Top 5: National Parks

Published on: Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Top 5: National Parks - feature

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Explore nature's finest with our pick of the world's most glorious national parks. From humid Indian plains to bracing Welsh breezes, we've selected our favourite preserved natural spots around the globe.

Abel Tasman National Park, New Zealand

Located on the South Island, Abel Tasman may be New Zealand‘s smallest park but it’s one of the country’s most beautiful. Guided kayaking tours enable visitors to appreciate this stretch of unspoilt coastline from the water. If you’re more of a landlubber, the park is lined with well-marked walking tracks, meaning you can explore on foot without a guide. Watch out for dolphins and orca whales as you hike past translucent seas and deserted beaches fringed by verdant rainforest.

Banff National Park, Canada

Surrounded by the spectacular Rockies and home to wild grizzly bears, caribou and wolves, Canada‘s Banff National Park offers soaring snow-capped peaks, beautiful waterfalls, topaz-coloured glaciers and emerald green lakes. An unspoilt playground for adventurers who want to get close to nature, there are tons of activities to enjoy such as hiking, mountain biking, canoeing, rafting, and fishing. One of the highlights is driving along the scenic Icefields Parkway littered with tumbling glaciers.

Kaziranga National Park, India

In the heart of Assam, India, Kaziranga National Park is a cherished UNESCO World Heritage site hosting dense rainforest, crashing rivers, and sprawling grasslands well-trodden by thundering herds of wild elephant. Kaziranga is best known for its thriving population of one-horned Indian rhino. Visitors can traverse the park by jeep, by car or, for a more eco-friendly mode of transport, on the back of an elephant. Other wildlife to watch out for in the park include: bison, deer, sloth bears, tigers, leopards, gibbons, jackals, and buffalo.

Pantanal National Park, Brazil

The largest wetland on earth, the Pantanal is a vast maze of lakes, waterways, islands, forests and grasslands that host a thriving assortment of wildlife. Find jaguars, iguanas, macaws and giant anteaters beneath clouds of butterflies and hundreds of species of birds. The Pantanal, which stretches into Bolivia and Paraguay, but mostly lies in Brazil, is one of South America’s prime wildlife spotting and adventure destinations. Enjoy a horse riding tour led by authentic Brazilian cowboys, try your hand at piranha fishing and take a night time jeep safari to spot bizarre-looking capybara, the world’s largest rodent.

Snowdonia National Park, UK

Dripping in greenery and awash with fresh Welsh air, Snowdonia National Park is a gleaming example of the UK’s natural charms. Visitors to Snowdonia have a wealth of winding pathways to explore, taking them down sweeping green valleys, through leafy woodlands, past spraying waterfalls and beside tranquil lakes. Active types can also try their hand at cycling, horse riding, fishing and climbing. Make time to jump on the Snowdon Mountain Railway to the 1,085m-high (3,560ft) summit of Wales’s high mountain for jaw-dropping views.