Natural World Safaris

A spectacular journey that combines three contrasting locations within Borneo, staying in a selection of boutique accommodation in prime wildlife areas. Being a customised trip, Natural World Safaris will tailor the journey to meet and exceed your expectations. Everything from trip duration, budget, activity level and preference will be taken into account. Optimum months of travel are from March to October, with an average trip duration of 9-days.

Experience the up-close feedings of orangutans at Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre, as well as the pristine dense jungles in search of encounters with orangutans. Traverse the winding waterways of the Kinabatangan River on the lookout for the elusive pygmy elephants, and cross mud volcanoes to admire the extensive flora and fauna that call this equatorial paradise home. Your final stop will be a few days on the unspoilt Gaya Island where you can marvel at the coral gardens in the Tunku Rahman Marine Park on snorkelling and scuba diving excursions.

Borneo stands as a testament to the Earth's unrivalled biodiversity, with its steamy rainforests and diverse wildlife making it a must-see destination for nature enthusiasts. The rainforests of Borneo are known for their wide range of inhabitants, beyond the iconic orangutans and the elusive pygmy elephants are the enigmatic proboscis monkeys swinging through the lush canopy, and the clouded leopards that prowl its depths. This journey is an unparalleled opportunity to witness the vibrant tapestry of life in some of the world's oldest jungles.

In the words of Sir David Attenborough, 'Borneo - the world’s third largest island - is one of its richest treasure-houses, full of an immense variety of wild animals and plants, all living in a magnificent tropical forest.'

Package Information: A 9-day tailor-made journey to Borneo such as this would include all accommodation, meals, airport transfers, domestic flights, national park fees and shared game viewing experiences in the company of expert guides.

Price: from SGD14,920 per person (based on two people sharing) exclusive of international airfare. Access would be to Sandakan via Kota Kinabalu, a total flying time from Singapore of under 3-hours.

Unlike many other African safari destinations, Botswana pursues a low-volume and low-impact tourism model with almost 30% of the country’s land protected in the form of National Parks and Reserves and Wildlife Management Areas. Botswana’s commitment to wildlife and land conservation results in a truly unique experience with diverse ecosystems, luxurious lodging, expert guides and, of course, world-class game-viewing.

Natural World Safaris will tailor a trip to Botswana that matches your wishes, including duration, budget, activities and experience. The typical trip duration is 10 days, and while Botswana is a year-round destination, prime travel is from April through October, which tend to be the cooler, drier months.

This safari begins with a few nights at the mighty Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, Botswana’s neighbour. Often referred to as 'the smoke that thunders,' witness the incredible power of this natural wonder and a breathtaking introduction to your Southern Africa adventure that awaits. Crossing into Botswana, your time will be spent in three contrasting locations: the Selinda Concession, renowned for its excellent painted dog population and huge elephant herds; the Okavango Delta, famed for its labyrinth of waterways, islands, and lagoons; and the Makgadikgadi Pans National Park, in the heart of the vast Kalahari Desert, next to the largest saltpans in the world. You will be looked after every step of the way, stay in award-winning luxury camps, and enjoy world-class wildlife viewing with expert safari guides.

One of the main highlights of a Botswana safari is the wealth of activities on offer in addition to the traditional day time vehicle-based game drives. These include night drives, walking safaris, boat safaris, and trips in the traditional dugout canoe known as a ‘mokoro.’ The game viewing won’t disappoint with elephants, big cats, painted dogs, hippos, buffalo, monkey, and red lechwe just some of the species that can be seen. The water also makes for impressive birdwatching, so make sure to pack a pair of binoculars.

Package information: A 10-day tailormade journey to Botswana such as this would include all accommodation, meals, most drinks, in-country light aircraft flights, national park and conservation fees, laundry and shared game viewing experiences in the company of expert guides.

Price: from SGD24,900 per person (based on 2 people sharing) exclusive of international airfare. Access would be to into Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe and out of Maun, Botswana; both require a layover in Johannesburg, South Africa, which is a direct 10-hour flight from Singapore.

Being a customised trip, Natural World Safaris will tailor make your journey to meet your every wish, taking in to account preferred duration, budget, and experience. The typical duration is 11-days and the optimum months for travel are October through April, with temperatures rising significantly in the latter months. This time of year is the most well suited for tiger sightings and photography, as the tall grasses recede and the water sources begin to dry up. As specialists in travel to India, Natural World Safaris has ensured a 100% tiger sighting success rate over the last 4-years in each of our India tiger safaris.

