1.Kalahari Desert,Namibia
Some of my most memorable wildlife experiences have happened in deserts, timeless and seemingly featureless places, that can throw up the most extraordinary surprises. The Kalahari is no exception. Small red sand dunes melt into golden grass, peppered with acacia trees and dried-out rivers. In the wet, the desert is transformed – pools of water gather in the riverbeds in the north, and, just occasionally, the rivers start to flow. While filming Walking with Meerkats for the National Geographic Channel in 2001, I was lucky enough to see the Nossob River spring to life for the first time in 30 years. Before there was any sign of water, antelope and elephants began to arrive. How they knew the water was coming, I don't know, but the sight of the river flowing out of the desert towards us was almost biblical. Any meerkats and other burrowing creatures had to escape to higher ground or drown. And in the days that followed lions, hyena and cheetah all began to arrive in search of prey.
2.The Danum Valley,Borneo
Home to the tallest tropical rainforest canopy in the world, Danum Valley is a hot, humid, intense place and one of the last stands of primary rainforest left in Borneo. You can hear the wildlife – the howls of gibbons, the chorus of cicadas, the distant call of a male orangutans. And with patience you will see it – flying squirrels and gliding snakes, the bug-eyed tarsier and a rare bear-like civet called the binturong all live here. It's also a reserve for some incredibly rare and endangered species including the Sumatran rhino and the clouded leopard, which you would truly be lucky to see. For me, seeing an orangutan in the wild for the first time was my most extraordinary moment. We were trying to find a good tree to build a platform in the forest; all of a sudden we heard a violent shaking of branches. About 30ft above, a female orangutan was staring angrily at us, below her hung a tiny baby. Making eye contact with her was a humbling moment, an instant recognition; I was meeting a very, very close relative ... I'll never forget that stare. She, on the other hand, I think was glad to see us walk away.
3.Shark Bay, Western Australia
We have made two films in Western Australia in the last three years, such is the range of marine life there. The first was on the giant whale sharks at Ningaloo Reef but our latest looks at the dolphins of Shark Bay. There are very few places in the world where you can see wild dolphins so easily as in Shark Bay. It is a spectacular marine reserve and a Unesco World Heritage site. Its vast sea grass beds are full of turtles, dugongs, rays and seasnakes and the primordial stromatolites at Hamelin Pool are living descendents of the earliest known plant forms. I spent most of last year based at the Monkey Mia Resort where the dolphins come to the beach almost every day. We got to know all of them and to eavesdrop on their lives was a rare privilege. It's also worth heading off into the bush for a few days. The nearby Francois Peron national park is stunning, and if you're lucky you'll see a group of incredible female dolphins who aquaplane on to the beach to catch their fish. On a calm day you can also see dugongs in the water from one of the cliff-top lookouts. Spend a night camping out under the stars and you get the place completely to yourself.
4.Yellowstone national park, US
Yellowstone is the big, big outdoors with some of the best views you'll get in North America. As famous for its wildlife as its geysers, you can see moose, bison and the great grizzly bear. Wolves have also been successfully re-introduced to the area. Time your visit for the changes in the season which are really dramatic and get off the beaten track on horseback or rafting. I love watching wildlife from the river or on a horse; you get a completely different perspective and the animals tend to ignore you.
5.Queen Elizabeth national park, Uganda
Uganda offers a chance to see some of the best wildlife in East Africa but without the crowds of the Serengeti or other famous safari parks. Queen Elizabeth national park is famed for its beauty. This world biosphere reserve offers a rare mix of altitude forest, spectacular lakes, volcanic craters, savannah and vast papyrus swamps with lagoons and rivers running through them. A quarter of Africa's bird species are found here, and there are tree-climbing lions, elephants, hippos, mongoose, chimpanzees and flamingos to name but a few. We spent more than a month at Mweya Lodge, a lovely place teetering on a hilltop overlooking the Kazinga Channel. From the lodge, we watched elephants and hippos cavorting in the water. The hippos would often wander right past our rooms. From here you can also head into the highlands for a glimpse of mountain gorillas. Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka's mountain gorilla project in Bwindi offers very well-managed gorilla watching trips.
6.West coast of Scotland
7.Al Hajar Mountains, Oman
The Al Hajar Mountains in northern Oman is the only place I've ever felt compelled to return to after a film trip. Its dramatic peaks, sheer cliffs and deep wadis have carved a breathtaking landscape that is lost in time. Al Jebel al Akhdar, the "Green Mountain" is home to remote villages perched high on the mountainside. Water flows from springs into a myriad of channels, which cascade into lush terraced gardens of grapes, pomegranates, apricots and walnuts. The "hanging villages" are like an oasis among the forbidding and arid mountains. We came to the Al Hajar Mountains to film the Arabian tahr, a rare mountain goat which is endemic to the area but you will also see nimble mountain gazelles, sunbirds, Indian rollers, and the endangered lappet-faced vulture soaring overhead.
