I am a cat married to a fish. These are the animals my husband and I would individually most seek out in nature, and they are also our spirit animals. My energy is directed to short spurts of physical activity in the morning followed by languorous stretches of reading and naps in the afternoon. My husband, John, is in constant motion. I am pretty independent; John likes to be in a school of companions. I spend a disproportionate amount of time thinking about food; John is more or less content to eat what’s in front of him or subsist on a liquid diet. I prefer to be in wild spaces on dry land; John is called to the water.
How the two of us came together is one of life’s great mysteries, yet these differences have afforded us the opportunity to visit places with an overlap in our interests that we might not have discovered traveling on our own. Over the past 12 years, I have planned trips for us to a number of destinations focused on nature and wildlife excursions, adventure, and water activities.
And now I am using my skills to plan vacations for other people! If you’re looking to come alive with a different kind of travel experience, here are 5 ideal destinations I recommend for your next wildlife and water adventure!
1. South Africa
If you only go to one destination from this list, make it South Africa. We had the opportunity to go on safaris in two different areas: Phinda Private Game Reserve and Sabi Sands. In Phinda you can see lions, cheetahs, elephants, buffalo, rhinos, hippos, giraffes, and birds. From the ubiquitous (and adorable) warthog to the maligned hyena, Phinda provides a wealth of wildlife. We especially loved following a pair of male lions out hunting during one of our evening game drives. Once the sun went down, it was impossible to see anything except the innumerable stars overhead. It was only when the infrared light was turned on that we realized there were a pair of hungry lions less than five feet from our vehicle.
You might have noticed leopards weren’t mentioned in the list of animals to see at Phinda. They’re there, but they’re elusive. If you’re eager to complete the “big five”, include a safari in Sabi Sands. In addition to lions, elephants, hippos, and rhinos, we were fortunate enough to see a pack of wild dogs hunting the day we arrived and two leopard cubs the last morning before we left. All animals are amazing to see in the wild, but baby animals–gah!
For water lovers, Sodwana Bay is located on the East coast of South Africa and is considered to be one of the best diving locations in the world. An Indian Ocean scuba dive can be arranged at &Beyond as part of your stay in Phinda. For the most committed divers, there is also the sardine run, an annual migration phenomenon that occurs between the months of May and July. Dolphins round up millions of sardines into bait balls so big they can be seen from space! Then sharks, whales, fur seals, and birds join in the feast.
Photo by South African Tourism
After your safari, spend a week in Cape Town enjoying spectacular food and learning about the turbulent history and rich culture of this iconic city. If you want even more adventures, hike Table Mountain or Lion’s Head at dawn and submerge yourself in frigid waters on a great white shark cage dive. Then drive down to the southernmost tip of Africa and stop and see the penguin colony at Boulders Beach along the way. If wine-tasting is your thing, there are world renowned vineyards a short distance from the city. There’s truly something for everyone! I can arrange all of these activities and more for you!
2. Baja California Sur
The Sea of Cortez in Mexico was already on our list prior to Covid, but once travel opened up again, we knew this was where we wanted to go for our ten year anniversary. You’ll want to begin your vacation in La Paz. From there, Todos Santos Eco Adventures‘s warm and knowledgeable guides will take you to the island of Isla Espiritu Santo, where you can enjoy a nature walk and catered lunch at their exclusive Camp Cecil. Follow up your stay in La Paz with an authentic cooking class with Chef Iker at the lovely small hotel Los Colibris Casitas in Todos Santos. Then stay in Cabo San Lucas for a couple of nights if you’re interested in fishing for marlin or some of the other 17 species prevalent in the area.
There’s plenty of adventure and good food in Baja, but the main reason to visit the Sea of Cortez is to experience wildlife encounters you’ll never forget. During our trip, we snorkeled with sea lions at Isla Espiritu Santo, and the next day we swam with whale sharks. The sea lions were as interested in us as we were in them, and they lived up to the moniker of “sea puppies”. I thought the sea lion swim was surely the highlight of the trip, but it was easily overshadowed by the whale sharks the next day. It’s impossible to describe what it’s like to watch these majestic creatures glide effortlessly through the water beneath or beside you while you swim hard to keep up. Both tours can be scheduled as day trips from La Paz, or you can go glamping in one of TOSEA’s tents. If you go from mid-December through March, you can see migrating gray whales in the area as well. As a final touch, stay at Hotel Catedral La Paz and ask their gifted bartender to make you underwater inspired drinks to cap off a magical week.
3. Costa Rica
This Central American darling is hardly a new suggestion, but for the best animal viewing, head down to Corcovado National Park on the Osa Peninsula. National Geographic has called this “the most biologically intense place on Earth”, and with over three hundred bird species alone and thousands of insect species, it’s easy to see why. As soon as we arrived, we were greeted by white faced capuchins and a troop of acrobatic squirrel monkeys, and it wasn’t long before we saw howler monkeys and spider monkeys peering down at us from the canopies, too. Corcovado also has its share of animals that can kill you, which arguably adds to the adventure. On our hike, our guide pointed out a boa constrictor and fer de lance we had missed as well as a plant that appeared harmless, but he warned would unleash a torrent of ants upon us if we touched it.
