Seeing animals in their natural environment doesn’t mean you have to compromise on comfort…
Ed Grenby - 1 July 2025
Apple
If you usually take an ex-Royal Marines sniper with you on holiday, you can stop reading now. For you, it will be enough simply to watch The Wild Ones (which starts on AppleTV+ this week) and copy the exploits of its presenters – wildlife cameramen Declan Burley and Vianet Djenguet, plus the former Royal Marines Commando who’s keeping them safe, Aldo Kane. From the deserts of Mongolia to the frigid oceans off Canada, the trio visit unpromising and inhospitable environments in search of tigers, whales, leopards and more, returning with the most amazing footage. But if you’re more “mild one” than Wild One, there are easy-breezy versions of each of their six trips – even as effortless as easing yourself onto a cruise ship…
SO YOU WANT TO SEE… Tigers
THE WILD ONES WAY Find the Malayan tiger (one of the world’s most endangered) in the rainforests of Malaysia.
THE MILD ONES WAY Ranthambore National Park in Rajasthan is one of the best places on Earth to see wild tigers (tourism.rajasthan.gov.in). Just a few hours’ drive from Jaipur – and its maharajas’-palaces-turned-luxury-hotels – this former royal hunting ground is now a protected sanctuary, where Bengal tigers prowl amid lakes, ruins and banyan forests. Guided jeep safaris run daily, but the best time to visit is between October and March, when the weather’s cooler and animals cluster near shrinking waterholes.
THE WILD ONES WAY Use thermal night imagery to track the Gobi bear across the Mongolian desert.
THE MILD ONES WAY Alaska might sound even more extreme than Mongolia – except, of course, that it’s easily done by cruise ship (try princess.com). Almost all Alaska itineraries (by boat or car) include a stop in Ketchikan, from where you can take a short seaplane or coach ride to nearby spots such as Anan Creek or Neets Bay, where brown and black bears gather in summer to feast on salmon. Elevated viewing platforms mean you’ll get eye-level bear action from a safe, comfy perch – and possibly even a chair. July and August are peak season, when the rivers run red with spawning salmon and the bears turn up like clockwork.
SO YOU WANT TO SEE… Leopards
THE WILD ONES WAY Scour the Armenian highlands for one of the ten (ten!) remaining Persian leopards in the country.
THE MILD ONES WAY Sri Lanka’s Yala National Park (yalasrilanka.lk) has one of the highest densities of leopard in the world, and the park’s open grasslands make it relatively easy to spot the elusive cats, with sightings most common in the dry season (July to September). Guided jeep safaris depart from nearby lodges, and you might also see crocodiles, sloth bears and some of the 300 elephants that call it home. The coastal town of Tissamaharama makes a convenient and comfortable base, with cold beer and hot curries waiting post-safari.
SO YOU WANT TO SEE… Rhinos
THE WILD ONES WAY Brave the active Anak Krakatau volcano and frequent tsunami zone of Ujung Kulon National Park, where the world’s last few Javan rhinoceros roam.
THE MILD ONES WAY The greater one-horned rhino is almost identical to the Javan variety, so no one perusing your holiday snaps will even know you weren’t out there in the jungle with Kane and the boys. That means you can head instead for Nepal’s Chitwan National Park (chitwannational park.gov.np). Stay in a comfortable lodge in the village of Sauraha, and take guided jeep safaris or canoe rides through the park’s riverine forests and grasslands. Want just a little more “wild”? Try an elephant-back safari…
THE WILD ONES WAY In the ice-cold Labrador Sea, the Wild Ones TV crew came within a whisker of being capsized by the tail fluke of a North Atlantic right whale.
THE MILD ONES WAY Cetacean spottings are better when you know they’re going to finish with a wallow in a gorgeous geothermic infinity pool. Fly into Akureyri, on Iceland’s north coast between April and October (northiceland.is), and sightings of humpbacks, minkes and even blue whales in nearby Eyjafjordur are so common that tour companies offer “whale guarantee” policies. Boats depart daily from the harbour, and trips last around three hours – with insulated suits provided, thankfully. Bonus points: puffins, dolphins and spectacular fjord scenery are often part of the package.
SO YOU WANT TO SEE… Gorillas
THE WILD ONES WAY The Western lowland gorilla is said to have the strength of eight Olympic weightlifters – so naturally the guys go toe-to-toe with one in Gabon.
THE MILD ONES WAY Rainforest hikes in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park (visitrwanda.com) may not be exactly a stroll in the, er, park, but they’re well organised, led by a ranger, and take no more than a few hours. Permits are limited (and a little pricey), so you’ll need to book (and budget!) in advance; but the experience – spending a full hour just metres from a wild gorilla family as they play, bicker, laze and watch you watching them – is once-in-a-lifetime stuff. Afterwards, you can soothe yourself in some extremely fancy hotels (try oneandonlyresorts.com).
