ADVENTURE SPOTLIGHT
AS
118
THE AFFLUENT TRAVELER
|
Adventure Spotlight
WRITTEN BY
Julia Dimon
More and more destinations are embracing the
ecotourism and nature tourism movement, with
adventure outfitters offering tours that bring travelers
up close and personal with some of the world’s most
incredible creatures. Ecotourism marries ecological
preservation with economic gain. It’s often a win-win
for all parties involved — the tourist company profits
financially, the traveler gets a once-in-a-life time
experience, and the animal in question develops a
revered status and is subsequently protected from harm.
Eager to interact with wild elephants, pandas and
killer whales? Here are some of the top wildlife
destinations around the world, where you can
encounter some of Mother Nature’s most fabulous,
furry, fierce and fragile creatures in their natural habitat.
YOU NEVER FORGET
YOUR FIRST KILL.
There, perched in the back of a 4x4 safari vehicle,
I watched in awe as a lion stalked an unsuspecting
impala. Patiently plotting her attack, the female lioness,
a beautiful creature of some 300-pounds, hid behind a
termite hill, waiting for the perfect moment to pounce.
Our gang of safari goers rooted for the impala but,
sadly the tiny African antelope was no match for the
big cat. The lioness sprang from the tall savanna and
grabbed the impala by the throat. Bones cracked and
a hyena howled in the distance. “It’s the circle of life,”
as the Elton John,
Lion King,
movie soundtrack goes,
but seeing this kind of raw and uncensored natural
phenomenon really sticks in your mind as one of the
most memorable travel experiences.
PHOTO
Guests of &Beyond Grumeti Serengeti
Tented Camp watch as a lion steathly
stalks her prey in the tall grass of
Tanzania’s Western Serengeti.
Photo by Stevie Mann, © &Beyond 2016
