Antarctica is an Opportunity for Last-Minute Planners

Wildlife encounters are some of the world’s most coveted travel experiences—so coveted that the best, from gorilla trekking in Africa to snorkeling with sea lions in the Galapagos, often require booking a full year ahead. However, this is an opportune moment for procrastinators who want to see the penguins, whales, seals, and seabirds of The White Continent: So many new expedition ships have been built in the past few years that supply is outpacing demand.

I’m just back from Antarctica, and when I booked my trip seven months ahead, there were several options to choose from that fit my family’s Thanksgiving-week dates. The ship we ultimately sailed on was only three-quarters full, and a handful of delighted passengers were even upgraded to cabins with balconies. (By contrast, when I recently booked a 2025 gorilla trek 11 months in advance, availability was already dwindling.) WOW List expedition-cruise expert Ashton Palmer reports that there is still good availability to journey to the Antarctic in January and February 2025; he doesn’t advise going in March, when the season is winding down and conditions aren’t optimal.

Buyer beware: Not every wildlife experience is equally good, and last-minute deals are not always what they appear to be. Some safari camps, for instance, pack their 4x4s so tightly that several travelers must make do with middle seats, which compromise their views and photo ops. And there are “Antarctica cruises” where the ship comes within sight of Antarctica but never even gets their passengers onto the ice! The vessel I chose, the National Geographic Endurance, suited my desire to exercise both muscles and brain: I got to hike, cross-country ski, and kayak, guided by a team of naturalists who are also working scientists and have made significant contributions to Antarctic research—their onboard presentations were always well-attended.

For optimal wildlife experiences, do your homework: Find out how many people you’ll be sharing that encounter with, ask how likely you are to see the animals you’re most hoping for, and get specific: In Antarctica it’s easy to find Gentoo and Adélie penguins, for example, but much rarer to spot the elusive Emperor species.

And yes, Antarctic cruises are dominated by ice, but there is also wildlife galore: Petrels and albatrosses drafted behind our ship as we crossed the Drake Passage; humpback, minke, and killer whales surfaced so close that the photographers on board had to change out their telephoto lenses; enormous seals slumbered on nearby patches of ice.

It was the penguins, however, who stole my heart. They’d waddle up and down snow-covered slopes, slide across the ice on their torpedo-shaped bellies, and pop out of the water like champagne corks when returning from a feeding expedition; a few rapscallions made a habit of stealing pebbles from their neighbors’ nests in order to build up their own quarters. With no reason to fear humans, the bold little birds often plowed right across our paths, challenging us to maintain the 15 feet of distance that our guides requested.

The travelers below counted on WOW List experts to lead them to the best animal encounters. If you’re wondering how—and when—to arrange the wildlife experience you’ve been dreaming of, we’re here to help via the button below.

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EAST AFRICA: “It was magical waking up at 5:30 in the morning to have a giraffe waiting at your window…”

Wildlife encounters don’t get much closer than those at Nairobi’s Giraffe Manor. Photo: Shutterstock

“I don’t know how Dan did it, but he got us a night at Giraffe Manor 18 months out—and it was booked solid for months. It was magical waking up at 5:30 in the morning to have a giraffe waiting at your window for treats.

From there we flew to Sarara Camp, a really lovely place with only six tents, excellent food, and a watering hole near the lodge. The entire venture is with the Samburu community. I love that Dan supports these community conservancy efforts. In fact, when I asked about visiting Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage in Nairobi, he suggested Reteti, which is run by the Samburu. It’s a wonderful place where the women of the tribe supply the goat’s milk used for the elephants (it’s loaded with supplements), so the entire community is involved and benefits.

The Serengeti is so large that you can’t cover it all, but it is important to have an experienced guide, as we did. Our guide had to help several guides who were lost (and he never got stuck in the many water-filled potholes). Dan really has a handle on how to match you up with a guide and has a stable of people he works with regularly.

The Ngorongoro Crater is so full of life. Here we saw rhinos (literally walked in front of our vehicle)! Finally, as we had said my husband wanted to swim with whale sharks, Dan recommended the small island of Mafia because it was close and in season for whale sharks. My husband did scuba for several days, but only snorkeling is allowed with the whale sharks, and we did that on our last day. Mind-blowing.” —Laura Ackerman-Shaw

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THE GALAPAGOS: “We were joking that a Hollywood producer was ahead of us cueing all the birds and animals into position…”

Traveler Judy Calvert meeting an iguana in the Galápagos.

“My husband and I did a one-week cruise on the Horizon trimaran, 8 cabins. It was 13 to 14 guests, with equal number of crew. Allie suggested it, and we are very grateful, as it was a great boat, superb crew, very good food, and an excellent itinerary. Snorkeling trips were well organized and fairly easy in/out of the zodiac. We saw everything you could want to see. We were joking that a Hollywood producer was ahead of us cueing all the birds and animals into position:

Blue-footed boobies, red-footed boobies, Nazca boobies, babies of all of the above, pelicans, male frigate birds with the red swollen neck on trees and flying and mating ritual, waved albatross and babies and juveniles, marine iguanas on land and underwater snorkeling, two penguins on a rock, hammerhead sharks, white-tipped sharks and Galápagos sharks while snorkeling, a gazillion sea lions on shore, in water, while snorkeling, tons of mum and pups, huge parrot and king angelfish while snorkeling, the two different types of land iguanas…. None of them had any fear of humans, and you could literally get right in their faces to take photos and watch them.” —Judy Calvert

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INDIA: “A private walk with elephants and dinner at an elephant rescue location…”

These days, riding elephants is discouraged; instead, rescue centers will let you walk beside them. Photo: Shutterstock

“My wife and I just got back from a two-week trip to India. I had spent some effort with Victoria planning the itinerary, but more importantly, explaining my agreement with my wife on travel: She will go anywhere I want, so long as the hotels are great.

Victoria hit the nail on the head, with a trip full of wonderful and special experiences, and some of the best hotels we have ever been in, including the Oberoi Amarvilas in Agra, from which we had a view of the Taj Mahal from our window; the Aman-i-Khas in Ranthambore, where we spent two days on magical tiger safaris; and the literally perfect Oberoi Udaivilas in Udaipur.

Our private guide, Viksa, took great care of us the entire time, not only arranging special experiences at the expected tourist locations—like photo ops at the Mogul’s palace in Jaipur—but also off-the-beaten-path experiences, like a haircut and shave for me and a blow-dry for my wife at his hair care location in Jaipur.

The special experiences Victoria arranged were also off the charts, like a private walk with elephants and dinner at an elephant rescue location, and (maybe our favorite) a homecooked dinner and cooking lesson in Jaipur with the wife of Diggi, Victoria’s chief of operations. I could go on, but the bottom line is that the trip was all we could have asked for, from the ease of planning, to the perfect execution, to the warm feelings we had in India and those we were left with.” —James Brandt

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