Three Incredible Nature Experiences
- Tiffany Figueiredo
- Jun 26
- 3 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
Plus Some Bonus Picks Because We Can't Get Enough
by Tiffany Figueiredo
No 1. Gorilla Trekking Rwanda
There are travel moments you look forward to, and then there are the ones that leave you undone. Locking eyes with a mountain gorilla — deep, wise, uncannily familiar — belongs to the latter. The trek through dense bamboo forest is both muddy and magical, and the reward is one unforgettable hour spent in the quiet presence of something wild, gentle, and vanishingly rare. You’ll talk about it for years. You may think about it forever. I know I will.
Most of the gorilla treks I design begin in Rwanda, one of the most beautiful countries I’ve ever seen. There, I had the distinct joy of meeting a tiny member of the Hirwa family (seen above). Hirwa means “lucky one,” and anyone who goes on a trek in Rwanda is indeed fortunate.
While gorilla tourism in Rwanda is focused on a handful of exquisite lodges that combine conservation with serious pampering, Uganda, just next door, offers a more physically demanding and more affordable alternative. It's less polished, perhaps, but no less powerful. Whichever route you take, this life-changing encounter pairs beautifully with a classic safari in Kenya or Tanzania, where the wild continues to work its magic in a different key.
No. 2 Southern Patagonia, Chile and Argentina
At the southern edge of the world, Patagonia feels like a place the Earth made just to show off. Here, wind is a constant companion, carving the peaks and clearing the mind. You walk beneath insane mountains and along surreal glacial lakes, passing herds of guanaco and the occasional curious fox. Whether hiking the iconic trails of Torres del Paine or simply sitting still with a glass of Malbec and watching clouds roll over the Andes, Patagonia reminds you how good it feels to be small, quiet, and utterly present.
Getting to Patagonia requires a bit of effort. It’s remote, and that’s part of the magic. Most travelers fly into Santiago or Buenos Aires and connect onward to regional airports. I recommend combining a stay at a stylish wilderness lodge with time at a working estancia, where you can ride horses with gauchos, enjoy slow, smoky meals, and truly unplug. This is a trip as much about stillness as it is about adventure.
No. 3 Okavango Delta
It all begins with water in a land where there shouldn't be any. In the heart of Botswana, the Okavango River floods the Kalahari Desert each year, spilling into a fan of channels, lagoons, and islands. The result is one of the most incredible ecosystems on Earth and a paradise for wildlife. Game drives here—by vehicle, mokoro (traditional canoe), boat or on foot — feel like a dream. Lions hunt in the water, leopards lounge in trees, and herds of elephants drift like gray ghosts through the reeds. It’s safari, but softer, more fluid, and quietly wild. I always say it's a watercolor painting come to life.
The Delta is home to some of Africa’s most exceptional camps, from romantic canvas tents to high-design lodges. My favorites are those with strong conservation stories and a sense of place — think safely sleeping under the stars, firelit dinners beside the water, and guides whose knowledge feels ancient. Whether it’s your first safari or your fifth, the Okavango rewires you.
Three Bonus Journeys
for the WILD at HEART
(Because We Can't Get Enough)
04. Galápagos Islands – Ecuador
There’s nowhere like it. Evolution on display, right beside your snorkel fins. Sea lions sleep beside you, tortoises lumber past, and blue-footed boobies show off their dance moves. Whether from a small expedition ship or an eco-luxe lodge, the Galápagos and its inhabitants will change how you view your place on the planet.
05. Chasing the Northern Lights – Scandinavia, Iceland and Beyond
Aurora hunting, but make it stylish. A soon-to-launch small private-jet journey links Scandinavia’s most stunning wilderness lodges with dog sledding, heli-skiing, Arctic spa soaks, and next-level food. From Lapland to the fjords to Iceland’s lava fields, it’s a polar adventure for the ages, and we're some of the first to have access to it.
06. Amazon Rainforest – South America
The Amazon isn’t always comfortable, and that’s kind of the point. It’s alive, unpredictable, and deeply real. Days unfold slowly, often by riverboat, guided by naturalists who show you what your eyes would otherwise miss. Picture a sloth tucked into a tree, a frog no bigger than your thumbnail, and pink river dolphins swimming just below. It's a rarified world becoming smaller by the day.
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