While many flock to
Bali and Lombok for white-sand beaches and cerulean waters,
neighbouring island Sumatra is often overlooked as an important
travel destination. With continuous illegal poaching and some of
the world’s worst deforestation statistics, the island now has
multiple critically endangered species. Only 400 Sumatran tigers,
300 Sumatran rhinos and 7,500 orangutans remain on the island –
meaning if you want to see these animals first-hand, you’d better
do it soon. Be sure to book with companies such as Sumatra EcoTravel and Bukit Lawang Jungle Trekking to
ensure sustainable tourism that respects and protects Sumatra’s
nature and endemic animals.

While many flock to
Bali and Lombok for white-sand beaches and cerulean waters,
neighbouring island Sumatra is often overlooked as an important
travel destination. With continuous illegal poaching and some of
the world’s worst deforestation statistics, the island now has
multiple critically endangered species. Only 400 Sumatran tigers,
300 Sumatran rhinos and 7,500 orangutans remain on the island –
meaning if you want to see these animals first-hand, you’d better
do it soon. Be sure to book with companies such as Sumatra EcoTravel and Bukit Lawang Jungle Trekking to
ensure sustainable tourism that respects and protects Sumatra’s
nature and endemic animals.

Deforestation of the Brazilian
Amazon now happens at a rate of three football fields a minute.
This horrifying statistic proves how effective the “out of sight,
out of mind” mantra is – without seeing this destruction of nature
first hand, it’s nigh impossible to understand its true extent.
Research shows that responsible ecotourism in the area could help
reduce deforestation and protect endemic Amazonian species by
promoting the value of culture, engaging local communities and
educating tourists.

Famed for its subtropical wetlands, this network of forests,
prairies and wetlands is as magical as it sounds. Home to several
endangered species such as the manatee, American crocodile and
Florida panther, the wilderness has been under threat in recent
years. Although some of the destruction has been a result of sea
levels rising, much has been caused by man-made canals and dams
built to provide agriculture and housing. As a result, ecosystems
and habitats have been increasingly waning, placing endangered
species and their homes as risk of extinction. Visit this
International Biosphere Reserve to take part in conservation
practices that aid the wetlands survival, and help local
authorities preserve and protect stretches of land across the
Everglades.

In the middle of the Brahmaputra River in the state of Assam,

Majuli is an entirely flat island – and is slowly sinking. Come
rainy season, each monsoon swallows more land and homes, shrinking
the island at an incomprehensible rate – research shows that the
island will completely disappear within 20 years. Visit in October
to take part in conservation projects, in which locals plant trees
to help save the island from erosion. While the island itself has
shrunk by two-thirds over the last 70 years, locals have managed to
plant a forest larger than Central Park.

While the eponymous film depicts lemurs as fun-loving party
animals – King Julian’s rendition of I Like To Move It, Move It
will now be stuck in your head for the next week – in reality the
Madagascan lemur is one of the most endangered mammals in the
world. Largely due to deforestation, the country has lost almost 80
per cent of its original forests – an issue not just damaging to
the lemur population but also to some 90 per cent of
Madagascar‘s endemic species, all of whom rely on the forest
for survival. Visit lemurs in their natural environment rather than
zoos. We recommend the Andasibe-Mantadia National Park, where the
Lemur Conservation Foundation has several programmes helping
reforestation, lemur repopulation and educating local people about
sustainable agricultural practices.