Global Safari Alternatives

For most people, the word ‘safari’ conjures up images of Kenya’s golden savannah or the waterways of Botswana. But extraordinary wildlife experiences definitely aren’t confined to a single continent and safari destinations outside Africa offer encounters that are equally as deserving of the prime time spot in a Nat Geo documentary.

At Timbuktu, we believe the very best adventures happen when you go beyond the expected. So, pack your sense of wonder and prepare to discover worldwide wildlife encounters that rival anything and everything that the African bush has to offer.

India

It might surprise you as a wildlife destination, but spend a few days rumbling through Ranthambore’s grasslands, and you’ll understand why a tiger safari in India ranks among the world’s most thrilling wildlife encounters.

Ranthambore National Park offers some of India’s most iconic tiger spotting. The striped cats can often be found lounging in ancient temple ruins, creating unbelievably cinematic scenes, or ambling on the leaf-strewn banks of the rivers. The famous residents have also become personalities in their own right, each with distinct hunting patterns and territorial behaviours that local guides know intimately.

In Madhya Pradesh – India’s tiger capital – parks like Bandhavgarh and Kanha offer some of the highest big cat densities on the planet. Bandhavgarh’s rocky terrain is the perfect habitat for elusive leopard habitat, whilst over in Kanha’s rolling meadows and sal forests – the inspiration for Kipling’s Jungle Book – watching tigers emerge from the morning mist is really quite magical.

But India’s cast of big cats doesn’t end there. High in the Himalayas, snow leopards patrol the mountain kingdom with grace and incredible camouflage. Ladakh and Spiti Valley offer the best chances of encountering these elusive mountain cats on foot, and watching them bound across rocky terrain that would challenge even the most experienced mountaineer, is awe-inspiring.

Antarctica

At the very bottom of the Earth lies a continent so pristine, so utterly removed from everyday life, that simply getting there feels like an achievement. And Antarctica isn’t just a destination – it promises front-row seats to the planet’s most dramatic wildlife theatre.

In the Weddell Sea, colonies of Emperor penguins endure staggeringly cold temperatures, huddling together in a true display of survival. The tuxedo-clad birds stand at nearly four feet tall and seeing them in person is almost as if you are in dream!

Venture to the South Shetland Islands and you’ll discover Antarctica’s bustling neighbourhood. Gentoo penguins waddle about with comical, flapping urgency, while Adelie and chinstrap penguins create a cacophony that echoes across for miles the ice. Add to that the humpback whales that break through the frigid waters beside your bobbing Zodiac boat for a breath of fresh air, and the Weddell seals lounging on ice floes like they own the place and the wildlife experience is take-your-breath-away good.

Then there’s South Georgia where 100,000 king penguins gather in a single colony, creating a living carpet of orange, black and white. Antarctic fur seals add to the chaos during breeding season and the beaches become a noisy, energetic playground of action.

Brazil

Brazil is one of the best safari destinations outside Africa, hands down. The vast Pantanal wetland hosts the highest concentration of jaguars on the planet and you’ll often find them lounging on the grassy riverbanks, swimming between islands, and hunting caimans with ease. Giant river otters add a playful element to the waterways, while hyacinth macaws – the world’s largest parrots – flash their electric blue feathers through the sky. Toco toucans show off their banana bills, lofty jabiru storks survey their watery kingdom, and capybaras gather in family groups that can number in the dozens.

And it’s not just about finding these magnificent creatures, but how you find them. The Pantanal offers adventures of every kind, from traditional boat safaris with silent electric motors to the ultimate gaucho experience: horseback riding across flooded grasslands on hardy Pantaneiro horses, as comfortable in water as they are on land. Walking safaris reveal smaller dramas – poison dart frogs hiding in bromeliads and armies of leaf-cutter ants – while night drives unveil ocelots prowling stealthily and the occasional ghostly puma appearance in the headlights.

Costa Rica

Delivering one of the best global safaris, Costa Rica proves that good things really do come in small packages. On the Tortuguero coastline, leatherback, hawksbill, and green sea turtles arrive to nest in numbers that turn the beach into a bustling maternity ward, while over in Monteverde’s cloud forests, resplendent quetzals flash their iridescent green feathers and the distinctive calls of three-wattled bellbirds ring out over the canopies. Take a wander along the miles-long hanging bridges and you’ll be able to see these incredible creatures up-close.

Indonesia

On Komodo Island, the world’s largest lizards explore their domain with ancient authority. Being in the presence of these three-metre-long predators while trekking across the island makes you feel like you’ve stumbled across a scene in Jurassic Park.

