to Borneo here:
Borneo, Indonesia
The province of Kalimantan forms the Indonesian part of the island of Borneo, and once more huge stretches of rainforest and untouched wilderness still survive today despite the rampant deforestation and intensive oil palm plantations. Tanjung Puting National Park offers unrivalled opportunities to explore the riverine rainforest in search of its spectacular camera subjects – Orangutans, Gibbons, False gharials and a countless number of colourful insects and flowers. You can have a taste of Tanjung Punting here:
Nepal
Once a medieval kingdom steeped in ancient eras, today’s relatively modernised Nepal lies at the foothills of the mighty Himalayas, and its Terai region is home to a great number of tigers, Asian elephants and Indian one-horned rhinos. Add to that the extraordinary artistic, religious and cultural heritage of the Country, where Buddhism, Lamaism and Hinduism freely intermingle since times immemorial, and you’ll realise why we rate Nepal as one of the must-do destinations in one’s lifetime.
Perú
Perú is in our opinion the most stunningly complete destination for wildlife photography in all of South America – incredible landscapes from the Amazon, the Andes and the coastal desert, exceptional tropical wildlife, fantastic archeological sites such as legendary Machu Picchu and Cuzco plus world-class food. A trip to the Amazon to Manu and Tambopata is a must, and Peruvian tour operators and guides excel at their jobs providing a safe and unforgettable experience. You can read about our adventures in Peru here:
Costa Rica
Costa Rica is the most important wildlife photography destination in Central America – perfectly organised, easily reached, safe to visit and exceptionally fruitful. Wonderful rainforests, cloud forests and tropical beaches provide an incredible amount of subjects in uniquely beautiful settings, and the proficiency of Costa Rican travel agencies and tour operators in second to none. If you are interested in birds, insects, reptiles and tropical flora this is a destination you cannot afford to miss! You can read about our unforgettable trips to Costa Rica here:
Botswana
Remote Botswana is one of Africa’s top destinations – the Chobe National Park and the sprawling Okavango delta are legendary sites for wildlife photography, often spiced with a touch of adventure and world-class luxury. This is a place where elephants and crocodiles still number in the thousands, and photographing wildlife up close from the safety and comfort of a beautiful river boat slowly drifting on the calm waters of the mighty Chobe river is an unforgettable experience. Botswana is a safe and well organised country which most wildlife photographers dream about! You can read about our truly spectacular trip there here:
Namibia
Namibia is truly unique in Africa – a country of harsh and incredible beauty where endless, towering sand dunes meet the raging Atlantic ocean, where lions and rhino roam sandy deserts and sea lions crowd noisily in the surf. As a nature and wildlife photography destination it offers some of the whole world’s most spectacular landscapes in the Sossusvlei and some of the most amazing sightings in the legendary Etosha National Park. You can read about our repeated and unforgettable trips there here:
- https://animamundimag.com/portfolio-items/etosha-the-dry-season/
- https://animamundimag.com/portfolio-items/wet-season-bonanza/
- https://animamundimag.com/portfolio-items/sossusvlei-the-sea-of-sands/
- https://animamundimag.com/portfolio-items/the-brown-fur-seals-of-cape-cross/
- https://animamundimag.com/portfolio-items/christopher-rimmer/
- https://animamundimag.com/portfolio-items/the-vallet-out-of-time/
- https://animamundimag.com/portfolio-items/terror-of-the-african-bush/
- https://animamundimag.com/portfolio-items/the-flamingos-of-walvis-bay/
India
Our beloved India is a continent in itself – one of the world’s richest, fascinating and unforgettable countries. Its mix of culture, religion, art, archeology, nature and wildlife is absolutely unique – not to mention its incredible food! It deserves several trips to barely scratch its surface, but if one is interested in wildlife photography several of its National Parks cannot be missed – be it for tigers, leopards, elephants or colourful bird life. It is a complex, often perplexing destination – and as such it is better visited and explored with the help of a reliable agency, as the ones we recommend here. You can read about our incredible trips to “incredible India” here:
- https://animamundimag.com/portfolio-items/a-trip-to-the-western-ghats-of-india/
- https://animamundimag.com/portfolio-items/a-trip-to-the-western-ghats-of-india-part-2/
- https://animamundimag.com/portfolio-items/the-tigers-of-tadoba/
- https://animamundimag.com/portfolio-items/kaziranga-national-park/
- https://animamundimag.com/portfolio-items/the-golden-viper-of-assam/
- https://animamundimag.com/portfolio-items/waterbirds-paradise/
- https://animamundimag.com/portfolio-items/hoollongapar-wildlife-sanctuary/
