Top 4 Tailormade Wildlife Holiday Destinations for Botanists

Travelling around the world is a treat for botanists to see familiar species in their original habitats or encounter new flowers growing wild in spectacular locations. A tailormade wildlife holiday led by an expert botanist is the finest way to see the world’s flora, exploring the varied biomes of a particular country or region. There are numerous locations for the amateur and expert botanist to flower hunt to their heart’s content. Of these, four top destinations are the tulip meadows of Kazakhstan, the unique endemic flora-scape of Madagascar, the ancient hills of Crete and the famous province of Sichuan in China.

Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan is the home of the tulip, that much-beloved plant now familiar to even the earliest bud of a botanist. A visit to Kazakhstan is an opportunity to tread where early European collectors went in search of new species to bring back west. Botanists can expect to see up to ten tulip species growing wild in the meadows of Kazakhstan, including Greig’s and Kaufmann’s Tulips (from which the majority of tulips in cultivation today are derived), Tulipa kolpakowskiana, Tulipa ostrowskiana, Tulipa albertii, Tulipa busheana and Tulipa behmiana.

Madagascar

Madagascar is a famous haven of unique wildlife, with over 80% of its resident species being endemic due to its geographic isolation. For botanists, it is a paradise. On a tailormade wildlife holiday, visitors can explore the twisted Didiereaceae of the low-lying spiny deserts, walk among the bloated Baobabs, look for some of the island’s 850 species of endemic orchid in the rainforests of Mantadia National Park, and, of course, see some of the island’s beautiful lemur, chameleon and bird species.

Crete

The ancient island of Crete, where the Minoan people made their home at Knossos, Phaestos and elsewhere, is home to over 1,600 flowering plant species, of which 139 are endemic. Botanists on a tailormade wildlife holiday can look for Cretan Bee Orchid and other species on the orchid-rich hills near Spili, admire the Drooping Star of Bethlehem and Snake's-head Iris, sample some of the island’s plentiful olives, and enjoy sightings of the many bird species that use Crete as a stopping point on their long migrations. Time between expeditions can be spent exploring the island’s ancient ruins and sampling its delectable Mediterranean cuisine in one of many tavernas.

Sichuan (China)

The province of Sichuan was a principal destination of the 19th century European flower hunters, and remains rich in flora – it is absolutely ideal for a tailormade wildlife holiday. Following in the footsteps of George Forrest and Ernest Wilson, nature enthusiasts can search the province’s stunning landscapes for the Mecanopsis punicea, Veratrum nigrum, Cypripedium tibeticum, the blue poppy Meconopsis horridula and many more. The diverse, Tibetan-influenced cultures of the region are an introduction to the cultural complexity of China.

Marissa Ellis-Snow is a freelance nature writer. If you’re looking for a tailormade wildlife holiday Naturetrek specialises in expert-led natural history and wildlife tours worldwide. Naturetrek brings over 25 years of experience to polar expeditions and tours to other spectacular regions on Earth.

Writer and Online Marketing Manager in London.