In Borneo’s Tanjung Puting National Park, orangutans swing through the canopy with amazing dexterity. These red-haired philosophers of the forest have mastered the art of tool use, and watching a mother teach her offspring which fruits are ripe enough to eat feels like eavesdropping on one of nature’s most intimate moments. aboard offer the perfect vantage point for spotting the apes. One of our favourite ways to see them is aboard a traditional klotok boat on a multi-day river cruise.

But perhaps Indonesia’s most magical moments happen underwater in Raja Ampat, where manta rays glide gracefully by. These gentle giants glide through all-natural ‘cleaning stations’, while whale sharks cruise past, utterly unbothered by the smaller fish that accompany them.

Argentina

Argentina’s Península Valdés transforms into a marine wildlife spectacular when the southern right whales arrive for their annual courtship rituals. These giant mammals breach and splash with unbelievable energy, while elephant seals add their own drama to the coastline, with massive bulls engaging in territorial disputes. Enjoy the best sightings on coastal drives and whale-watching excursions from Puerto Pirámides.

The Iberá Wetlands, where jaguars have been reintroduced after decades of absence, are one of conservation’s greatest success stories. This vast marshland – Argentina’s answer to the Pantanal – now hosts a growing population of the magnificent cats, along with giant river otters that play in the lagoons like oversized, whiskered puppies. Completing the experience are the howler monkeys that announce each dawn with calls that carry for miles across the wetlands and the marsh deer that wade through shallow waters.

Horseback rides amidst this epic wilderness are truly a thrill, as are kayak and boat trips. The wetlands’ network of floating islands and secret channels creates a maze of waterways where caimans lurk and capybaras – the world’s largest rodents – graze peacefully along the banks and exploring from atop your stead or as you skim along the surface is magical.

Ecuador

The Galápagos Islands need little introduction. This is where Darwin had his lightbulb moment, and truly, it’s easy to see why. Witness marine iguanas that dive for seaweed, giant tortoises who lumber around like living boulders, and blue-footed boobies performing their elaborate mating dances. Each island in the archipelago is a window into a different era of evolution, promising one of the finest wildlife holidays worldwide. Island-hopping by yacht allows intimate encounters with the varied wildlife, while snorkelling excursions reveal underwater worlds where sea lions playfully spiral around their masked visitors.

On mainland Ecuador, the cloud forests hide spectacled bears – South America’s only bear species – while cock-of-the-rock birds put on flamboyant mating displays. And in Yasuní National Park, the Amazon reveals its most colourful secrets: poison dart frogs, razor-eyed harpy eagles and much, much more.

Sri Lanka

Don’t let Sri Lanka’s modest size fool you – this teardrop island punches well above its weight in the wildlife stakes. Minneriya National Park hosts the largest elephant gathering on Earth, where hundreds of pachyderms converge around ancient reservoirs in a display that’s been happening for centuries.

Yala National Park has earned its reputation as the leopard capital of the world, and for good reason. On game drives, the spotted cats can be seen in incredible numbers, often draping themselves across tree branches or atop rocky outlets. Meanwhile, off the coast of Mirissa in the south of the country, blue whales – the largest animals ever to grace our planet – surface with a majesty that makes you feel wonderfully insignificant.

Peru

Peru’s Manu National Park holds the impressive title of having the highest biodiversity per square kilometre on Earth – and this includes giant river otters that frolic in oxbow lakes and harpy eagles that patrol the canopy with authority. Multi-day river expeditions and jungle treks with expert naturalist guides unlock the pristine wilderness.

In Colca Canyon, Andean condors ride thermals with wings that span over three metres, soaring above dreamy and dramatic landscapes. These magnificent birds have mastered the art of effortless flight, gliding for hours without a single wingbeat.

Cambodia

Often overlooked in favour of its more famous neighbours, Cambodia’s Cardamom Mountains hide some of Southeast Asia’s most elusive wildlife. Asian elephants roam the forests alongside pileated gibbons whose morning calls echo every morning like nature’s alarm clock. In the Mekong, Irrawaddy dolphins surface alongside boats with shy curiosity – these rare freshwater cetaceans are living proof that nature still has secrets to reveal.

Chile

Chile’s Torres del Paine offers some of the world’s greatest puma encounters. The golden cats have learned that Patagonia’s rocky outcrops make perfect hunting perches and treks, led by expert guides, offer photo opportunities that border on the miraculous.

From Antarctica’s penguin cities to Sri Lanka’s hidden elephant gatherings, this collection of safari destinations outside Africa prove that the most extraordinary wildlife encounters often happen in the most unexpected places. Showcasing nature’s incredible diversity across the continents, this is your chance to embark on one of the best global safaris beyond the traditional (and wonderful!) African experience.