- https://animamundimag.com/portfolio-items/indias-bharatpur-bird-sanctuary/
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka holds a very special place in our heart, and it is a place we have visited many times – its fascinating mix of ageless Buddhist culture, stunning archeological sites and abundant wildlife (not to mention the mouth-watering food!) makes it a destination one cannot really miss. It is a safe, peaceful, beautiful country with stunning landscapes and beautiful art, easily reached and visited given the relatively small size of this tropical jewel of an island. You can read about our beautiful, repeated expeditions to Sri Lanka here:
South Africa
A legendary destination which deserves well its reputation – stunning landscapes, abundant wildlife, well-trained guides, comfortable and often very luxurious lodge to pamper visitors in-between safaris. Accommodation in the Kruger area is usually very comfortable, often affordable and almost always ideal for families with children, and wildlife photography is generally both productive and accessible. Read about our experiences in the Kruger National Park here:
Kenya
The absolute best in our experience for a highly productive, satisfying and very comfortable wildlife photography trip to Africa. Kenya has a long, well-earned and peerless reputation in safaris, game viewing, wildlife protection and hospitality, and it certainly represents the best choice for first-timers to Africa. The Masai Mara in particular shines as an extraordinary, once-in-a-lifetime, romantic wildlife photography destination with its lovely tented camps and proud Masai culture. You can read about our extraordinary experiences in the Mara in the next two issues of ANIMA MUNDI magazine.
Tanzania
Raw, untamed Africa tempered with some of the continent’s most luxurious accommodation – here the concept of “private camps” is taken to its highest degree, even if this is true, wild Africa at its best. Abundant wildlife, endless landscapes – the scale of nature in Tanzania is mind-boggling, as its world-famous Ngorongoro crater. Try doing if at all possible a Kenya-Tanzania back-to-back trip to enjoy both destinations – you won’t regret it!
Uganda
A tale of resurrection – Uganda has become one of the hottest wildlife photography destinations in all of Africa after many years of neglect. Wonderful, colonial-style accommodation, an immense variety of landscapes (some of Africa’s most beautiful, in fact) from savannah to rainforest, safaris and trekking to meet all expectations and, of course, the unique chance of meeting gorillas and chimpanzees in the wild!
Indonesia
A country we have visited countless times, an endlessly fascinating destination with stunning tropical beaches, fantastic scuba diving, spectacular rainforests, great food and a wonderful, exotic culture. Among its most fascinating photography subjects one cannot forget the unique Komodo dragons, the severely endangered, rainforest-dwelling Orangutans and the rarely-observed, absolutely dazzling Birds of Paradise of Raja Ampat and West Papua. You can read about our wonderful experiences in Indonesia here:
Ecuador
One of the most stunningly beautiful and diverse countries on Earth, Ecuador is a spectacular destination for the discerning wildlife photographer – here subjects range from the legendary Galapagos islands to the steaming jungles of the Amazon to the barren, freezing heights of the Andes. This is one of our favorite destinations – you can read about our unforgettable expeditions there here:
- https://animamundimag.com/portfolio-items/ecuadors-yasuni-national-park-part-one/
- https://animamundimag.com/portfolio-items/ecuadors-yasuni-national-park-part-two/
- https://animamundimag.com/portfolio-items/frogs-of-western-ecuador/
- https://animamundimag.com/portfolio-items/the-galapagos-archipelago/
- https://animamundimag.com/portfolio-items/the-galapagos-archipelago-part-2/
- https://animamundimag.com/portfolio-items/islands-in-the-sky-the-antisana-paramo/
- https://animamundimag.com/portfolio-items/castle-in-the-clouds/
- https://animamundimag.com/portfolio-items/hummingbird-heaven/
- https://animamundimag.com/portfolio-items/flooded-forest/?portfolioCats=13%2C9%2C7%2C47
- https://animamundimag.com/portfolio-items/memorable-mindo/?portfolioCats=13%2C9%2C7%2C47
- https://animamundimag.com/portfolio-items/amazon-adventure/?portfolioCats=13%2C9%2C7%2C47
Zambia
A relatively lesser-know destination which holds a special place in our heart – we spent our six-week long honeymoon doing walking safaris there, many moons ago, and that should speak volumes about the place! Zambia (ex-Northern Rhodesia) is one of those raw, authentic “bush destinations” which the adventurous wildlife photographer and nature traveller cannot afford to miss and where the real old-time safari atmosphere can still be experienced. Besides Kafue National Park, don’t miss the unforgettable Luangwa Valley – this is where legendary conservation pioneer Norman Carr started his work to protect elephants.