India is a soul-stirring and sublime holiday destination. A country full of splendid colour, natural beauty and outstanding wildlife, leaving its mark on all who visit. This safari focuses on the wildlife reserves found in the centre of the country and the animals that inhabit them, primarily the tiger. There is thought to be fewer than 2,500 of these tigers remaining in the wild today.

A tiger is like no other big cat on our planet. You respect it, you admire it, you give it space. It’s golden glare you will not forget. Whilst sadly there are Bengal tigers in captivity than in the wild, India is the premier destination to see them in the wild. A selection of national parks affords you the rare chance to spend time with this majestic cat in its natural environment.

You’ll feel the atmosphere of the jungle change when a tiger is close. The air fills with the sound of animal warnings and you can feel the tension as a majestic tiger enters their territory. Your first glimpse might just be the white flecks of hair on the tiger’s ears as he stalks through long grassland, occasionally catching a flash of bright orange or black. You might be exploring the forest before coming to a clearing of open grassland, finding a tiger basking in the sun before melting into the surrounding forest. Or your trackers may alert you as a tiger languidly pauses for a drink in a shady pool. No matter how it happens, you’ll never forget your first wild encounter with this most majestic of beasts.

You’ll explore three national parks - Tadoba, Pench, and Kanha – which are some of the best wildlife hotspots in India, and immerse yourself in the dense jungles and forests staying in comfortable safari camps and wilderness lodges. You will have the opportunity to experience shared morning and afternoon vehicle-based game drives and guided bush walks looking out for tigers, leopards, wild dogs, sloth bear, deer, and other wildlife.

Package information: An 11-day tailormade journey to Madya Pradesh, India such as this would include all accommodation, meals, airport transfers, domestic flights, national park fees and shared game viewing experiences in the company of expert guides.

Price: from SGD13,300 per person (based on 2 people sharing) exclusive of international airfare. Access would be to in/out of Delhi, a flying time from Singapore of 5.5-hours.

On board an ice-strengthened expedition ship, you’ll be able to navigate the fjords and waterways that thread through the Svalbard Archipelago and push north into the sea ice in search of the bears. Natural World Safaris currently charter one small ship for use in Svalbard’s waters: the 12-passenger M/V Kinfish, operating several small group departures from May through to August. The voyages vary in duration from 9- to 11-days, with trip routes planned according to sea ice levels, dictating where the bears will be.

The Svalbard Archipelago is Europe’s largest wilderness, a fascinating collection of Norwegian islands that are located closer to the North Pole than they are to Oslo.

Polar bears live throughout Svalbard and can be seen at all times of the year, but their exact whereabouts, though determined by sea ice levels, can never be pinpointed with a great degree of accuracy. That isn’t to say that polar bear sightings are infrequent in Svalbard; they outnumber the archipelago’s human population.

Ship-based expeditions in the Svalbard Archipelago offer several benefits to the polar bear enthusiast. Small ships allow for a greater degree of manoeuvrability, allowing the captain to navigate the region’s many waterways in response to sightings, while a close-knit group of passengers and crew can be mobilised for zodiac outings at a moment’s notice. This type of travel enables you to really get to the heart of Svalbard, allowing for greater intimacy with the seagoing mammals that can be spotted while on deck, including blue whales, fur seals, and beluga whales. Sailing close to shore, you’ll also be able to scour the landscape for terrestrial animals, like reindeer and Arctic fox. Svalbard undoubtedly leads the way in the sheer diversity of wildlife that you’ll be able to see in addition to polar bears. Colonies of walrus can be seen lazing in “haul-outs” along the shore, while a bevy of bird species roost along the cliffs that drop into the sea, with your ship the perfect venue for a spot of twitching: here there are guillemots, puffins, auks, terns, gulls, skuas, fulmars and kittiwakes, to name just a few species.

By travelling as part of such a small contingent, you’ll benefit from a much greater guest-to-guide ratio, with two to three Expedition Leaders on board each ship. We work with some of the best guides in the business; experts in the natural world who have spent years working, living, or researching in their chosen destination. From polar researchers to expert naturalists, all our expedition leaders have been carefully selected for their experience, personality, and in-depth wildlife knowledge. In addition, certain departures will be led by a Specialist Leader, drawn from the ranks of the world’s leading naturalists and wildlife photographers.

Package information: Our 10-day small group ship-based journey in Svalbard includes all accommodation aboard the M/V Kinfish, meals, drinks, and wildlife viewing in the company of a team of expert guides and ship crew.

Price: from SGD13,420 per person (based on 2 people sharing) exclusive of international airfare. Access would be to in/out of Longyearbyen, which is accessed from Singapore via a layover in Copenhagen, which is a flying time from Singapore of 13 hours.