In your WILDEST DREAMS

Listen to a lion’s roar rumble across the savannah. Watch bears swipe right for salmon in the river rapids. See sloths inch their way through jungle treetops. It’s time to channel your inner David Attenborough and take a walk (or a game drive, boat ride, zip-line or scuba dive) on the wild side.

Responsible wildlife viewing is essential for us at Kuoni. Each of the hotels we feature has signed up to our Responsible Promise and we work closely with conservation and community-based wildlife programmes around the world.

On safari in Africa: the best wildlife viewing on the planet

There’s a big warning that comes with a safari honeymoon: the wildlife is so extraordinary, you’ll probably pay more attention to the animals than each other.

Maybe you’ll bump into a leopard slinking through the grass at dawn, spot a new-born giraffe finding its legs as it gallops across the plains, or see lions roaming the runway as your tiny plane comes in to land. This is their world and we’re just visitors.

On a Kuoni safari, it’s about minimum people, maximum wildlife. Think hideaway camps, exclusive Jeep rides out on the rolling plains and romantic experiences – like soaring above the sun-blazed savannah to scout out cheetahs and rhinos from a hot-air balloon, then landing in the middle of the bush where, out of nowhere, a Champagne breakfast appears.

How about a sleep-out in a luxury treehouse under a blanket of stars at Lion Sands Game Reserve , or watching wildebeest, zebras and giraffes from the bubbles of your private hot tub at Serengeti Bushtops? And let’s address the elephant in the room. At secluded Little Governors’ – a boutique bush camp with an astounding big cat location and our top pick for honeymooners in the Maasai Mara – Blossom the elephant often drops in for breakfast.

‘Interact with these gentle beasts as you walk through the jungle by their side, learn more about their behaviour and biology’.

A sleepover with elephants in Thailand’s jungle

Imagine glamping at a luxury resort in the jungle and waking up to magical views of three different countries, the Mekong River… and elephants watching over you. Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp & Resort takes the bucket-list entry of ‘time with elephants in Thailand’ and turns up the dial. ‘Anantara’s conservation camp is home to more than 20 rescued orphaned and abandoned elephants and the mahouts who take care of them’. At this immersive once-in-a-lifetime retreat, which sits surrounded by haze-shrouded jungle in Northern Thailand with views across to Laos and Myanmar, you can come face to trunk with elephants in their natural habitat and watch the roaming herds from dawn ’til dusk from your very own ‘jungle bubble’: a raised dome room furnished with a comfy king-size bed.

Anantara’s conservation camp is home to more than 20 rescued orphaned and abandoned elephants and the mahouts who take care of them. During a stay here you can interact with these gentle beasts as you walk through the jungle by their side, learn more about ➤ their behaviour and biology, and find out about important conservation work carried out by the camp’s on-site experts.

Adventure activities and colourful creatures in Costa Rica

You’re guaranteed some action on a Costa Rica honeymoon. This is a country of adventure activities, where you can cruise jungle waterways, go white-water rafting, hike to tumbling waterfalls and zip-line through the rainforest canopy. In its lush interior, mist clings to the treetops and all sorts of unique wildlife – macaws, hummingbirds, sloths and bright-billed toucans – flit (or in the sloth’s case, inch) through the jungle.

‘Before you leave, hit the beach and relax on stunning white sands with just sun-bathing iguanas and capuchin monkeys for company’. The ethereal cloud forest of Monteverde is a special place to tiptoe over hanging bridges and listen to a soundtrack of birdsong and jungle calls. Stay amidst it all at Senda Monteverde . This dreamy mountain lodge feels super remote, but just 15 minutes away in Monteverde Town you’ll find great little coffee shops and craft beer houses. A few hours north at the base of the Arenal volcano, adultsonly boutique hotel Nayara Springs is also surrounded by tropical wildlife. Extra reasons to come here include the flavour-rich Relais & Châteaux fine-dining and zen villas with springheated pools.

Before you leave, hit the beach and relax on stunning white sands with just sun-bathing iguanas and capuchin monkeys for company. Pure bliss — or as the Costa Ricans prefer: pura vida. If you haven’t heard this phrase (literally ‘pure life’) before, you’ll never forget it after travelling around this captivating country.

Spot grizzly bears from a floating lodge in Canada

In British Columbia, nearly everything comes with a vivid twist of nature, an epic backdrop or inviting waters. Deep in the Great Bear Rainforest, Knight Inlet Lodge has all three with bells on. You can only reach this indigenous-owned floating lodge by floatplane, and it’s where adventurers come to explore the great outdoors, embrace a nomadic existence for a few days and enjoy the very best wild bear-spotting opportunities.

‘Keep your eyes peeled at all times: it’s not unusual to get a bear sighting through the windows of the guestrooms’.

Bear-viewing tours are led by expert guides who know the area inside out and can help increase your chances of seeing a grizzly on its own turf. Take a tracking tour to look out for bear signs and follow in their footprints, or drift quietly through the calm waters in a sea kayak to spot bears foraging along the shore. Keep your eyes peeled at all times: it’s not unusual to get a bear sighting through the windows of the guestrooms. If you’re planning an autumn honeymoon you’ve got an added reason to come. This is when you can head up to special viewing perches to see the bears swiping for salmon in nearby rivers.

Safari (but not as you know it) in Botswana

What’s so special about Botswana that it deserves a separate safari mention? With mokoro trips in the delta, sunset cruises along the river and lodges so remote you must fly in a small plane to reach them, this is safari but not as you know it.

