Unexpected wildlife encounters: from islands to deserts

From thorny desert lizards and ghost cats to rooftop-roaming macaques, our planet is full of weird and wonderful wildlife shaped by the landscapes it calls home. And you don’t need to be on a classic safari to find it. Look to islands, mountains, rainforests, deserts and even cities, and you’ll discover creatures that thrive in some of Earth’s most surprising corners.

Islands

Islands are natural workshops for one-of-a-kind wildlife. With the sea acting as a boundary, species evolve in isolation, often becoming beautifully specialised and unlike anything found elsewhere. In the Maldives, the wildlife spectacle often begins just offshore. Slip on a snorkel and the reef opens up: triggerfish guarding coral patches, blacktip reef sharks cruising the shallows and manta rays gliding through the blue like underwater kites. Around South Ari Atoll, where whale sharks are famously sighted year-round, the bona fide goosebump moment comes when one of these gentle giants materialises beneath the surface.

Back on land, look out for fruit bats flapping over the palms, ghost crabs skittering across the sand and herons stalking the shallows like tiny, feathered dinosaurs. Come for the overwater villas and glass-clear lagoons, but keep your mask and binoculars close.

Other island wildlife stars:

Sri Lanka: slender lorises, purple-faced langurs, fishing cats, peacocks and leopards, especially on a trip that combines beach time with wildlife-rich national parks such as Yala or Wilpattu.

Galápagos Islands: marine iguanas, blue-footed boobies, giant tortoises, sea lions and flightless cormorants – the classic example of island evolution at its most imaginative.

Komodo Islands: Komodo dragons, flying foxes, reef sharks, sea turtles and kaleidoscopic reef life, where rugged islands meet one of the world’s richest marine environments.

The Azores: sperm whales, dolphins, Cory’s shearwaters, volcanic seascapes and rich Atlantic marine life, bringing serious wildlife appeal to a European island escape.

Mountains

Mountains are not empty, quiet places. They are home to animals with thick coats, sure feet and a talent for disappearing.

In Nepal, the Himalaya lifts wildlife watching into thin, bright air. A snow leopard is the prize sighting: a smoke-grey cat patterned like rock and shadow, earning its “ghost cat” nickname with camouflage so perfect it can vanish while you are looking straight at it. Lower in the forests, red pandas move through mossy branches with chestnut fur, ringed tails and neat, cat-like steps. Sightings are never guaranteed, which is part of the magic.

For mountain majesty, the Canadian Rockies are hard to beat. This is classic wilderness: bear country, elk country, moose country – big wildlife moving through big landscapes. Even the smaller sightings have presence here: a bald eagle cutting over a river, a marmot whistling from a rock pile, mountain goats picking their way across cliff faces with ridiculous confidence. Base yourself in Jasper National Park, where forest, lakes and valley roads put you close to some of the Rockies’ best wildlife viewing. Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge brings the full mountain-lodge feeling, set in 700 acres on the shores of Lac Beauvert.

Other mountain wildlife stars:

Rwanda: mountain gorillas, golden monkeys, forest elephants and vivid birdlife. Head for Volcanoes National Park, where gorilla trekking brings you deep into the country’s volcanic highlands.

Japan: Japanese macaques, serows, sika deer and red-crowned cranes, from snowy hot-spring valleys to forested mountain trails and alpine national parks.

Bhutan: takins, golden langurs, black-necked cranes, Himalayan monals and elusive snow leopards, with wildlife woven into misty valleys, forested slopes and high mountain passes.

Peru: spectacled bears, Andean condors, viscachas and vicuñas, where cloud forest and high-altitude plains add a wild edge to a Machu Picchu or Sacred Valley journey.

