If your vacation dreams are populated by lions, tigers or even sea turtles, take inspiration from these 5 destinations.
animal rescue
The Enkosini Wildlife Reserve has been organizing rescues at animal sanctuaries in southern Africa for nearly a decade. For one to twelve weeks, help rehabilitate orphaned cheetahs in Namibia or study great white sharks in Gansbaai, South Africa.
whale watching
Research expeditions are the perfect opportunity for wildlife conservation activities and to see a bit of the ocean, says Stephanie Ocko, travel columnist. Oceania Project , in Australia, offers to track and observe humpback whales. The week-long expedition takes place off Frasier Island National Park.
jurassic park
Each summer, Earthwatch Institute hosts tours to the Arlington Archosaur Site , Texas. There, you will unearth and identify the remains of prehistoric creatures from the Cretaceous period, approximately 100 million years ago.
Meet the pandas
Cleaning cages might not be noble, but it’s worth it if you can get close to giant pandas. During a two-week stay in Xi’an, China, volunteers recruited by Real Gap Experience work with panda keepers to feed and care for them, helping to save the species. 5
coast guard
Sea turtle watching is a popular tourist activity in Mexico, but Projects Abroad goes further by helping to protect the endangered Olive Ridley. Accompanied by local experts, volunteers criss-cross the coast of Colima in search of often poached turtle eggs, which are kept in a camp until they hatch.
