Four Alternative Safari Tours Around The World

When most of us picture a safari tour, we conjure up mythical visions of Africa and the Big Five. Such a tour is undeniably a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but there are many alternatives around the globe that are equally memorable and rewarding. India, South America, Alaska and Australia are all terrific places to admire nature’s finest wildlife.

Ranthambore Park, India

While Africa is renowned for its elephants, buffalos, lions, leopards and rhinos, an Indian-style safari tourcelebrates a different beast: the Bengal tiger. Ranthambore National Park has an ever-increasing number of these impressive cats roaming its grounds. If you stay at either the Sher Bagh or Aman-i-Khas Hotel, you can enjoy a private jeep tour around the park. Friendly guides are expertly trained to spot well-hidden tigers. You’ll also have the opportunity to see sloth bears, crocodiles, langur monkeys and leopards and admire the beautiful surrounding nature, with its large lakes and runs.

Patagonia, South America

One of the downfalls of an African safari touris its popularity. So many tourists travel there now that it can often be over-crowded and scare away the wildlife. Breakaway from classic tours and travel to South America where a fantastic wild escapade awaits. With a leg on each side of Argentina and Chile, Patagonia boasts a variety of landscapes. From lovely lakes to impressive mountains and wild woods, it is the home of a wide variety of flora and fauna. On the coast you’ll find elephant seals, orcas and penguins, while further inland you might catch a glimpse of a puma. A wealth of native birds can also be seen nesting in the trees or flying overhead.

Alaska

While you obviously won’t see the same types of animals in Alaska that you would in Africa, this American state doesn’t disappoint in terms of the incredible range of wildlife it offers. Besides, who says a safari tourneeds to include the Big Five? Alaska, thanks to its diverse terrain of snowy mountains, large lakes and open plains, is the home of wolves, grizzlies, moose and horned Dall sheep, caribou and even bald eagles. If you head over to Katmai National Park, you’ll see an abundance of coastal brown bears foraging for the numerous salmon in Brooks Falls. It is also the home of several other aquatic animals, including sea otters, sea lions and walruses.

Australia

You probably associate Australia with long sandy beaches and surfers, but beyond its shoreline this beautiful country has a massive outback that houses incredible wildlife. In the Kimberley region, travel to Geikie Gorge to admire giant crocodiles and an abundance of native birds. In Victoria you’ll find the much-beloved kangaroos and koalas. The best spot to see kangaroos, though, is in the Wolgan Valley in the Blue Mountains.

As you can see, just because we associate a safari tourwith Africa doesn’t mean that it’s the only place with incredible wildlife. Any of these four fabulous countries would make excellent holiday destinations for nature-lovers who want to see majestic animals in their natural habitat.

Ethan Bailey is an experienced adventure traveller and insurance expert with the team at Let's Go Insure. Ethan’s passion is to inspire his clients to go just that little bit further, deeper and higher on their travels and he loves to share his expert knowledge on topics as varied as choosing the right extreme sport or the ultimate alternative safari tour. If you're looking for the best travel insurance, Let's Go works with the most experienced underwriters, intermediaries and insurers to offer a range of competitive insurance without compromising on cover.