Travel+Leisure India & South Asia — February 2018

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SIGN UP FOR THE TWO-WEEK PROGRAMME

WILDLIFE ACT IN ZULULAND WHEREIN YOU’LL BE ENGAGED

IN MONITORING THE MOVEMENTS OF ENDANGERED ANIMALS,

WHO ARE AT RISK FROM POACHERS. wildlifeact.com

ON A WATCH

Panda Conservation,

Chengdu

China’s incredible effort

in bringing its native Giant

Pandas back from the brink

of extinction is preservation’s

prized story. At the China

Conservation and Research

Center for the Giant Panda

(CCRCGP), the bears are bred

in captivity with oodles of

love. Through the voluntary

programme orchestrated by

GoEco (goeco.org), you can

dedicate some of your time

in taking care of these

beautiful animals.

T+L TIP

► Explore artefacts from the

Shu Dynasty (4th century BC)

at the Jinsha Site Museum.

jinshasitemyseum.com

► Enjoy a traditional opera

that includes fire breathing

and mask changing at Shu

Feng Ya Yun Sichuan Opera.

shufengyayun.com

Saving Antarctica

It only takes one visit to

Antarctica to understand the

reeling effects of rising sea

levels. Robert Swan, the first

person in history to walk

both poles, leads the ‘

Climate Force’ movement

that gives passionate

environmental activists the

chance to cruise to

Antarctica with him and

receive a climate change

education. Spend endless

time with penguins and

watch them from close

quarters. (2041.com)

T+L TIP

► Kayak past blue whales

and leopard seals in the icy

Antarctic Ocean.

Protecting Orangutans,

Indonesia

The gradual deforestation of

rainforests for the extraction

of palm oil in the Kalimantan

region of Indonesia has had

severe effects on the lives of

orangutans living there.

International Animal Rescue

has been spearheading

rescue operations and the

fostering of orphaned

orangutans. Two, well-

curated, 11 and 22 day

volunteering programmes

give travellers an

opportunity to partake in

building the sanctuary.

(internationalanimalrescue.

org/orangutan-sanctuary)

T+L TIP

► Adopt an orangutan to

facilitate their care and

rehabilitation. You will

receive a personalised

certificate in recognition of

your adoption, and regular

updates throughout the year

about the animal, amongst

other things.

Humpback Whale

Expedition, Mozambique

Each year, hundreds of

humpback whales migrate

through the waters of

Mozambique, between July

and September, to warmer

breeding grounds. Join

marine biologists on a boat

based research trip to the

waters in and around Tofo

to collect data on their

behaviour, movement

patterns, habitat use, and pod

structures. The area is also

SUSTAINABLE

UNDER SUPERVISION

If wildlife conservation always fi nds a way into your travel itinerary,

here are some programmes for purposeful journeys this year.

home to large numbers of

whale sharks, dolphins, reef

and giant manta rays, and sea

turtles. Conservation Travel

Africa offers a choice of

programmes ranging from

two to 12 weeks.

conservationtravelafrica.org

T+L TIP

► Live on the beach, and get

involved with the local

community by offering

swimming lessons, and

teaching the children about

marine conservation.

► Take a day trip to

Bazaruto from Vilankulos

for snorkelling.

► The Mozambique coast is

ranked as one of the best

Black Marlin destinations in

the eastern Indian Ocean.

Cast your hook with some big

game fishing.

Sign up for The Great

Tiger Project at

Kanha National Park,

to engage in tiger

conservation activities,

wildlife management,

and community

focused initiatives.

thegreatprojects.com

Protecting the Striped

Be a responsible traveller,

so that these Adélie

penguins can live a healthy

life in Antarctica.

Learn a thing or

two about panda

conservation in

Chengdu.

CLOCKWISE: DARRELL GULIN/GETTYIMAGES; SAFIQUE HAZARIKA PHOTOGRAPHY/GETTYIMAGES; ROBERT CICCHETTI/ALAMY

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