From watching orangutans swinging through the rainforests of Borneo to catching a rare glimpse of the blue-footed booby bird in the Galapagos Islands, a wildlife cruise holiday offers a fascinating insight into some of the world’s most pristine environments. With World Environment Day just around the corner on the 5 of June, there’s never been a better time to book your next cruise adventure. Here Iglu Cruise rounds-up their top five wildlife cruises.
Search for orangutans in Borneo
Rich in equatorial rainforests and straddling the equator, Borneo is the world’s third biggest island. One of only two places in the world where you have the chance to spot orangutans swinging through the jungle canopy in the wild, the island is a popular destination for wildlife enthusiasts. Couple this with stunning beaches, magnificent mountains, vibrant cultures, and avid adventure, Borneo is one of the ultimate wildlife cruise destinations for 2018 and beyond.
Iglu Cruise offers a 16-night cruise and stay onboard Princess Cruises’ Sapphire Princess from just £2,849pp (full board on cruise) flying from the UK on 26 January 2019. This trip includes a fopur-night hotel stay in Kota Kinabalu, a 1-night river lodge stay in Kinabatangan, a two night hotel stay in Singapore, all flights and overseas transfers. It also includes a visit to Sepilok Orangutan Sanctuary, a cruise down the Kinabatangan River, a visit to Manukan Island and a visit to the Borneo Sun Bear Conservation Centre. Full details here
Read Mark Bibby Jackson’s adventures in Borneo: Sabah: Land of Mountains, Rainforest and Orangutan.
Look for the Big Five in Africa
South Africa is one of the continent’s prime safari destinations, offering visitors the chance to go in search of safari royalty – the Big Five – consisting of the lion, the leopard, the elephant, the buffalo and rhino. Couple these wildlife opportunities with spectacular white sand beaches and cosmopolitan cities including Cape Town and its iconic Table Mountain, South Africa is a fantastic destination for those who love wildlife and the great outdoors. Namibia and Mozambique are also known for their wildlife opportunities and beautiful landscapes, and complement any visit to South Africa.
Iglu Cruise offers a 17-night cruise and stay onboard MSC Cruises’ MSC Musica from just £1,999pp (full board on cruise) flying from the UK on 19 June 2019. This trip includes a three-night stay in Cape Town, a full day safari from Cape Town, return flights, all overseas transfers and stop offs in Walvis Bay (Namibia), Cape Town (South Africa), Port Elizabeth (South Africa), Durban (South Africa), Portuguese Island (Mozambique) and Pomene (Mozambique). Full details here.
Follow Eileen Wise and Roger Hermiston on their road trip through South Africa. South Africa Travel: From Cape to Cape.
See polar bears in Svalbard
One of Norway’s most spectacular archipelagos, Svalbard is known for two things – the Northern Lights and polar bears. Found halfway between the North Pole and mainland Norway, Svalbard is dominated by the spectacular scenery of glaciers, tundra, mountains and untouched arctic wilderness and offers visitors a rare opportunity to see polar bears in their natural habitat. Hurtigruten offers a number of fantastic cruises through this polar archipelago, showcasing the polar wildlife found within.
Iglu Cruise offers a nine-night fly cruise onboard Hurtigruten’s MS Fram from just £4,999pp (full board on cruise) flying from the UK on 19 June 2019. This trip includes stop offs in North West Spitsbergen National Park, Kongsfjorden and Ny-Alesund, Magdalenefjorden, Liefdefjorden and/or Woodfjorden, Monaco Glacier, Eastern Svalbard Nature Reserves, Sorgfjorden, Hinlopen Strait, Edgeoya and Isfjorden as well as an overnight hotel stay in Longyearbyen. London flights via Oslo to Longyearbyen and transfers are also included. Full details here
Experience the Galapagos
Famous for its status as a “living laboratory” and the place that inspired Charles Darwin’s famous work on natural selection, the Galapagos Islands are located more than 620 miles from the South American mainland. The Galapagos Islands are comprised of a series of volcanic islands and are home to a number of species found nowhere else on earth including the rare blue-footed booby bird, flightless cormorants and giant tortoises. The archipelago is a world apart from anywhere else on Earth and is one of the most exciting destinations on the planet for wildlife enthusiasts.
Iglu Cruise offers a 12 night fly cruise onboard Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Flora from £9,499pp (full board) flying from the UK on 10 January 2020. This trip includes 4 nights in Quito, return flights, all overseas transfers, free digital camera, and stop offs in Baltra, Daphne Island, Egas Port, Rabida Island, Elizabeth Bay, Tagus Cove, Bahia Sullivan, Bartolome, Las Baches, North Seymour Island, Puerto Baquerizo, Punta Pitt and Puerto Ayora. Full details here
Tick whale watching off your bucket
For those who have always dreamed of whale watching, the Californian coast offers some of the world’s best. Visitors who embark on a cruise through these waters have a chance of spotting humpbacks, grays, orcas and blue whales, as well as other cetaceans including dolphins, porpoises, sealions and otters. From sun-kissed beaches to the Golden Gate bridge, the Golden State offers a wealth of wildlife opportunities coupled with cosmopolitan cities and stunning scenery.
Iglu Cruise offers an 11-night cruise and stay onboard Princess Cruises’ Ruby Princess from £1,399pp (full board on cruise) flying from the UK on 7 November 2018. This trip includes a 3-night stay in a 4* hotel in Los Angeles and stop offs in San Francisco, Monterey, San Diego and Ensenada as well as return UK flights, private oversees transfers and a whale watching tour from Newport Beach. Full details here
Explore the Amazon in style
Spanning an area twice the size of India, the Amazon is the single largest remaining tropical rainforest in the world housing more than 10% of the world’s known biodiversity. Its towering canopies, elusive wildlife and fascinating flora has sparked human wanderlust for years and offers visitors the chance to appreciate nature in its finest form. Cunard offers an epic 78-night cruise to South America and the Amazon, which allows guests the chance to explore one of the world’s most important habitats.
Iglu Cruise offers a 78-night cruise onboard Cunard’s Queen Victoria from £8,580pp (full board on cruise) sailing from Southampton on 10 January 2020. This trip includes stop offs in Hamilton, Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, Bridgetown, Manaus, Santarem, Salvador, Montevideo, Santiago, Lima, Panama City and Cartagena as well as on the Amazon River. Full details here.
Iglu Cruise (www.iglucruise.com; 0203 733 5557)
