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9 Stunning Hotels That Get You Close to Wildlife
If you’re both a traveler and an animal lover, then the ultimate vacation would likely be staying in a luxury hotel that get you close to wildlife. These days, hotels are opening their doors to animals that live in the area, which is both a draw for tourists and assists with animal conservation. Whether you want complete seclusion or a once-in-a-lifetime adventure, AD takes you inside nine stunning luxury properties around the world that get you up close and personal with wild animals in their natural habitat. From a private floating lodge for grizzly bear viewing in Canada to eating breakfast with giraffes in Kenya, these properties are at the top of our must-visit list.
Photo: Brice Ferre Studio; courtesy of Nayara Tented Camp1/9Nayara Tented Camp (La Fortuna, Costa Rica)
Through Nayara Resort’s reforestation of the area, the Nayara Tented Camp in Costa Rica has expanded the property’s sloth sanctuary to over 1,000 Cecropia trees. As the tropical trees are mammal’s main food source, this area now serves as home to more than 15 sloths. When at the hotel, guests get a good look at the slow-moving animals with the help of Nayara’s on-site guides.
Photo: Evan Bailey; courtesy of Sea Dragon Lodge Kangaroo Island2/9Sea Dragon Lodge Kangaroo Island (Willoughby, Australia)
Sea Dragon Lodge on South Australia's Kangaroo Island sits on 250 acres of unspoiled coastal land and is perfect for observing wildlife. While native animals roam freely all throughout the island, visitors will see plenty of them from the comfort of the property. Kangaroos often hop by the guests’ decks, and on the beach visitors might see an echidna, a goanna, or perhaps a pod of dolphins passing through the bay.
Photo: Courtesy of Banyan Tree Mayakoba3/9Banyan Tree Mayakoba (Riviera Maya, Mexico)
Riviera Maya’s five-star eco-resort, Banyan Tree Mayakoba, is located amidst lush mangrove forests and pristine coastlines. Recognized worldwide for its environmentally sensitive design, Mayakoba has ensured that 145 acres of mangrove area remain untouched to preserve wildlife habitats.
Here, hotel guests will find 20 species of fish, 68 types of reptiles, 49 species of mammals, 14 kinds of amphibians, and hundreds of bird species. To engage guests in the local environment further, the hotel offers interactive, year-round ecotours by boat, which travels through the waterways of Mayakoba.
Photo: Courtesy of Hoshino Resorts Iriomote Hotel4/9Hoshino Resorts Iriomote Hotel (Okinawa, Japan)
With no airstrip and a lone coastal road, the island of Iriomote is one of Japan’s most remote destinations—perfect for those looking to reconnect with nature. And the 139-key property Hoshino Resorts Iriomote Hotel is Japan’s first ecotourism resort found among this secluded jungle. Guests can explore dense subtropical forests, mangrove-lined waterways, and rushing cascades, and they can embark on adventurous yet educational activities like mangrove kayaking at dusk and Kura Falls trekking. Also available is the Iriomote Cat School, where visitors can see and learn about the nationally protected wildcat—there are only about 100 of them living on the island.
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Photo: Courtesy of Anantara Golden Triangle Resort & Elephant Camp5/9Anantara Golden Triangle Resort & Elephant Camp (Chiang Rai, Thailand)
In the tranquil jungle setting of Chiang Rai, Thailand, is the luxurious Anantara Golden Triangle Resort & Elephant Camp, home to an award-winning elephant camp and conservation program. Here, guests can partake in a number of elephant activities, including a “Walking with Giants” experience to stroll, feed, and bathe the giant creatures. The property’s newest addition, Jungle Bubble Lodge, is a two-bedroom expansive bubble that allows guests uninterrupted views of the elephants in their natural habitat, straight from bed.
Photo: Robin Moore; courtesy of Giraffe Manor6/9Giraffe Manor (Nairobi, Kenya)
The most unforgettable bucket-list experience? Eating breakfast with giraffes. The Safari Collection’s Giraffe Manor in Nairobi is an exclusive boutique hotel that’s often referred to as one of the most Instagrammed properties in the world. While staying at Giraffe Manor, guests will interact with the resident herd of Rothschild’s giraffes, who may visit throughout the day, poking their long necks into the windows in the hope of a treat before retreating to their forest sanctuary. With the property’s latest major expansion, the Retreat Wellness Center, guests can not only have meals and afternoon tea with the giraffes, but they can also interact with them from a 70-foot infinity pool.
Photo: Courtesy of Sani Lodge7/9Sani Lodge (Quito, Ecuador)
Sani Lodge, the Ecuadorian Amazon’s only ecolodge that is 100% owned and run by an Indigenous community, is the ultimate rainforest escape. While staying at this wildlife retreat on the banks of a stunning lagoon, guests are surrounded by packs of monkeys, manatees, sloths, and over 550 types of birds. The lodge also employs local guides to take guests canoeing and kayaking, allowing them to search for even more wildlife.
Photo: Margaret Leehane; courtesy of Great Bear Lodge8/9Great Bear Lodge (Vancouver Island, Canada)
A fully self-contained floating property, Great Bear Lodge is located at the ideal wildlife viewing region on Vancouver Island. The boutique eight-bedroom lodge operates its very own grizzly bear viewing program, where BBC filmed the TV series Secrets of Our Living Planet. A typical daily itinerary at the lodge includes two grizzly bear viewing sessions with a wildlife biologist as a guide, interpretive walks, open discussions and orientations, and boat excursions.
Photo: James Strachan/Torassieppi Reindeer Farm/Getty Images9/9Torassieppi Eco Reindeer Resort (Lapland, Finland)
At Torassieppi Eco Reindeer Resort in Finland, guests have the chance to stay in an ecological wilderness hotel by a lake in a gorgeous setting by the Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park. A five-minute walk away from the hotel room, there’s a nearly 200-year-old farm called Lapinkartano (“Lapland Manor”), where reindeers have been raised for more than a century. All year round the farm gives guests the rare opportunity to meet reindeer at close quarters, embark on a tour, or even ride with them.
