The Attenborough Effect
A greater desire to travel to remote destinations in search of nature is testimony to the influence of Sir David Attenborough.
Through environmental documentaries such as Blue Planet II and Our Planet, Sir David Attenborough has had a tangible and positive impact on changing consumer behaviour.
Reports suggest that 53 percent of people in the US and UK reduced their single-use plastic as a result of greater awareness.
But his impact can also be seen in a greater desire to travel to remote destinations in pursuit of discovery. Agents report more travellers are shunning the comfortable beach holidays in favour of exploration.
But destinations once considered remote — such as Antarctica — are now getting busy with cruise ships and tourists.
Courtesy of Cookson Adventures, Jacada Travel and Dunia Baru, we look at a few locations still off the beaten track, with flora, fauna and wilderness that would impress even Attenborough himself.
Kuril Islands
Stretching between Kamchatka and Japan, and scattered in the Sea of Okhotsk, are the verdant and volcanic Kuril Islands. An experienced guide — from the pioneering heli-skiers of Onekotan island to the fly fishermen of the nearby Kamchatka Peninsula — can help you look for sperm whales, orcas, sea lions and otters, before sailing into flooded calderas and exploring abandoned Soviet submarine bases. © Cookson Adventures
Revillagigedo Archipelago
Far, far off the coasts of Central and South America, lie underwater mountain ranges so remote that visiting them by yacht is the only option. Together, Socorro, Clarion, San Benedicto and Roca Partida are known as the Revillagigedo Archipelago. Astonished by the amount of pelagic species riding its currents, scientists have dubbed it the ‘superhighway’ of the Pacific. This is also home to some of the largest aggregations of sharks in the world, including Galápagos, silky and silvertips. © Cookson Adventures
Greenland
The world’s largest island, Greenland, recently made headlines due to Trump’s desire to purchase it...unsuccessfully. As well as its precious commodities, this is a true Arctic wilderness, where one can search for polar bears, lumbering muskoxen, narwhals, bowhead whales, belugas, walruses, sea eagles and reindeer — and find isolated Inuit fishing villages in its fringes, where inhabitants will welcome you warmly. © Cookson Adventures
Raja Ampat, Indonesia
Often described as the most extraordinary marine habitat on the planet, the 40,000 square kilometers of the Raja Ampat archipelago lie at the point where the Pacific currents collide with the Indian Ocean. These nutrient-rich waters have spawned a marine Eden. There are 1,300 species of fish and counting, and three-quarters of all the hard corals in the world are found here. As seen from the Dunia Baru, a 51m handcrafted teak vessel built with an eco-conscience. © Dunia Baru
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea's lush forested mountain ranges are home to colourful birds of paradise, while the pristine waters of the Solomon and Coral seas teem with marine life, making this one of the world’s best diving destinations. The islands that lay to the north are covered in volcanoes, some of which still gurgle and smoulder. © Jacada Travel
Madagascar
With 90 percent of all flora and fauna found in Madagascar endemic, and a blend of Austronesian, African, Arab and European culture, this African island is truly unique. As well as its iconic lemurs — which are reason enough for many to venture here — Madagascar has stretches of beautiful Indian Ocean coastline, exclusive island retreats, a rugged interior to be explored. © Jacada Travel
Midgard Hut, Iceland
Located deep in the highlands of Iceland, literally in the middle of nowhere, Midgard is a modest-yet-comfortable hut only reachable by super jeep where the intensity of the Northern Lights, shooting stars and the nothingness make for an absolutely off-grid experience. Winter days are spent playing in the snow, ice fishing, snorkelling and bird-watching, while in summer, enjoy the endless days, barbecuing Icelandic delicacies in the midnight sun. © Jacada Travel