8.Canaima national park, Venezuela
Canaima national park is a Unesco World Heritage site thanks to its "tepui", or table-top mountains. Spectacular cascades of water fall from these vertical-sided, flat-topped mountains including the Angel Falls (Kerepakupai-Merú to the indigenous people), the highest waterfall in the world. Rising through the clouds, the mountains are said to be the inspiration for The Lost World by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and are home to an incredible diversity of plant and animal life. However, they are not for the faint-hearted. My film trip took us to the tepui along the Orinoco River to film the giant tarantulas – spiders the size of dinner plates which are a delicacy for the local Piaroa Indians, (and yes, they do taste like chicken). Other wildlife includes howler monkeys, giant anteaters and armadillos, parrots, anacondas and jaguars.
9.Bay of Islands, New Zealand
I was only in the Bay of Islands for a few days but it was so memorable; the killer whales, the dolphins and the Tolkien-esque landscape, but mostly the diving at Poor Knights Island. Its volcanic origins have created precipitous cliffs, spectacular drop offs, caves, arches and tunnels, while the converging water currents have resulted in a unique biodiversity. Subtropical and temperate marine life coexist with more than 125 species of fish, soft corals, vibrant anemones, ecklonia kelp forests and mating sting rays, to name a few. It's not hard to see why Jacques Cousteau rated it one of the top 10 dive sites in the world. Its distance from the coast makes it slightly tricky to get to but it's a journey well worth making.
10.South Downs, England
The South Downs is my home so you could say I'm biased but from April 2011 an area of more than 1,600 square kilometres, from Winchester in Hampshire to the chalk cliffs of Eastbourne in East Sussex, will be the new South Downs national park. The South Downs Way is the main trail across the Downs and from open pastures, ancient hill forts and stunning beech woods you could walk almost any stretch and not be disappointed. Up on the open chalk escarpments, the views across the Weald to the north and the sea to the south are a sight to behold, Cycling the South Downs Way is a great way to experience the wildlife. From bluebell woods, to pastures of rare orchids and butterflies there's plenty to see. Red kites and buzzards often circle on the thermals above and in the early evenings you can see barn owls swooping across the fields. Last winter, I was lucky enough to see hares boxing for the first time. Regardless of the seasons, the landscape is always evocative, and no matter which far-flung place I've just returned from it never ceases to amaze me how beautiful it is.
Some of my most memorable wildlife experiences have happened in deserts, timeless and seemingly featureless places, that can throw up the most extraordinary surprises. The Kalahari is no exception. Small red sand dunes melt into golden grass, peppered with acacia trees and dried-out rivers. In the wet, the desert is transformed – pools of water gather in the riverbeds in the north, and, just occasionally, the rivers start to flow. While filming Walking with Meerkats for the National Geographic Channel in 2001, I was lucky enough to see the Nossob River spring to life for the first time in 30 years. Before there was any sign of water, antelope and elephants began to arrive. How they knew the water was coming, I don't know, but the sight of the river flowing out of the desert towards us was almost biblical. Any meerkats and other burrowing creatures had to escape to higher ground or drown. And in the days that followed lions, hyena and cheetah all began to arrive in search of prey.
2.The Danum Valley,Borneo
Home to the tallest tropical rainforest canopy in the world, Danum Valley is a hot, humid, intense place and one of the last stands of primary rainforest left in Borneo. You can hear the wildlife – the howls of gibbons, the chorus of cicadas, the distant call of a male orangutans. And with patience you will see it – flying squirrels and gliding snakes, the bug-eyed tarsier and a rare bear-like civet called the binturong all live here. It's also a reserve for some incredibly rare and endangered species including the Sumatran rhino and the clouded leopard, which you would truly be lucky to see. For me, seeing an orangutan in the wild for the first time was my most extraordinary moment. We were trying to find a good tree to build a platform in the forest; all of a sudden we heard a violent shaking of branches. About 30ft above, a female orangutan was staring angrily at us, below her hung a tiny baby. Making eye contact with her was a humbling moment, an instant recognition; I was meeting a very, very close relative ... I'll never forget that stare. She, on the other hand, I think was glad to see us walk away.
3.Shark Bay, Western Australia
We have made two films in Western Australia in the last three years, such is the range of marine life there. The first was on the giant whale sharks at Ningaloo Reef but our latest looks at the dolphins of Shark Bay. There are very few places in the world where you can see wild dolphins so easily as in Shark Bay. It is a spectacular marine reserve and a Unesco World Heritage site. Its vast sea grass beds are full of turtles, dugongs, rays and seasnakes and the primordial stromatolites at Hamelin Pool are living descendents of the earliest known plant forms. I spent most of last year based at the Monkey Mia Resort where the dolphins come to the beach almost every day. We got to know all of them and to eavesdrop on their lives was a rare privilege. It's also worth heading off into the bush for a few days. The nearby Francois Peron national park is stunning, and if you're lucky you'll see a group of incredible female dolphins who aquaplane on to the beach to catch their fish. On a calm day you can also see dugongs in the water from one of the cliff-top lookouts. Spend a night camping out under the stars and you get the place completely to yourself.
