We did this 3-hour tour with a naturalist guide in April 2010 and it was well worth it. Not only was he very informative, but he spotted animals and birds that we would not have had any hope of finding on our own. Even when he had pointed them out to us and trained his telescope on them we still sometimes had difficulty seeing them due to their excellent camouflage. We ended our visit with a swim on one of the lovely beaches there, accompanied by iguanas and hermit crabs.

www.iguanatours.com/

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The city of Chengdu is home to China's living treasures and the Chengdu Panda Base, as well as many other endangered species. With a history of over 2,400 years, Chengdu is home to many amazing historical sites and archaeological wonders. Chengdu's local cuisine is world renowned for its delicious spiciness. The life pace in Chengdu is slow. Many Chengdu citizens idle the afternoons away drinking tea and playing cards in the open air.

Here are some place you must not miss:

Visit the Wenshu temple and spend time in its teahouse to experience a bit of real Chengdu life.
Go to Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding or Wolong Nature Reserve and see China's living treasures.
Travel to the Leshan Giant Buddha and see the largest stone Buddhist carving in the world.
Visit the Sanxingdui Museum and see the bronze artifacts that shocked the world.
Walk along the Jinli Old Street to experience what life was like in Chengdu's ancient past.
Go to Qing Yang Gong Temple and visit the birthplace of Taoism.
Taste the wonderful spiciness of Chengdu's local Chuan food.
Visit the natural wonders of Jiuzhaigou and Huanglong said to be a fairyland due to their beauty.
Walk through Wangjian Tower Park, one of the three famous cultural relics of Chengdu.
Climb Mt. Emei, the highest of China's four holy Buddhist mountains.

www.chinaodysseytours.com/tour-chengdu.html
www.panda.org.cn/english/index.htm

Google map: tinyurl.com/36b2z66

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Pinnewala Elephant orphanage is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Sri Lanka. Nature and animal lovers alike will enjoy the 24 acres of beautiful open land in where you can get up close to the elephants and feed them.

The elephant orphanage was set up in 1975 by the Sri Lanka Wildlife department. The Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage is ideal for families with kids as they run daily activities of feeding milk to the baby elephants and they also are left out to roam freely (with supervision by the caretakers and security) around the 25 acres of beautiful grassland. In the afternoons tourists can watch the array of elephants as they are walked to the river Maha Oya for a river bath.

I went with my children who enjoyed themselves and we even bumped into the famous Sri Lankan cricketer Sanath Jayasuriya who was there with his family.

Rambukkana Road, Kegalle, Sri Lanka
www.elephant.se/location2.php?location_id=43&show=1
Google map: tinyurl.com/333p7bk

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Even though locals refer to it as Jersey Zoo, this is a misnomer. They basically breed endangered animals in the wild and return them to captivity. I could have watched the monkeys and gorillas all day!

jersey.blogs.com/attractions/

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If you're travelling on UK motorways you can get routes for short country walks close to all the junctions. It's written for dog owners, but also has kids' activities, dog-friendly pubs and places to visit. Great way to make full use of your petrol and see new parts of the country as well.

www.drivingwithdogs.co.uk

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This is a restaurant, or rather coffee shop, where there are lots of cats hanging about for you to pet - really unique!

unique-travel-experiences.blogspot.com

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Head into the Los Llanos back-waters for a few days - one of the most ecologically rich areas on the planet.

You'll be sure to see Cayman, Piranhas, Anacondas, pink river dolphins, and thousands of bird species.

www.earthoria.com/podcast-los-llanos-venezuela.html

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One of the largest urban parks in Europe, the verdant expanses of Roundhay Park offers a huge range of different surroundings, all of which are a world away from the bustle of the city centre, only five miles away. Fields, forests, lakes and golf courses cover much of the parkland, but there are also many beautifully landscaped gardens, especially on the other side of Princes Avenue from the park proper. Canal Gardens with its crocus fields, scented borders and water features, is a great place to stop and pause. Next to it is Tropical World, a menagerie of rare animal and plant species in simulated habitats ranging from desert to Amazonian rainforest - always popular with children. The Roundhay Fox pub, situated in the middle of the park, is a lovely traditional pub with fantastic outdoor terrace, and there is a good range of dining options and shops both in the centre of Roundhay, and at the southern end of the park in Oakwood. There are also frequent events in the park in summer, particularly the ever-popular Indian delights of the Leeds Mela.

Roundhay Park, Princes Avenue, Roundhay, Leeds, LS8. Bus no2 or 13 from the city centre (New Briggate/Vicar Lane).

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Spana (Society for the protection of animals abroad) works hard to provide veterinary care for donkeys, mules and horses in Marrakech. If you are interested in their work and in making a contribution to their coffers, it is worth a visit to their centre at Cite Mohammadi Daoudiat where they will show you what they do - and where you will be able to see some of the animals at first hand. There are also cats and dogs in need of adoption. If visiting, do bear in mind that it is not a place of family entertainment but of care and veterinary treatment for poorly animals. If, like us, you saw many mules and donkeys in the city that were overworked and undernourished, why not give something back by contributing to this extremely worthy organisation?

www.spana.org/countries/locations_morocco.php

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Chiang Mai, like the rest of Thailand, has a huge problem with stray dogs. How about visiting Care for Dogs, a dog rescue and adoption centre, a few miles outside Chiang Mai? You can see the amazing work they are doing and even take some dogs for a walk. We went yesterday and it is well worth a visit!

www.carefordogs.org/

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You can tell a lot about people by the way they treat animals and although the Cubans have very little wealth they will still spend pesos for the care of their pets. Take 150 euros or so of medicines purchased from your local vet (and free reps food supplement samples if you can get them) and introduce yourself to the diminutive but highly energetic Doña Milagros Reyes at Havana's main veterinary clinic. Wonderful way of meeting people off the tourist track, (si puedes hablar Español) and even if you don´t, you´ll get showered with thanks anyway. Get there before Fidel goes folks, because while it may be far from perfect, for people who have nothing the Cubans still give everything. It´s about 3 Conv. pesos from the city centre by taxi and then walk back to find dozens of front parlours converted into sales points selling everything from used wood screws to mallets for crushing sugar cane.

Avda. Carlos III y Requena
Municipio Plaza, Havana

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