If you plan to visit, treat yourself to the amenities and barefoot luxury of Copa de Arbol Beach and Rainforest Resort and stay in Drake Bay. From their location, you are within easy reach of some of the best snorkeling and diving in Central America at Caño Island Biological Reserve. Here I can also organize a sportfishing charter for you. You might hook a rooster fish, one of the toughest fighting fish in the sea, or a tuna, which the chef will expertly prepare for your supper. If you’re lucky, as we were, you might even see humpback whales from the boat and hear them singing to each other underwater.
While you’re in Costa Rica, be sure to include at least one other destination for more water and nature based adventures. Though not as luxurious as Copa de Arbol, we enjoyed a comfortable stay at Hotel El Silencio Del Campo in the Arenal area. This is a great homebase for activities, and you can finish the day relaxing in one of their ten on-site private hot springs. One of our absolute favorite excursions was a combination canyoning, waterfall rappelling, and white water rafting trip. We were soaked and laughing with strangers-turned-friends the entire time.
4. Montana
John dreamed of going fly fishing in Montana ever since he watched the movie A River Runs Through It as a teenager, and after years of prioritizing travel to other countries, we decided it was finally time to go to Bozeman and Yellowstone. The venture became even more exciting for me personally when I learned there was a Bed and Breakfast with a wolf sanctuary called the Howler’s Inn where we could see wolves on site during our stay. It was pure luck that we happened to be there at the time that they acquired a new wolf pup named Koa who had to be kept inside the Inn until he was old enough to join the other wolves outside. Even without a wolf pup in the kitchen, Howler’s Inn is a special place. Set on 42 acres just outside Bozeman, the scenery is beautiful, and the wolves are clearly well cared for. You can watch them from outside on the deck or from specific rooms inside the house. There are several rivers in the area, and a quick drive into town makes it easy to secure a fishing license and a guide at one of the many outfitters. Adrenaline seekers can also go whitewater rafting, zip lining, and river tubing on the Gallatin River.
With over 2.2 million acres and 3 million visitors annually, Yellowstone can be a completely overwhelming place to visit on your own. If you wish to book independently, my advice is to drive straight to Gardiner, Montana, and check-in to the Wonderland Cafe & Lodge. Simply elegant and clean, they have a few rooms located above their delicious cafe. Let me connect you with Yellowstone Wild for a few days of wildlife and geology tours. A professional and entertaining guide will pick you up at 5 a.m. in one of their air conditioned, well-appointed vehicles and drive you to the parts of the park tailored to your interests. We booked a bear and wolf-watching tour for the first day and paired a custom itinerary with a hiking tour for the second. Not only will you be enthralled by the information the guides have to teach you, but you’ll also avoid the crowds and have access to private parking areas just a short walk from the entrance to all the main attractions. I can provide other recommendations for fly fishing on the Yellowstone River and more upscale accommodations as well. From walk/wade trips to float trips both in and out of Yellowstone, there are many ways to connect with nature that take you off the beaten path.
5. Belize
For the best all-inclusive, one-stop destination with a little bit of everything for any active adventurer or nature lover, Hamanasi Adventure and Dive Resort wins hands down. Stay in a treehouse room, and you will find a private, comfortable oasis set among trees, orchids, and birds, where the only visitor is a hotel cat coming for a snooze on your hammock. Though you could spend all your time in your tranquil room or at the resort swimming pool, you’ll want to take advantage of the more than two dozen reef and rainforest activities available to you. For the wildlife lover, you can take a nocturnal hike through the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary & Jaguar Preserve or canoe through Monkey River, spotting howler monkeys, tropical birds, and tarantulas.
Our favorite inland experience was the cave tubing adventure tour. The journey began with an easy walk through the jungle where we learned about the cave system and ancient Mayan civilization. Then we traveled underground along narrow passages illuminated only by our headlamps. After that it was smooth sailing as we climbed into our tubes surrounded by glowing crystal formations, stalactites, and stalagmites.
The main reason to come to Hamanasi, however, is to dive the Great Blue Hole and the Lighthouse Reef Atoll. Considered to be one of the premiere diving locations in the entire world, the Blue Hole forms a 1,000 foot diameter circle on the surface and extends 412 feet down. It’s a 66 mile boat ride to get there, but it’s a once in a lifetime experience, and if you aren’t certified already, Hamanasi has a PADI 5-star Dive facility with top notch instructors ready to teach you. For those who wish to remain closer to the resort, you can dive or snorkel the second largest barrier reef in the world, the pristine Southern Barrier Reef. Here, too, the diving is incredible with 80-100’ visibility. Absolutely perfect conditions!
Where to next?
These are my top 5 destinations (so far) for thrilling wildlife, water, and adventure excursions. Any of these trips can be tailor-made to meet your individual interests and desires. If you’re feeling inspired, contact me at erica@wildlifeandwateradventures.com, and let’s get started planning your own wildlife and water adventure bucket list vacation!
(P.S. All photos by John or Erica Keckley unless otherwise noted.)
Wildlife & Water Adventures 