How To Visit Planet Earth's Stunning Spots
See the rarest living species on the planet
If you've ever dreamed of seeing Africa's Great Migration or walking beside Antarctic penguins, then Planet Earth II, David Attenborough's second installment of his famed BBC Earth series, is probably already on your Amazon Video queue. The most-watched nature show in history, Planet Earth II features places so far off the map that they are virtually unnavigable and brimming with rarely glimpsed creatures. That's where some of the world's best travel outfitters come in: to help plan your Planet Earth II dream trip.
① Komodo Dragons and Chinstrap Penguins (Episode 1: "Islands")
Species on remote islands must adapt quickly to survive challenges like food scarcity and extreme conditions, a skill komodo dragons and penguins have mastered. View the giant lizards during a trip to Rinca island in Indonesia with Wildland Adventures. Or travel to Antarctica with Abercrombie and Kent, where you'll walk with penguins on the Falkland Islands; there are 1.5 million penguins on on Zavodovski Island, also home to an active volcano.
② Snow Leopards and Flamingos (Episode 2: "Mountains")
High in the snowcapped ridges of the world's tallest mountain ranges, only the strongest species survive. Live like the show's filmmakers as you track snow leopards in Nepal with Legends of the Wild. Or stay at Awasi Atacama in the Chilean desert to witness the flamingos that thrive at Salar de Talar, a high-altitude salt flat surrounded by volcanoes.
③ Indri Lemurs and Birds-of-Paradise (Episode 3: "Jungles")
Although jungles cover less than 6 percent of the world's surface, they harbor half its plants and animals. Track the rare Indri lemur—the largest lemur in the world—in Madagascar with Intrepid Travel. Or link up with Peregrine Adventures to explore the wildest stretches of Papua New Guinea, home to elusive birds-of-paradise, resplendent winged creatures that live within the rainforest canopy.
④ Zebras and Swamp Lions (Episode 4: "Deserts")
Desert life is a constant battle to find food and water while evading predators. Elevate Destinations' excursion to the NamibRand Nature Reserve in Namibia offers glimpses of the sandgrouse bird, which flies nearly 125 miles a day to collect water for its chicks. Meanwhile, in neighboring Botswana, an Evergreen Escapes tour visits the Makgadikgadi salt pans, where zebras manage to thrive amid hippopotamuses and where lions are always on the prowl for their next meal.
⑤ Caribou and Swamp Lions (Episode 5: "Grasslands")
Covering a quarter of the planet's surface, grasslands are vast and seasonally harsh. At Arctic Haven Wilderness Lodge in the Canadian Barren Lands, you'll get to see one of the most spectacular sights on earth: the biannual migration of a herd of 250,000 Qamanirjuaq caribou. Or link up with Monograms for an expedition to Chief's Island in Botswana's Okavango Delta, where you'll witness survival of the fittest play out between swamp lions and water buffalo from the safety of a canoe or jeep.
⑥ Langurs and Turtles in Episode 6: "Cities"
Cities are the fastest-growing habitats on earth—and they're expected to increase by 30 percent in the next decade alone. Visit Jodhpur, India, with Exodus Travels and watch as Langurs hop from house to house, like little leaf-eating monkeys staking their claim to their surroundings. Or at Turtle Beach Resort in Barbados, watch turtle hatchlings find their way to the sea; the encroaching lights from the city obscure moonlight, which is how the small creatures navigate a path to the water.
Pack your passport—and an appetite—as we hit the world's hottest culinary destinations on and off the grid all month long. Now Boarding: your next trip to paradise.