‘Chobe National Park, lions roam the plains and huge herds of elephants wade through the Chobe River’.

In the Okavango Delta, touch down at an intimate island camp like Camp Okavango, where guests often hear hippos grazing beneath their suite. Drift through the winding waterways in a traditional mokoro canoe, navigating past hippos and crocodiles, and go on guided walking safaris on a nearby island. If you’re still feeling daring, choose to sleep under the stars at the lodge’s sleep-out deck.

A scenic flight away in the Moremi Game Reserve, the big draw is endangered wild dogs (also look out for rare species such as the swamp-dwelling sitatunga antelope and the redcoated lechwe), while over in Chobe National Park, lions roam the plains and huge herds of elephants wade through the Chobe River.

In Chobe, you’re close to one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. Victoria Falls is quite possibly the world’s most beautiful waterfall, where waters crash down into the gorge far below and billowing clouds of mist can be seen from more than 10 miles away. It’s an easy hop across the Botswana/Zimbabwe border for a romantic rainbow-filled end to your honeymoon – stay at Ilala Lodge to dine under the stars and see the spray from your terrace. Go down under in Australia’s remarkable reefs

Australia is a wildlife heavyweight. Its native species reads like an A to Z (OK, B to W) of amazing animals: hop around the country and you’ll spot everything from bilbies and dingoes to kangaroos, koalas, quokkas, wallabies and wombats.

The reef’s most northern resort, Lizard Island featured in the landmark TV series, Great Barrier Reef with David Attenborough and its world-leading research station will give you a behind-the-scenes insight into coral reef research and education. ➤

‘Tucked among the sand dunes in Cape Range National Park, remote Sal Salis has got to be Australia’s best glamping experience’. But that’s just scratching the surface. How about seeing one of the seven natural wonders of the world on your honeymoon and snorkelling the Great Barrier Reef? This giant coral reef system has a mind-boggling chain of nearly 3000 reefs and 900 rainforest-clad islands – its showstopping swirls are visible from space. And it hosts a staggering amount of marine life including reef sharks, green sea turtles, dugongs, rays and humpback whales.

The reef’s most northern resort, Lizard Island featured in the landmark TV series, Great Barrier Reef with David Attenborough and its world-leading research station will give you a behind-the-scenes insight into coral reef research and education. On this private island, the 24 powdery beaches, lagoon and 1000 acres of national park are all just for you and your fellow guests. You can also visit the Great Barrier Reef from The Whitsundays, Australia’s white-sand answer to paradise, where a stay at adults-only qualia on Hamilton Island gives you top-level luxury and privacy.

‘It’s not often that you find a sweet spot like this, where you can bask on beautiful soft sands with the Ningaloo Reef just paddling distance away’.

Over in Western Australia, the Coral Coast is peppered with pristine beaches that have somehow slipped under the tourist radar. This is the home of the Great Barrier Reef’s rival: Ningaloo Reef. Fewer people have heard of it, but as a World Heritage Listed fringing reef (one that grows near the coastline), its marine life is even more accessible than the Great Barrier’s, so you can glide straight into the watery world of turtles, manta rays, humpback whales and whale sharks.

Tucked among the sand dunes in Cape Range National Park, remote Sal Salis has got to be Australia’s best glamping experience. It’s not often that you find a sweet spot like this, where you can bask on beautiful soft sands with the Ningaloo Reef just paddling distance away, spot kangaroos and rock wallabies along wilderness trails, see eagles soar overhead, watch humpbacks offshore, and snorkel with tropical fish and turtles from the beach. All of this comes with the smallest footprint – Sal Salis is serious about sustainability.

For the ultimate wildlife experience, swim with those gentle giants, the whale sharks. Whale shark season is March to August, so this is the perfect bucket-lister if you’re having a spring or summer wedding.

Spectacular snorkelling and scuba diving in the Maldives

Dip below the waves to spot extraordinary sea creatures like hammerheads, guitar sharks, manta rays and zebra morays. In the Maldives, top dive sites are scattered all around the warm clear waters and most resorts are circled by their own rainbow-coloured reef. A morning snorkel straight from the beach to find Nemo, reef sharks and turtles is the best way to work up an appetite for those amazing breakfast spreads.

Sandies Bathala is a resort that’s big on scuba diving. It sits in the North Ari Atoll, where dive sites include famous Fish Head – a protected spot that attracts huge schools of fish, eagle rays and turtles – and Maaya Thila, known for its deep pinnacles and excellent night diving. At Bathala you can also have a go on a scuba scooter for a super-fun and easy way to explore the underwater world.

We can help you plan where to go (and when) to spot the animals you want to see. We can also recommend how long to spend in each place, where to stay and how to get around. Make an appointment in-store and we’ll take all the stress out of creating your dream wildlife-watching honeymoon.

‘The island runs its own whale shark safaris, giving you the unforgettable chance to swim and snorkel alongside these gentle giants in the open ocean’.

For whale sharks, you really want the South Ari Atoll, where sightings are excellent all-yearlong. Stay at small and romantic Outrigger Maldives Maafushivaru Resort . The island runs its own whale shark safaris, giving you the unforgettable chance to swim and snorkel alongside these gentle giants in the open ocean. We guarantee you’ll have a whale of a time (even though the whale shark is actually a fish). n

TOP WILDLIFEWATCHING HONEYMOONS:

Africa safari

Northern Thailand

Costa Rica

British Columbia, Canada

Australia

The Maldives