3 Dream Vacations For Wildlife Lovers
If you ask any person what their dream vacation would be, everyone answers differently based on their priorities and interests. If you’re adventurous and interested in wildlife, why not plan your next vacation to somewhere that offers tons of biodiversity and wildlife you won’t see anywhere else?
Malaysia
Located in Southeast Asia, Malaysia is a diverse country both in terms of the people who reside there and the wildlife they are surrounded by. The country has extreme contrasts everywhere, from towering skyscrapers in the capital of Kuala Lumpur that look down upon wooden houses built on stilts and rugged mountains reach down into rainforests filled with wildlife. For the nature-lover, Malaysia contains an impressive estimate of twenty per cent of the world’s animal species, including about 210 mammal species, over 620 species of birds, and about 250 reptile species. If you want to see more than just wildlife on your trip, the country boasts a rich history, with the first evidence of human inhabitants dating back 40,000 years, as well as the excitement of several large festivals that are hosted there each year.
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is located off the southeastern coast of Africa and includes the island of Madagascar as well as several smaller islands. The main island is a nature-lover’s dream spot with somewhere between 75 and 90 percent of its species being found nowhere else on earth. Madagascar’s geography includes tropical rainforests, mangrove swamps along the coast, grassy plains in the west, a desert in the south, and the central highlands filled with rice-growing valleys. Within the diverse landscape are over 200 mammal species, about 300 species of birds, over 260 species of reptiles, and at least 266 recorded species of amphibians. One of the many amazing animals that can be seen in Madagascar are lemurs, of which there are over 100 known species and subspecies that can be found only there. Several other amazing creatures that can be found there is the cat-like Fossa, the Tenrec, the Narrow-Striped Mongoose, and the Fanaloka. Madagascar is also home to two-thirds of the world’s chameleon species, including the smallest known species.
Chile
The South American country of Chile is a long, narrow strip of land to the West of the Andes Mountains and to the east of the Pacific Ocean. Bordering Peru to the north and including part of Antarctica to the south, Chile tours include some of the most diverse landscapes and weather that can be found in any single country. The climate in Chile ranges from the world’s driest desert in the north, the Atacama, to alpine tundra and glaciers in the east and south, with a humid subtropical region between that includes the famous Easter Island. The country includes at least seven major climatic subtypes. Within the greatly varying landscapes, a wildlife lover can see larger mammals such as the puma or cougar, the llama-like Guanaco, and the fox-like Chilla. In the forest region, there are several types of marsupials and the Pudu, a small species of deer. Along the coastline, the Humboldt Current can be credited with bringing to Chile many species of fish and marine life, which support an array of birds, that include several species of penguins, as well as several species of seals and an abundance of whales.