The alternative Big 5 for families

Travel into the lush jungles of India in search of Bengal tiger. Ranthambore National Park is one of India’s biggest and most famous wildlife parks, home to jackal, sloth bear and the crested hawk eagle as well as the majestic Bengal tiger. Visit between September and May, when it’s dry season and the wildlife can be seen grouping by the park’s lakes to bathe and drink. Our family India holiday Taj, Tigers and Palaces trip also takes in the highlights of the golden triangle, from bustling Deli to the Pink city of Jaipur and of course the Taj Mahal.

See the beautiful brown bear on a family summer adventure in Finland. The long days of July and August make the school summer holidays the perfect time to go to Finland and maximise the chances of coming face to face with brown bears. We’ll visit Arola Farm and look out for wolverine, foxes, elks and owls as well as the European brown bear from a purpose-built log hide. Wildlife viewings can never be guaranteed, but in the last two years all of our family trips here have been lucky enough to see bears.

Watch your children's eyes become wide with wonder when they first set their sights on a monstrous Komodo dragon on our Indonesia's Eastern Islands tour. These prehistoric giant lizards stalk their prey from the shadowy undergrowth of Rinca Island where we hope to spot these deadly creatures in their natural habitat. Keep a lookout for water buffalo, deer and colourful birds including the fluro-pink headdress of the Green Junglefowl and the golden mohican of the rare Yellow-crested Cockatoo. And dive into the crystal-clear sea to explore a vibrant underwater world of coral, exotic fish and turtle. 

There’s something innately charming about the slow, unusual-looking sloth. Our Rainforest Adventure family holiday to Costa Rica is a fantastic trip for young wildlife enthusiasts. Cruise the jungle waterways around Tortuguero National Park, explore Monteverde Cloud Forest and walk the trails of Manuel Antonio National Park. As well as the iconic sloth, you’ll see howley monkey, armadillo, opossoms and parrots.

The ultimate holiday destination for any wildlife lover is of course the Galapagos Islands. This very special archipelago of volcanic islands off Ecuador is home to an abundance and variety of species not seen anywhere else on earth. Swim with turtles and penguins; watch sealions snoozing on the sand, and see the distinctive blue-footed booby diving for food from great heights. The 16-day Ecuador and the Galapagos family holiday combines Santa Cruz, Isabela and Santa Fe or North Seymour Island with colonial Quito, colourful Otavalo market and the ‘Avenue of the Volcanoes’. The trip of a lifetime.