Travel_LeisureIndiaSouthAsia-January_2017

72 TRAVEL + LEISURE / JANUARY 2017 TRAVEL +LEISURE / JANUARY 2017 73

BEYOND

So Personal

FOR ECO-LOVERS

IF YOU’RE ONE TO RAISE FUNDS

FOR ENVIRONMENTAL NON-PROFITS,

OR VOLUNTEER WITH CONSERVATION

AGENCIES, THESE ARE EXCEPTIONAL

TRAVEL EXPERIENCES THAT WILL BE

IMMENSELY SATISFYING IN TERMS OF

THE PLACES AND CREATURES YOU SEE,

THE WORK YOU DO AND THE

INCREDIBLE PEOPLE YOU WILL HAVE

THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET.

UGANDA AND RWANDA |

Ultimate Primates Trip

To trek into the rain forest and sit

with a family of wild mountain

gorillas, looking into the eyes of

a huge silverback at close range,

watching babies cling to their

mothers, laughing at youngsters

playing in the trees, is a

life-enhancing experience for a

wildlife lover. To capture

amazing photographs of such

encounters, travel with Natural

Habitat Adventures, an

organisation that partners with

World Wildlife Fund and boasts

of an expedition leader who is

both a primate naturalist and an

accomplished photographer.

nathab.com

HARDCORE VALUE

The itinerary is unique that it

takes you deep into primate

territory that others don’t have

access to.

SODWANA BAY, SOUTH AFRICA | Scuba Diving and Conservation

Combining a love of the ocean with the chance to conserve its fragile ecosystems is an incredibly

rewarding opportunity for scuba divers with a green heart. Sodwana Bay is home to 50 kilometre

of underwater habitat that constitutes one of the world’s most southerly tropical reef systems. In

2000, the bay became internationally known after divers rediscovered the prehistoric coelacanth

in the depths of the park’s Jesser Canyon, but it is for the incredible biodiversity of the area’s

shallower reefs that most divers fl ock there. Volunteer with non-profi ts like the Oceanic Society

and Pod Volunteer, from identifying whale sharks to monitoring manta rays and turtles, to reef

surveys, there’s loads of ways you can be helpful.

ADDED BENEFIT If you are a beginner, you will be given your PADI Open Water training during your

fi rst week. Qualifi ed Open Water divers can complete a PADI Advanced Open Water course, or

depending on the length of your stay, choose from a range of dive speciality courses (eg Deep Diver,

Nitrox, Peak Performance Buoyancy, etc) or the Rescue Diver course.

TAHITI | Swim

with humpback whales

From August to October

each year, the gentle

female giants of the sea

give birth in the sheltered

waters of French

Polynesia. You will

witness the bond between

mother and calf, the song

of the male humpback

and the unique behaviour

that can only be

experienced first hand in

the Tahitian waters.

HOT TIP Book the ‘Magical

Humpbacks in Tahiti’ tour with

Responsible Travel and spend

nine nights on the beautiful

island of Moorea with sparkling

turquoise lagoons; and the

immensely knowledgeable

wildlife photographer Dr Olivier

Betremieux. whaleswim.com

PANTANAL,BRAZIL|

Close encounters

with Jaguars

The Pantanal holds the

world’s highest density of

wild jaguars,stayin the

heart of this regionfor

amazingsightings.

Unlikeinotherareas,

jaguars here are active

duringtheday,offering

excellentchancestosee

these elusive catsin the

wild. Along the way, also

expect tosee giant river

otters,anteaters,tapir,

capybaras,hyacinth

macaw,andtheworld’s

largest stork, the jabiru.

The Oceanic Society

organises a nine-day

expedition, guided by

award-winningnature

photographerPete

Oxford, that ends at

SouthWildPantanal

Lodge where more than

300birdspecieshave

beenrecorded.Expedition

dates: July 16-26, 2017.

oceanicsociety.org

ADDED BENEFIT You will be

staying at the only hotel that’s

inside the Iguassu National Park,

so you’ll also be just a short

walk from the incredible falls—

allowing you to visit the falls at

dawn and dusk when other

visitors have vacated the park.

CUBA |Sea Turtles, Coral reefs and Culture

See two sides of Cuba—art and science. Join agroup to explore the

coastal wildlife and valleys–snorkel, dive, see nesting seaturtles,

rare birds andvisit organic farms. Embrace Cuban culture with

tours of historic Havana, live jazz performances, authentic Cuban

food, and visits to museums and markets. Meet and learn from

Cuban marine biologists and conservationists. This programme is

offered with SEE Turtles, CubaMarine Research & Conservation

Program, and Altruvistas. altruvistas.com

HARDCORE VALUE An impressive lineup of Cuban insiders will

entertain and enlighten all along the way. On the coast, biologist

Dr Julia Azanza will guide the group through the fragile sea turtle

nesting site visits.

CLOCKWISE: MARTIN STRMISKA/ALAMY; REINHARD DIRSCHERL/ALAMY; JUERGEN RITTERBACH/ALAMY

FROM TOP: HELMUT CORNELI/ALAMY; LAURA ROMIN & LARRY DALTON/ALAMY; FRANS LANTING STUDIO/ALAMY; FRANS LANTING STUDIO/ALAMY

01_BYND_Emerging Destination 2017_17_2nd.indd 72-73 28/12/16 4:16 am

74 TRAVEL + LEISURE / JANUARY 2017