Sunday, December 14, 2008

The Top 10 Nature Adventure Travel Trips Worldwide

By Ada Denis

If you were asked to make a list of the ten best nature and wildlife adventure travel destinations and tours in the world, which would you choose?

Well, some of the contenders in the top adventure tours ranking list might surprise you or be the exact ones that you would have chosen yourself because the ranking is compiled by using trip reports and reviews from past travelers who have been there and experienced the adventure travel tours and destinations for themselves.

So here is the list of the top 10 nature adventure travel tours and destinations on earth in reverse order...

10. Madagascar

As far as unique wildlife goes, Madagascar takes the first prize. A total of 80% of the plant species and many of the animals are only found there and nowhere else in the world. The highlights on a Madagascar adventure travel trip are the many different kinds of lemur, chameleon and frogs that you are sure to see.

9. Great Barrier Reef

With over 1.8 million visitors per year, this world heritage site which is the largest structure on earth built by living organisms certainly deserves its place in the top 10 rankings. The amount and diversity of the marine life here is simply astonishing.

8. Polar Bear Trek

The time left to be able to see this magnificent predator in its natural habitat may be very short because they are threatened due to global warming and climate change. The polar bear is the biggest of its kind in the world and is at the top of the food chain with its only natural enemy being man.

7. Tiger Safari

The thrill of seeing this beautiful big cat from the back of an elephant in one of India's National Parks is incomparable. There are only around 6000 of them left in the world and they are very secretive so spotting one or more of them on safari is a rare privilege that not many people have had.

6. Whale Watching

They are so big that it almost seems impossible for flesh and blood to exist in such abundance and when they jump clear of the water (breaching) with that huge bulk the laws of physics seem to be suspended for a few moments. You only really appreciate just how massive whales are when you get close to them on a whale watching adventure travel tour.You may also be lucky enough to be able to listen to them communicate through their complex language of whistles and squeaks.

5. Wildebeest Migration

If you thought rush hour was bad, try being a wildebeest in the Serengeti when about 1.5 million of your neighbors decide that it's time to hit the road to find better grazing and water, all at the same time. It is one of the biggest mass migrations in the world and all the predators like lion, leopard, cheetah, hyena and crocodile feast when the migration moves through their territory.

4. Swim With Wild Dolphins

Everyone who does this comes back with an almost mystical appreciation of the fact that the dolphins choose to swim with them and even seem to enjoy the close company to humans. They sometimes come within touching distance of swimmers (but touching them is strictly not allowed) and leap from the water as if tempting the humans to copy them.It's the connection with such an intelligent animal even though it is completely wild that makes this adventure travel experience so special.

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