Though mankind has impressed itself with cultural attractions and architecture, most of our feats have been dwarfed by the miracles of nature.
However, as our footprint on nature expands, many travellers want to take the opportunity to see these wonders before it is too late. Many argue that we should pursue sustainable travel and leave-no-trace camping to preserve them for future generations.
Places
“ | Whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being evolved. | ” |
—Charles Darwin, On the Origin of Species |
A zoo is a facility where animals are held in more or less artificial enclosures. The level of animal ethics vary a lot between zoos.
A safari park is a large enclosure where animals roam freely, and visitors enter by car or other vehicles.
A game reserve or nature reserve is an open-land area for protection of wild animals, with a leave-no-trace mandate. Animals live naturally, and the park crew usually only interfere with them for research, conservation, or population control.
When watching animals in the wild, patience and keen eyes are key. If an animal isn't moving, you might well walk right by without noticing it, so pay attention. Move quietly. And if you're hoping to see wild animals somewhere that gets more than a very small number of visitors, consider going early in the day, before other people have had a chance to scare the animals away.
Africa
North America
- Canadian national parks
- Costa Rica national parks
- Mexico national parks
- North American wildlife
- United States National Park System
- Dark Sky Parks in the United States
- Protected areas of the United States
Europe
South America
Asia
- Botanical tourism in Singapore
- Cold Winter Deserts of Turan
- Eurasian wildlife
- Indian national parks and wildlife sanctuaries
- Indian zoos and botanical gardens
- Indonesian national parks
- Indonesian zoos and botanical gardens
- Israeli national parks
- Japanese national parks
- Japan's Top 100 Cherry Blossom Spots
- National parks and protected areas of the Philippines
- Wildlife in South and Southeast Asia
Oceania
Wildlife
Natural formations
General
- Astronomy
- Geographical records
- Ice Age traces
- National parks
- Outdoor life
- Paleontology
- Science tourism
- Space
- UNESCO Global Geoparks Network
- UNESCO World Heritage List
- Weather records