4.Yellowstone national park, US
Yellowstone is the big, big outdoors with some of the best views you'll get in North America. As famous for its wildlife as its geysers, you can see moose, bison and the great grizzly bear. Wolves have also been successfully re-introduced to the area. Time your visit for the changes in the season which are really dramatic and get off the beaten track on horseback or rafting. I love watching wildlife from the river or on a horse; you get a completely different perspective and the animals tend to ignore you.
5.Queen Elizabeth national park, Uganda
Uganda offers a chance to see some of the best wildlife in East Africa but without the crowds of the Serengeti or other famous safari parks. Queen Elizabeth national park is famed for its beauty. This world biosphere reserve offers a rare mix of altitude forest, spectacular lakes, volcanic craters, savannah and vast papyrus swamps with lagoons and rivers running through them. A quarter of Africa's bird species are found here, and there are tree-climbing lions, elephants, hippos, mongoose, chimpanzees and flamingos to name but a few. We spent more than a month at Mweya Lodge, a lovely place teetering on a hilltop overlooking the Kazinga Channel. From the lodge, we watched elephants and hippos cavorting in the water. The hippos would often wander right past our rooms. From here you can also head into the highlands for a glimpse of mountain gorillas. Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka's mountain gorilla project in Bwindi offers very well-managed gorilla watching trips.
6.West coast of Scotland
The west coast of Scotland, and especially the Isle of Mull, is my little bit of heaven. Midges and rain aside, when the sun shines it's unforgettable for its wilderness, its seascapes and some of the biggest seabird colonies in Europe. Spot white-tailed sea and golden eagles as well as basking sharks and seals. It is great for kayaking, but for my next trip I'd love to sail along the coast, between the isles and to St Kilda, a small island and a World Heritage Site. Its precipitous cliffs are the highest in the UK and home to more than half a million breeding seabirds.
7.Al Hajar Mountains, Oman
The Al Hajar Mountains in northern Oman is the only place I've ever felt compelled to return to after a film trip. Its dramatic peaks, sheer cliffs and deep wadis have carved a breathtaking landscape that is lost in time. Al Jebel al Akhdar, the "Green Mountain" is home to remote villages perched high on the mountainside. Water flows from springs into a myriad of channels, which cascade into lush terraced gardens of grapes, pomegranates, apricots and walnuts. The "hanging villages" are like an oasis among the forbidding and arid mountains. We came to the Al Hajar Mountains to film the Arabian tahr, a rare mountain goat which is endemic to the area but you will also see nimble mountain gazelles, sunbirds, Indian rollers, and the endangered lappet-faced vulture soaring overhead.
8.Canaima national park, Venezuela
Canaima national park is a Unesco World Heritage site thanks to its "tepui", or table-top mountains. Spectacular cascades of water fall from these vertical-sided, flat-topped mountains including the Angel Falls (Kerepakupai-Merú to the indigenous people), the highest waterfall in the world. Rising through the clouds, the mountains are said to be the inspiration for The Lost World by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and are home to an incredible diversity of plant and animal life. However, they are not for the faint-hearted. My film trip took us to the tepui along the Orinoco River to film the giant tarantulas – spiders the size of dinner plates which are a delicacy for the local Piaroa Indians, (and yes, they do taste like chicken). Other wildlife includes howler monkeys, giant anteaters and armadillos, parrots, anacondas and jaguars.
9.Bay of Islands, New Zealand
I was only in the Bay of Islands for a few days but it was so memorable; the killer whales, the dolphins and the Tolkien-esque landscape, but mostly the diving at Poor Knights Island. Its volcanic origins have created precipitous cliffs, spectacular drop offs, caves, arches and tunnels, while the converging water currents have resulted in a unique biodiversity. Subtropical and temperate marine life coexist with more than 125 species of fish, soft corals, vibrant anemones, ecklonia kelp forests and mating sting rays, to name a few. It's not hard to see why Jacques Cousteau rated it one of the top 10 dive sites in the world. Its distance from the coast makes it slightly tricky to get to but it's a journey well worth making.
10.South Downs, England
The South Downs is my home so you could say I'm biased but from April 2011 an area of more than 1,600 square kilometres, from Winchester in Hampshire to the chalk cliffs of Eastbourne in East Sussex, will be the new South Downs national park. The South Downs Way is the main trail across the Downs and from open pastures, ancient hill forts and stunning beech woods you could walk almost any stretch and not be disappointed. Up on the open chalk escarpments, the views across the Weald to the north and the sea to the south are a sight to behold, Cycling the South Downs Way is a great way to experience the wildlife. From bluebell woods, to pastures of rare orchids and butterflies there's plenty to see. Red kites and buzzards often circle on the thermals above and in the early evenings you can see barn owls swooping across the fields. Last winter, I was lucky enough to see hares boxing for the first time. Regardless of the seasons, the landscape is always evocative, and no matter which far-flung place I've just returned from it never ceases to amaze me how beautiful it is.
Source:theguardian.com
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