Take a magical journey through Nature’s 2024 Marvels Await You. Celebrate the wonders of our planet by exploring a variety of ecosystems and diving into breathtaking landscapes. In the upcoming year, find, explore, and treasure the extraordinary.
Nature’s 2024 Marvels Await You
See the natural world’s spectacles for yourself by visiting locations where wildlife documentaries come to life, such as the Masai Mara during the great migration or Indonesia when looking for ferocious carnivorous lizards.
Alternatively, 2024 might be the perfect year for an amazing Galapagos trip to witness a dizzying array of species in an area that seems to be genuinely the domain of creatures – including the appropriately named Christmas Iguana, whose skin turns red and green around the holidays.
On the other hand, you could look up to witness one of nature’s most magnificent spectacles: either the vivid quetzal display in warm South America, or the ethereal aurora borealis, which is a captivating sight to behold if you visit Iceland during the winter.
Discover the kind of Nature’s 2024 Marvels Await You a wildlife adventure of a lifetime with our experts.
1. Witness the migration in the Masai Mara
One of the most well-known ecosystems on Earth, the 700 square mile grassland known as the Masai Mara is teeming with life. In the undulating savannah, animals such as buffalo, zebra, gazelle, and wildebeest are abundant. Predators, such as lions, hyenas, and cheetahs, are always lurking nearby.
One of the most amazing events on Earth takes place every year between the middle of August and the end of October. Thousands of wildebeest, gazelles, and zebras migrate across the long grass as they return from the Serengeti. You will witness and discover a great deal about the resident wildlife of the Masai Mara during the migration under the direction of wildlife experts.
During the migration season, take a 14-day Kenya & Tanzania Adventure to see the spectacle for yourself. An itinerary designed with great care takes visitors to several national parks surrounding the Great Rift Valley. It concludes with a few nights spent at a hotel by the beach with pure white sands on the spice island of Zanzibar.
2. Spot a festive iguana in the Galapagos Islands
Marine iguanas mate in December and January, when the males’ skin changes to vibrant colors in an attempt to entice a female. Happily, the festive season coincides with the marine iguanas on Española Island in the Galapagos, who go by the nickname “Christmas Iguanas” when they turn red or green.
The pigmentation in the algae that the iguanas eat gives them their colors, and the iguanas on different islands acquire distinct colors. You will be able to witness at least two of the six species of marine iguanas that call the Galapagos Islands home during a full week of expedition cruising. To witness the Christmas variety and the red and black iguanas on Santa Cruz, you will travel to Espanola Island.
Of course, visiting the Galapagos Islands, one of the best places on Earth to see wildlife, offers much more than just the chance to see iguanas in their native environment. While on a Galapagos Voyage, you may see sea lions, lizards, giant tortoises, penguins, and flightless cormorants and pelicans. You can also snorkel beneath the surface of the water to find a vibrant underwater world full of tropical fish, urchins, and sea stars.
3. Come face to face with the largest lizard on earth
With their venom, carnivorous Komodo dragons can reach lengths of ten feet, making them fierce predators. Approximately 2,000 endangered Komodo dragons, as well as wild boar, deer, and buffalo, can be seen on Komodo Island, an island in Indonesia’s Lesser Sunda Islands. You can hike through the island’s breathtaking scenery to see them. During our 14-day Primates & Dragons of Indonesia trip, you will hike through stunning tropically green scenery covered in mangroves and grasses as you track Komodo dragons on the islands of Rinca and Komodo.
You will snorkel the waters in search of enormous Manta rays, some of which have a wingspan of four meters, after traveling across the islands to see Komodo dragons. During your underwater exploration, you might also see clownfish, parrotfish, and sea turtles.
Gunung Leuser Park is home to one of the two remaining habitats for the strong and inquisitive Sumatran orangutans, so you will also have the chance to witness them there.
4. Search out the vibrant quetzal bird
Because of its remarkable plumage and male tail feathers, which can reach a length of one meter, the quetzal bird is regarded as one of the most beautiful in the world today. It was once revered by the ancient Maya and Aztec cultures.
This amazing bird would be the talk of the town in many places, but in Costa Rica it competes with a plethora of other amazing wildlife for first place. You will see a range of Costa Rican environments on our eight-day Natural Highlights of Costa Rica trip, including cloud forests, mangroves, lava fields, and rainforests. You will also be on the lookout for local wildlife, such as Howler monkeys, Scarlet macaws, and three-toed sloths.
5. Admire the Northern Lights
See the captivating after-dark show that occurs when electrically charged particles collide with elements in the upper atmosphere and release light energy when you travel to Iceland during the winter for our Iceland Northern Lights trip. The “northern lights,” also known as the “aurora borealis,” are a sight that is genuinely amazing. They may not look quite as electric-green as you’ll see in pictures, but they are still an incredible sight, especially the first time you see them. You’ll need a clear night to see them.
The days are spent touring Iceland’s south coast and taking in some of the country’s most well-known natural features, such as roaring waterfalls and potent geysers, before spending the night before the trip in Reykjavik.
Check out our selection of wildlife adventures ClubTravelScape for more ideas.
