The 10 Best Holiday Destinations for Nature Lovers
For those who want to step outside beach and city tourism, unique nature experiences await all over the world. Safari, a fjord hike, a rainforest adventure or a mountain-range trek — there's a destination for every nature lover. Here are 10 destinations nature lovers should add to their bucket list.
1. Kenya & Tanzania — The African Safari
The African safari is one of the peaks of nature travel. The wildebeest migration that takes place in Kenya's Masai Mara between July and October — millions of animals crossing the Mara River from the Serengeti — is the live version of BBC documentaries. It's possible to see the Big Five (elephant, lion, leopard, rhino and buffalo) in a single tour.
Although a safari may seem logistically expensive, mid-range tented camps have become accessible at $150–300 a day. There are connecting flights from Istanbul to Nairobi in 9–13 hours. The best time is July–October (the great migration) and January–March (the calving season).
2. The Norwegian Fjords — Northern Europe's Drama
The Norwegian fjords — especially Sognefjord and Geirangerfjord — are on the UNESCO World Heritage List; this dramatic landscape, where thousand-metre cliffs plunge into the sea, is a legendary target for photography lovers. The fjord scenery can be viewed from the sea (ferry), from land (the Trollstigen road) and from above (the Pulpit Rock hike).
Norway is an expensive destination, but with a base in Bergen or Flåm, daily costs can be kept under control. Summer (June–August) is worth it for the midnight sun; September–April is the aurora borealis (northern lights) season.
3. New Zealand — The Reality of Middle-earth
Beyond the Lord of the Rings sets, New Zealand offers incredible natural diversity across two islands — active volcanoes, fjords, lakes and a tropical north blending with a temperate south. Milford Sound, Tongariro National Park, Abel Tasman and the Waitomo Caves are among the world's standout nature experiences.
New Zealand is especially developed in trekking culture; the Milford Track, the Routeburn Track and the Tongariro Alpine Crossing are listed among the world's best trekking routes. Far away, but once you go it's hard to leave.
4. Turkey's Natural Wonders
Within its own borders Turkey has world-class nature destinations. The fairy chimneys and balloon tour of Cappadocia, the Taurus mountain hikes around Mersin, the Kaçkar Mountains of Artvin, the winter tourism of Erzurum's Palandöken and Uludağ, the cave systems of Hatay and Turkey's deepest canyon, the Karanlık Kanyon, are at the forefront.
The advantage of nature holidays in Turkey is far more affordable prices and logistical ease compared with going abroad. The Cappadocia morning balloon tour is now a world-renowned experience; bookings, especially in high season, must be made in advance.
5-10: Other Nature Destinations
5. Iceland: Geysers, waterfalls, lava fields and the aurora borealis; a different nature experience year-round. 6. Canada (Banff, Jasper): The turquoise lakes and wildlife of the Rocky Mountains.
7. The Brazilian Amazon: The lungs of the world, a deep forest experience. 8. Patagonia (Argentina/Chile): Torres del Paine and the Perito Moreno glaciers, trekking legends. 9. Borneo (Malaysia): Orangutan habitat, rainforest diversity. 10. The Galápagos Islands: The laboratory of the theory of evolution; face to face with wildlife.
Want to fly to this destination?
Compare flight, hotel and car packages in seconds.