Three of the world's best wildlife safaris

From watching magnificent migrations to spotting the elusive Bengal tiger, S Mitra Saigal handpicked three spots that will make for an unforgettable holiday. Sign up before peak season to bag front-row viewing for your wildlife thrills

From watching magnificent migrations to spotting the elusive Bengal tiger,u00a0S Mitra Saigal handpicked three spots that will makeu00a0for anu00a0unforgettable holiday. Sign up before peak season to bag front-row viewing for your wildlife thrills

Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
The Serengeti National Park is a huge tract of grassland that has fascinated wildlife enthusiasts for the longest time. The landscape is predominantly grassy plains, with occasional rocky outcrops and acacia woodland and is home to the 'Big Five'. On a safari here, one can hope to spot herds of zebra, wildebeest and gazelle, large numbers of giraffe and buffalo and of course the big cats lion, cheetah and leopard. However, whatu00a0 this park stands out for is the awe-inspiring sight of the annual migration of herds from Serengeti to Masai Mara in Kenya. Over a million wildebeest and about 2,00,000 zebras move from the northern hills to the southern plains, every October and November, and return after the rainy season, from April-June. Two World Heritage Sites and two Biosphere Reserves have been established within the 30,000 km region. The best time to visit Serengeti is between November-December and May.

Wildebeest migration in the Serengeti, Tanzania.

Tortuguero National Park
Tortuguero National Park is one of Costa Rica's best-known parks. Created in 1975, it teems with wildlife, both aquatic and land-based. Said to be the most favoured nesting site for the Green Turtle (July to October) it is also home for other turtles, such as leatherbacks, and hawkbills. An outstanding example of eco tourism Tortuguero's bio diversity is amazing, there are rivers, beaches, and lagoons and it is a combination of rain forest, freshwater, and marine biology. Besides turtles, the park also has large populations of monkeys, amphibians, birds and fish. There are tapir, ocelots, crocodiles, jaguars, river otters and even the fascinating bulldog bats. It is said that there are more than 375 species of birds here and over 400 species of trees. One can do either do the aquatic trail where one canoes or kayaks or one can hike. The best time to visit is February, April and November.

Ranthambhore National Park
You can go tiger spotting in various National Parks across India but Ranthambhore is pure magic. Once the hunting ground of the Maharajas and later the British, this park was declared the Sawai Madhopur Wildlife sanctuary in 1955 and then the Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve, under Project Tiger, in 1973. The park is spread over 1,174 sq km and has a rich variety of flora, fauna and animals. While the main stars are the tigers, visitors can also hope to spot leopards, sloth bears, hyenas, cheetal, nilgai and range of birds and reptiles. Wildlife apart, the park has a rich history and houses the ancient Ranthambhore Fort, which was built in 944 AD. The best time to visit is from November to February. March to May is very hot but can make for great animal sightings.