<strong>Best wildlife encounters: </strong>Watching forest elephants up close while paddling in the wilderness of Ivindo National Park in Gabon is one of the world's most awe-inspiring wildlife encounters.
Best wildlife encounters: Watching forest elephants up close while paddling in the wilderness of Ivindo National Park in Gabon is one of the world's most awe-inspiring wildlife encounters.
Secret Compass
<strong>Gabon: </strong>Floating amid dripping towering forests, deep dark braided rivers and equatorial Africa's highest waterfall in a tiny rubber paddleboat feels out-of-this-world.
Gabon: Floating amid dripping towering forests, deep dark braided rivers and equatorial Africa's highest waterfall in a tiny rubber paddleboat feels out-of-this-world.
<strong>Reindeers in Russia: </strong>The indigenous Nenets, nomadic reindeer-herders, have started welcoming Intrepid travelers to live with them and their reindeer. The Nenets live at the edge of the Siberian Arctic, where temperatures can plummet to minus 50 Celsius.
Reindeers in Russia: The indigenous Nenets, nomadic reindeer-herders, have started welcoming Intrepid travelers to live with them and their reindeer. The Nenets live at the edge of the Siberian Arctic, where temperatures can plummet to minus 50 Celsius.
TATYANA MAKEYEVA/AFP/AFP/Getty Images
<strong>Swim with jellyfish: </strong>Palau's Jellyfish Lake is home to millions of relatively harmless jellyfish. With diving trips on hold here, the best adventures with jellyfish are to be had in Indonesia's remote Raja Ampat archipelago.
Swim with jellyfish: Palau's Jellyfish Lake is home to millions of relatively harmless jellyfish. With diving trips on hold here, the best adventures with jellyfish are to be had in Indonesia's remote Raja Ampat archipelago.
Reinhard Dirscherl/ullstein bild via Getty Imageses
<strong>Snorkel in the South Pacific: </strong>Off the Indonesian province of West Papua, the remote Raja Ampat archipelago of emerald islands, aquamarine lagoons is home to one of the world's richest coral reef ecosystems.
Snorkel in the South Pacific: Off the Indonesian province of West Papua, the remote Raja Ampat archipelago of emerald islands, aquamarine lagoons is home to one of the world's richest coral reef ecosystems.
Chris Mitchell
<strong>Emperor penguin colonies in Antarctica, South Georgia & Falkland Islands: </strong>Rugged South Georgia is a haven of hundreds of thousands of king penguins, in the shadows of gigantic icy peaks.
Emperor penguin colonies in Antarctica, South Georgia & Falkland Islands: Rugged South Georgia is a haven of hundreds of thousands of king penguins, in the shadows of gigantic icy peaks.
courtesy G Adventures
<strong>Emperor penguin colonies in Antarctica, South Georgia & Falkland Islands:</strong> A king penguin is caught on camera while performing its mating call at Volunteer Point, Falkland Islands.
Emperor penguin colonies in Antarctica, South Georgia & Falkland Islands: A king penguin is caught on camera while performing its mating call at Volunteer Point, Falkland Islands.
Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images Europe/Getty Images
<strong>Giant pandas in China's mountains: </strong>Natural Habitat Adventures offers voyages to Minshan Mountains of Sichuan province and the Tibetan Plateau, two of the last wild habitats of the giant panda.<strong> </strong>(Photo by Brad Josephs)
Giant pandas in China's mountains: Natural Habitat Adventures offers voyages to Minshan Mountains of Sichuan province and the Tibetan Plateau, two of the last wild habitats of the giant panda. (Photo by Brad Josephs)
courtesy Brad Josephs
<strong>Giant pandas in China's mountains: </strong>Supported by the WWF, these little-visited wilderness shelters are also home to moon bears, shaggy takin, blue sheep and golden monkeys. (Photo by Brad Josephs)
Giant pandas in China's mountains: Supported by the WWF, these little-visited wilderness shelters are also home to moon bears, shaggy takin, blue sheep and golden monkeys. (Photo by Brad Josephs)
courtesy Brad Josephs
<strong>Gorillas in Democratic Republic of Congo: </strong>Wild Frontiers offers a trekking tour into the equatorial rainforest of DR Congo's Kahuzi-Biega National Park to meet the small population of Eastern Lowland Gorillas.
Gorillas in Democratic Republic of Congo: Wild Frontiers offers a trekking tour into the equatorial rainforest of DR Congo's Kahuzi-Biega National Park to meet the small population of Eastern Lowland Gorillas.
courtesy Wild Frontiers Adventure Travel
<strong>Gorillas in Democratic Republic of Congo: </strong>It offers the chance to be one of the first to explore a region yet to emerge as a major travel destination.