Apple
If you usually take an ex-Royal Marines sniper with you on holiday, you can stop reading now. For you, it will be enough simply to watch The Wild Ones (which starts on AppleTV+ this week) and copy the exploits of its presenters – wildlife cameramen Declan Burley and Vianet Djenguet, plus the former Royal Marines Commando who’s keeping them safe, Aldo Kane. From the deserts of Mongolia to the frigid oceans off Canada, the trio visit unpromising and inhospitable environments in search of tigers, whales, leopards and more, returning with the most amazing footage. But if you’re more “mild one” than Wild One, there are easy-breezy versions of each of their six trips – even as effortless as easing yourself onto a cruise ship…
SO YOU WANT TO SEE… Tigers
THE WILD ONES WAY Find the Malayan tiger (one of the world’s most endangered) in the rainforests of Malaysia.
THE MILD ONES WAY Ranthambore National Park in Rajasthan is one of the best places on Earth to see wild tigers (tourism.rajasthan.gov.in). Just a few hours’ drive from Jaipur – and its maharajas’-palaces-turned-luxury-hotels – this former royal hunting ground is now a protected sanctuary, where Bengal tigers prowl amid lakes, ruins and banyan forests. Guided jeep safaris run daily, but the best time to visit is between October and March, when the weather’s cooler and animals cluster near shrinking waterholes.
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SO YOU WANT TO SEE… Bears
THE WILD ONES WAY Use thermal night imagery to track the Gobi bear across the Mongolian desert.
THE MILD ONES WAY Alaska might sound even more extreme than Mongolia – except, of course, that it’s easily done by cruise ship (try princess.com). Almost all Alaska itineraries (by boat or car) include a stop in Ketchikan, from where you can take a short seaplane or coach ride to nearby spots such as Anan Creek or Neets Bay, where brown and black bears gather in summer to feast on salmon. Elevated viewing platforms mean you’ll get eye-level bear action from a safe, comfy perch – and possibly even a chair. July and August are peak season, when the rivers run red with spawning salmon and the bears turn up like clockwork.
SO YOU WANT TO SEE… Leopards
THE WILD ONES WAY Scour the Armenian highlands for one of the ten (ten!) remaining Persian leopards in the country.
THE MILD ONES WAY Sri Lanka’s Yala National Park (yalasrilanka.lk) has one of the highest densities of leopard in the world, and the park’s open grasslands make it relatively easy to spot the elusive cats, with sightings most common in the dry season (July to September). Guided jeep safaris depart from nearby lodges, and you might also see crocodiles, sloth bears and some of the 300 elephants that call it home. The coastal town of Tissamaharama makes a convenient and comfortable base, with cold beer and hot curries waiting post-safari.
SO YOU WANT TO SEE… Rhinos
THE WILD ONES WAY Brave the active Anak Krakatau volcano and frequent tsunami zone of Ujung Kulon National Park, where the world’s last few Javan rhinoceros roam.
THE MILD ONES WAY The greater one-horned rhino is almost identical to the Javan variety, so no one perusing your holiday snaps will even know you weren’t out there in the jungle with Kane and the boys. That means you can head instead for Nepal’s Chitwan National Park (chitwannational park.gov.np). Stay in a comfortable lodge in the village of Sauraha, and take guided jeep safaris or canoe rides through the park’s riverine forests and grasslands. Want just a little more “wild”? Try an elephant-back safari…
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SO YOU WANT TO SEE… Whales
THE WILD ONES WAY In the ice-cold Labrador Sea, the Wild Ones TV crew came within a whisker of being capsized by the tail fluke of a North Atlantic right whale.
THE MILD ONES WAY Cetacean spottings are better when you know they’re going to finish with a wallow in a gorgeous geothermic infinity pool. Fly into Akureyri, on Iceland’s north coast between April and October (northiceland.is), and sightings of humpbacks, minkes and even blue whales in nearby Eyjafjordur are so common that tour companies offer “whale guarantee” policies. Boats depart daily from the harbour, and trips last around three hours – with insulated suits provided, thankfully. Bonus points: puffins, dolphins and spectacular fjord scenery are often part of the package.
SO YOU WANT TO SEE… Gorillas
THE WILD ONES WAY The Western lowland gorilla is said to have the strength of eight Olympic weightlifters – so naturally the guys go toe-to-toe with one in Gabon.
THE MILD ONES WAY Rainforest hikes in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park (visitrwanda.com) may not be exactly a stroll in the, er, park, but they’re well organised, led by a ranger, and take no more than a few hours. Permits are limited (and a little pricey), so you’ll need to book (and budget!) in advance; but the experience – spending a full hour just metres from a wild gorilla family as they play, bicker, laze and watch you watching them – is once-in-a-lifetime stuff. Afterwards, you can soothe yourself in some extremely fancy hotels (try oneandonlyresorts.com).
The Wild Ones Available from Friday Apple TV+