There are lots of fantastic destinations which are great for wildlife spotting. While safaris, tours and cruises are ideal to see mammals, birds and marine animals in their natural habitats, at some resorts, you don’t even have to leave the comfort of your room – the wildlife comes to you.
We’ve ranked 19 hotels around the world where you can enjoy a stay on the wild side…
Costa Rica is one of the world’s most biodiverse regions and this luxury eco-lodge offers an unbeatable opportunity to appreciate the diversity of wildlife which calls the Osa Peninsula home.
Join one of the organised tours or simply relax and see what pays you a visit. The lodge is nestled in primary rainforest, so you’ll be sharing the space with the likes of monkeys, frogs and macaws.
Set on an 820-foot (250m) dune, Wolwedans Dune Camp provides stylish accommodation which has been designed to offer unparalleled panoramic views across the Namibrand Reserve. Guests stay in tented rooms and suites surrounded by the desert landscape.
The reserve is home to the likes of oryxes, springboks, meerkats, zebras and ostriches. The camp also offers daily tours for even more wildlife spotting opportunities.
This luxury accommodation in the Maldives is divided into halves. The top level is a stunning two-bedroom suite, with an outdoor deck, infinity pool and butler service.
Take the lift down to the lower level and you descend into your very own aquarium. The bedroom, bathroom and viewing area offer an amazing, immersive view of the fish and other marine life swimming past.
For anyone who prefers their eco escape on the more rustic side, this off-grid retreat is the ideal way to enjoy the scenery and wildlife of rural Sri Lanka. There is a range of lodge-style accommodation available, which fits the camp’s 'less is more' ethos.
The property is located on Hambegamuwa Lake in a remote and sparsely populated area – the local residents include elephants, buffalos, birds and butterflies.
Enjoy a luxury stay in the heart of the Rwandan jungle at this unique resort nestled in Nyungwe National Park, which was recently awarded UNESCO World Heritage status. Guests can choose a treehouse room or villa offering forest views, while the resort even boasts its own working tea plantation.
When it comes to wildlife spotting, the park is home to the likes of chimpanzees, golden monkeys, buffalos, elephants and giant forest hogs.
This eco-resort is set within a biodiverse private forest reserve near the Ecuadorian capital of Quito – but a million miles away. Perched on a plateau, the lodge offers breathtaking views of the surrounding rainforest and mountains.
Guests should keep an eye out for the 400 species of birds which have been spotted here, while the forest is home to armadillos, tayras and capuchin monkeys.
Famously the place where Princess Elizabeth was staying in 1952 when she discovered she was to become queen, this hotel is as rich in history as it is in wildlife.
Guests can immerse themselves in the sights of Aberdares National Park, with the chance to spot lions, monkeys and rhinos. The hotel is on an ancient elephant migratory route, so you might see a herd lumbering through the grounds.
Journey to the heart of Danum Valley, one of the oldest rainforests in the world. Located in a Conservation Area, the lodge offers chalet-style accommodation nestled in the tropical jungles of Borneo.
Guests can join a guided walk. However, the resort is ideal for just relaxing on the veranda and enjoying some alfresco wildlife spotting. The valley is home to gibbons, orangutans, pygmy elephants, clouded leopards and 340 bird species.
Spend time soaking up the sights and sounds of the Amazon rainforest at this luxury eco lodge close to the Peruvian section of the Madre de Dios River.
Guests stay in one of the traditional-style cabanas and can also retreat to the spa, which has views of the Madre de Dios forest. Located deep in the rainforest, the hotel has recorded 540 bird species on the site.
Experience the Great Barrier Reef on a whole other level with a stay at Australia’s first underwater accommodation. Part of a longer cruise to the Whitsunday Islands, this unique experience gives guests the opportunity to spend an evening in a room 13 feet (4m) below the surface.
Guests can watch the passing marine life through the picture windows and glass floor. The reef is home to over 1,500 species, including turtles, sharks, rays and a diverse rainbow of fish.
Stay in South Africa’s fifth largest game reserve, which began life in 1991 with a project to relocate and conserve the region’s wildlife. The lodge's chalet-style accommodation is positioned to offer a view of a water hole, so guests can sit on their private viewing deck and see the animals which turn up to drink or cool off.
The reserve is now home to 27 species, including cheetahs, lions, white and black rhinos, buffalo and elephants.
This 12-bedroom lodge offers a unique window on the wildlife which inhabits the Falkland Islands, a South Atlantic archipelago. The lodge features comfortable accommodation and a restaurant, with plenty of viewing areas.
As the name suggests, the island attracts breeding colonies of sea lions. Fellow residents include elephant seals and 40 types of birds, among which is the Falkland skua. The lodge also benefits from being neighbours with a colony of gentoo penguins.
Set within a 5,000-acre ecological reserve in the Ecuadorian Amazon, this lodge is reachable via a two-hour boat trip up the Napo River. The accommodation offers a window on the natural world, so guests can simply take a seat on the balcony and see what makes an appearance.
The area is home to eight species of monkeys, anteaters, three-toed sloths and ocelots – as well as lots of birds and 50 types of bats.
On many travellers’ bucket lists, the Galapagos Islands offer amazing wildlife spotting opportunities which cannot be enjoyed anywhere else in the world. This luxury eco-lodge puts guests right at the heart of the adventure.
The rooms and suites offer panoramic views across Santa Cruz Island. It is also the only hotel in the Galapagos to have its own private reserve – home to free roaming giant tortoises.
Set within a 18,500-acre private reserve in the shadow of the Cederberg Mountains, this wilderness reserve and wellness retreat offers a luxury escape within an ancient landscape.
As much committed to conservation as to hospitality, the retreat gives visitors the chance to spot 200 species, including springbok, ostriches, oryxes and zebras. Come nightfall, it’s the turn of the nocturnal residents, such as African wildcats, bat-eared foxes and porcupines.
If you’re looking for a special wildlife spotting opportunity, this hotel offers unique accommodation perched in the trees. Choose to stay in the guesthouse or in one of the funky tree rooms, including the UFO (pictured), Bird’s Nest and 7th Room, with its transparent floor.
The tree rooms offer a lofty view of Norrland forest – home to moose, reindeer and foxes. There’s also the chance to head out to catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights (October to March).
Combine luxury with a wilderness stay at this stunning resort and spa tucked away in the pristine Discovery Islands archipelago. While you can head out on an adventure tour to explore this remote sanctuary, there are ample opportunities for wildlife spotting without leaving the resort.
The area is home to eagles, whales and bears. Sightings of sea lions, porpoises and river otters are also possible.
This boutique eco-lodge offers the chance to stay deep in the circa 180-million-year-old UNESCO World Heritage-listed Daintree Rainforest in one of 15 eco-friendly treehouses (or bayans).
Resident wildlife includes crocodiles, musky rat-kangaroos and 430 species of birds, 13 of which cannot be seen anywhere else. There is even the chance to glimpse Australia’s largest native frog – the white lipped green tree frog – or the elusive Boyd’s forest dragon.
We end our list with this boutique hotel, which is home to – yes, that’s right – a resident herd of wild giraffes. The property is set within 12 acres of private land which is in 140 acres of indigenous forest, where the Rothschild’s giraffes retreat at night.
However, during the day, you can expect to encounter the curious visitors as they wander in the grounds and even poke their heads into the dining room, hoping for a spot of breakfast.