Gorillas in Democratic Republic of Congo: It offers the chance to be one of the first to explore a region yet to emerge as a major travel destination.
courtesy Wild Frontiers Adventure Travel
<strong>Polar bears in Norway's Arctic:</strong> Watching polar bears roll in the ice, plunge into the iceberg-covered waters and mother bears nuzzling cubs is a priceless experience.<br />(Dominic Barrington/Hurtigruten Svalbard)
Polar bears in Norway's Arctic: Watching polar bears roll in the ice, plunge into the iceberg-covered waters and mother bears nuzzling cubs is a priceless experience.
(Dominic Barrington/Hurtigruten Svalbard)
Dominic Barrington/Hurtigruten Svalbard
<strong>Polar bears in Norway's Arctic:</strong> One of the best ways to see them is via a cruise to Norway's remote and spectacular fjords in Spitsbergen. (Nina Bailey/Hurtigruten Svalbard)
Polar bears in Norway's Arctic: One of the best ways to see them is via a cruise to Norway's remote and spectacular fjords in Spitsbergen. (Nina Bailey/Hurtigruten Svalbard)
Nina Bailey/Hurtigruten Svalbard
<strong>Fossa in Madagascar: </strong>Seeing a fossa, Madagascar's largest carnivorous predator, is rare but impressive. A cross between a cat and a mongoose, the fossa is endemic to Madagascar and can be tracked in the island's Kirindy forest.
Fossa in Madagascar: Seeing a fossa, Madagascar's largest carnivorous predator, is rare but impressive. A cross between a cat and a mongoose, the fossa is endemic to Madagascar and can be tracked in the island's Kirindy forest.
courtesy Rothschild Safaris
<strong>Lemur in Madagascar:</strong> Expect to meet several of Madagascar's 106 species of lemur, including this ring-tailed lemur.
Lemur in Madagascar: Expect to meet several of Madagascar's 106 species of lemur, including this ring-tailed lemur.
courtesy Rothschild Safaris
<strong>Search for the snow leopard, Ladakh, India: </strong>Apart from being one of the most elusive and endangered animals on the planet, the snow leopard's inhospitable habitat -- a brutal and dramatic massif of mountains and ice in Ladakh, India -- also makes it one of the most challenging animals to find. (Jarrod/Steppes Travel)
Search for the snow leopard, Ladakh, India: Apart from being one of the most elusive and endangered animals on the planet, the snow leopard's inhospitable habitat -- a brutal and dramatic massif of mountains and ice in Ladakh, India -- also makes it one of the most challenging animals to find. (Jarrod/Steppes Travel)
courtesy Jarrod/Steppes Travel
<strong>Snow leopard in Ladakh, India: </strong>The snow leopard is a captivating creature of hazy fur and olive eyes, incredibly well camouflaged and agile in its extreme setting. (Norboo/Steppes Travel)
Snow leopard in Ladakh, India: The snow leopard is a captivating creature of hazy fur and olive eyes, incredibly well camouflaged and agile in its extreme setting. (Norboo/Steppes Travel)
courtesy Norboo/Steppes Travel
<strong>Giant otters in Guyana: </strong>Guyana's Karanambu is one of the best places to see the rapidly vanishing giant river otter. This one was spotted by the Rupununi River at Karanambu Lodge. (Photo by <a href="index.php?page=&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fdavidstanleytravel%2F13973332592%2Fin%2Fphotolist-nhLYXs-nfru7W" target="_blank" target="_blank">David Stanley</a>/Flickr/CC by 2.0)
Giant otters in Guyana: Guyana's Karanambu is one of the best places to see the rapidly vanishing giant river otter. This one was spotted by the Rupununi River at Karanambu Lodge. (Photo by David Stanley/Flickr/CC by 2.0)
David Stanley/Flickr/CC by 2.0
<strong>Swim with whale sharks in Djibouti: </strong>In addition to whale sharks, the Bay of Ghoubet, west of Djibouti, is a prime area to swim with manta rays, beaked and pilot whales, dolphins and several shark species. (Photo by <a href="index.php?page=&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fgails_pictures%2F5375596074%2Fin%2Fphotolist-e7N8Yd-9c2kqW-e6S9sV-egxpoG" target="_blank" target="_blank">gailhampshire</a>/Flickr/CC by 2.0)
Swim with whale sharks in Djibouti: In addition to whale sharks, the Bay of Ghoubet, west of Djibouti, is a prime area to swim with manta rays, beaked and pilot whales, dolphins and several shark species. (Photo by gailhampshire/Flickr/CC by 2.0)
gailhampshire/Flickr/CC by 2.0