00:0014 Amazing Wildlife Hotels for Your Next Adventure
00:05Not long ago, visiting exotic animals and their habitats was the stuff of intrepid explorers
00:11who ventured weeks into remote wilds.
00:14Today, sleek new nature lodges bring adventurous luxury to fragile but closely cared-for ecosystems.
00:21As more travelers seek out luxurious adventures, Forbes Travel Guide's 2024 Star Awards showed
00:28that hotels are catering to that need with memorable animal encounters.
00:33Forbes Travel Guide found hotels from Tanzania to Texas with experiences featuring elephants,
00:39eagles, and everything in between.
00:42Number 1.
00:43Giraffe Manor
00:45At this 12-room, ivy-covered manor surrounded by forest, the namesake animals join you for
00:51breakfast.
00:52As you nosh on blueberry pancakes, the resident Rothschild's giraffes crane their long necks
00:57through the large open windows, signaling they want you to feed them grass pellets.
01:03You'll feed them again during afternoon tea in the garden while you enjoy scones, sandwiches,
01:07and sweets.
01:10Visitors can learn more about the threatened species and the hotel's conservation efforts
01:13at the adjacent Giraffe Center.
01:16Number 2.
01:18Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle
01:21Venture to the Golden Triangle, where Myanmar, Laos, and Thailand converge, to spend time
01:27with these treasured rescued elephants.
01:30At the all-inclusive Four Seasons, witness the majestic mammals during their morning
01:34bath or sign up for a more intimate experience that will teach you about the gentle pachyderms
01:39and let you interact with them.
01:42Then retreat to one of the 15 luxurious Bill Bensley-designed tents surrounded by jungle
01:47with wood floors, thatched roofs, and air conditioning.
01:51Number 3.
01:52Drake Bay Getaway Resort
01:55When you visit the eco-friendly cabins in the rainforest, you'll encounter sloths and
01:59other creatures.
02:01This boutique hotel sits on the edge of the Corcovado National Park and offers guided
02:06tours of the biodiverse, rich wilderness.
02:09Board a boat that follows the coastline to the park, home to about 140 species of mammals,
02:15116 reptiles, and 400 birds.
02:19Keep an eye out for barred tapirs, scarlet macaws, white-lipped peccaries, great harpy
02:24eagles, and jaguars.
02:27Number 4.
02:28The Ranch at Rock Creek Animal activities abound at this five-star
02:33ranch.
02:34Saddle up one of the more than 70 horses to explore 6,600 bucolic acres or attend a ranch
02:40rodeo.
02:41Shadow a rancher to help care for the property's livestock.
02:45If you prefer to be on the water, try your hand at ice or fly fishing.
02:49Or simply sit back and watch the wildlife.
02:52Prairie dogs, bighorn sheep, coyotes, beavers, bears, and more have all been spotted on the
02:58property.
02:59Number 5.
03:01One and Only Gorillas Nest Stilted lodges perched among 60-foot eucalyptus
03:06trees serve as your base camp for gorilla trekking in nearby Volcanoes National Park.
03:12One and Only is the closest resort to the park, which means that after a day of hiking
03:17to get close to the famed mountain gorillas, the trip back won't be arduous.
03:21The five-star hotel makes the trek even easier by cleaning your muddy clothes and boots so
03:26you can focus instead on trading silverback stories with other guests at the bar.
03:31Number 6.
03:32Nihi Sumba A reef in front of this secluded island escape
03:37draws sea turtles, sea urchins, and colorful fish, but the herd of 22 horses and four foals
03:43steals the show.
03:45The popular Swimming with Horses activity lets you ride one into the pristine ocean.
03:51For the unique spa safari, you'll travel via horseback to a clifftop spa and indulge
03:55in pampering.
03:56And if you crave more wildlife wellness, opt for a five-day equine retreat that includes
04:02horse therapy.
04:04Number 7.
04:05Hotel das Cataratas, a Belmond Hotel The only hotel inside Brazil's Iguazu National
04:11Park gives you access to one of the world's largest waterfalls and a rainforest teeming
04:16with tapirs, blue-throated macaws, giant anteaters, toucans, howler monkeys, plush-crested
04:22jays, ocelots, and jaguars.
04:26To see more animals, take the five-star hotel's tours to the nearby Bird Park, the world's
04:31only facility dedicated to conserving Atlantic rainforest birds, or Bela Vista Biological
04:37Sanctuary, which conducts research to help species facing the risk of extinction, like
04:42jaguars.
04:44Number 8.
04:45Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass Among the saguaros in the Sonoran Desert,
04:51herds of the beautiful wild mustangs gallop freely.
04:54Try getting a glimpse of them by booking a wrangler-led ride on a trained horse through
04:59the equestrian center at the Sheraton, which is named for these desert dwellers.
05:04Visitors can learn more about them at the center's Land of Mustangs activity, which
05:08shares the history of the animals and their cultural significance.
05:12The center also provides sunset rides that end with margaritas.
05:16Number 9.
05:18The Broadmoor The 146-acre Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, America's
05:23only mountain zoo, houses more than 30 species of endangered animals and sits close to the
05:28Broadmoor, which offers a VIP experience that allows you to feed the giraffes.
05:33Also check out the five-star hotel's wilderness properties.
05:37Visit a mule-to-cloud camp, a mountaintop luxury lodge with a 9,000-foot elevation.
05:43Stay along the Tarryall River at the Orvis-endorsed fly-fishing camp in search of trout.
05:48Or visit the ranch at Emerald Valley in Pike National Forest and go horseback riding.
05:53Number 10.
05:55McGee Homestead Tucked inside the 30,000-acre Brush Creek
05:59Ranch, this five-star hotel immerses you in ranch life.
06:03The wake-up-with-the-goats activity leads you through the dairy farmer's morning tasks,
06:08though it's not all hard work.
06:09You get to bottle-feed baby goats.
06:12Admire the landscape on a llama hike and picnic.
06:15Ride horses, join a cattle drive, or learn barrel racing.
06:19Number 11.
06:20Four Seasons Safari Lodge, Serengeti The Four Seasons resides inside the famous
06:26Serengeti National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where the Big Five – lions, leopards,
06:32buffaloes, elephants, and rhinoceroses – all roam.
06:37Spy the animals from the luxurious hotel's infinity pool, which overlooks a watering
06:41hole favored by elephants.
06:44Embark on a game drive, get an aerial view from a hot-air balloon, take a naturalist-led
06:49walking safari, or live out your National Geographic dreams on a photo safari with a
06:55wildlife photographer.
06:57Number 12.
06:58The Resort at Paws Up Channel your inner cowboy at this 37,000-acre
07:03working ranch with unusual equine offerings like horse whispering, mustangs, and mindfulness
07:09demonstrations, and cow croquet.
07:11The most popular activity is the horseback cattle drive.
07:15The resort keeps up to 130 horses, along with Corriente cows and bison, but bald eagles,
07:21elk, deer, woodchucks, and grizzly bears have been known to wander the grounds.
07:26Number 13.
07:27Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club.
07:30On the slopes of towering Mount Kenya, this elegant hotel sprawls across 100 acres within
07:35the Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy.
07:38Add a horseback safari through the grounds to your itinerary to see llamas, colobus monkeys,
07:44marabou storks, zebras, and peacocks.
07:47Also visit the on-site orphanage that rehabilitates abandoned, injured, and abused animals, ranging
07:53from tortoises to cheetahs, to return them to the wild.
07:57Afterward, the Fairmont's resident Labradors, flora and fauna, welcome you home.
08:03Number 14.
08:04Long Neck Manor.
08:06After working at Disney's Animal Kingdom and as a former director of the Houston Zoo,
08:10Rick Barangi opened this 100-plus-acre Texas Hill Country Manor and Conservation Park in
08:162021.
08:17It's home to three rhinos and four giraffes.
08:20Four new villas debuted in 2023, but the giraffe suite remains the most popular accommodation.
08:27It's booked for 2024 and a good portion of 2025.
08:31Set inside the giraffe barn, the suite comes with oversized windows peering out at the
08:35family giraffe stall.
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