Rainforest

Rainforests are where the world turns up the volume. Leaves drip. Frogs chirp. Something is always rustling, clicking, whooping or whistling from the green. In Malaysian Borneo, the bucket-list sighting is usually the orangutan: a flash of russet fur high in the canopy, long arms moving with slow, deliberate grace. But the Danum Valley rewards the curious long after that first great ape encounter. Proboscis monkeys gather near the rivers, all pot bellies, long noses and excellent comic timing. Hornbills flap overhead with heavy, whooshing wingbeats. After dark, flying squirrels launch themselves between trees, civets slip along branches, stick insects pose as twigs and thumbnail-sized frogs call from the leaves. This is the rainforest at its richest: hot, humid, noisy and alive at every level. Stay at Borneo Rainforest Lodge for guided walks, canopy trails and night drives.

Other rainforest wildlife stars:

Costa Rica: sloths, caimans, howler monkeys, toucans, hummingbirds, tree frogs and resplendent quetzals. Head to Tortuguero, Monteverde and Arenal for spectacular rainforest wildlife without straying too far from comfort.

Thailand: gibbons, civets, flying lizards, Asian elephants, dusky leaf monkeys and colourful birdlife. Stay in Khao Sok National Park for rainforest trails, limestone cliffs and lake lodges surrounded by jungle.

Andaman Islands: saltwater crocodiles, kingfishers and butterflies. Rainforest grows close to mangroves and coral-fringed beaches across this far-flung Indian archipelago.

Dominica: hummingbirds, agoutis, endangered mountain chickens (giant frogs) and rare parrots. Rainforest, volcanic peaks, waterfalls and coral reefs make this one of the Caribbean’s wildest islands.

Desert

Desert wildlife is built for extremes: heat, distance and the daily search for water. In Namibia, elephants move through dry riverbeds, using memory and smell to locate hidden sources. Oryx stand pale and still in the heat shimmer, while giraffes pick their way between thorn trees with improbable grace. Then there are the lions. In the northern Namib and along the Skeleton Coast, these wide-ranging predators cross gravel plains, dunes and dry valleys in pursuit of prey. Our Essential Namibia Self Drive threads together some of the country’s most dramatic habitats, from Sossusvlei’s rust-red dunes and Swakopmund to Damaraland, Etosha and Okonjima, where desert, savannah and big-cat country meet.

Other desert wildlife stars:

Australia: red kangaroos, thorny devils, bilbies, emus, perenties and wedge-tailed eagles, with the Red Centre proving that desert wildlife can be small, strange and brilliantly engineered.

Morocco: fennec foxes, dromedaries, lizards, snakes, Barbary ground squirrels and migratory birds, with the Sahara and Atlas fringes adding wild moments to a culture-rich journey.

Oman: Arabian oryx, mountain gazelles, Nubian ibex, desert foxes, sea turtles and dolphins, where dunes, wadis, mountains and coast create a surprisingly varied wildlife escape.

Arizona & Utah: desert bighorn sheep, great horned owls,  roadrunners, coyotes, jackrabbits and kangaroo rats. From cactus-studded desert to red rock canyons, this is a classic road-trip route with plenty of wildlife in the margins.

Cities

Wildlife does not always wait at the end of a long dirt road. Sometimes it learns the traffic, raids the fruit stalls and takes to the rooftops. In Jaipur, rhesus macaques move through the Pink City like seasoned locals: leaping between balconies, gathering around temple walls and watching the markets with sharp, opportunistic eyes. At Galtaji Temple, they clamber over sun-warmed stone and gather around sacred pools. It's not wilderness in the classic sense, but that is exactly the point. These animals have adapted to the rhythm of urban life, turning rooftops, shrines, beaches and riverbanks into their own version of habitat.

Other city wildlife stars:

Nairobi: giraffes, rhinos, lions, zebras and birdlife, with Nairobi National Park bringing wildlife drama to the edge of the city skyline.

Singapore: smooth-coated otters, hornbills, monitor lizards, butterflies and wild boar, with parks, wetlands and pockets of rainforest threaded through the city.

Vancouver: harbour seals, bald eagles, raccoons, herons and seasonal whales, where city streets sit close to forest, ocean and mountain habitat.

Cape Town: African penguins at Boulders Beach, whales offshore in season, dassies on Table Mountain and seabirds along the peninsula, all within easy reach of the urban hub.

The information is correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication.