"Galapagos Islands-91" by Peri Apex via Flickr Creative Commons

Ecotourism is a growing trend around the world that is seeing tens of thousands of new tourists every year. Every region of the world is seeing this trend grow, from Africa to Latin America to Asia. The last bits of land that can be saved are being conserved by the dedicated few with the help of tourists. At times, like in the Galapagos, tourism has grown a bit too much, where the tourists are threatening the wildlife, the reason they are visiting in the first place.

  1. Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska One of the last truly wild places on earth is threatened by oil. This 19.2 million acre reserve is home to polar bears, herds of caribou, grizzlies, wolves, marine mammals, and migratory birds. A visit here is ecotourism at its finest.
  2. Galapagos Islands, Ecuador Home to more endemic species than anywhere else in the world, however, this ecotourism hotspot is in danger from too many visitors. Still, boat tours around these incredible islands reveal marine iguanas, boobies, seals, giant tortoises, volcanoes, mangrove forests, whale sharks, and much more.
  3. Manu Biosphere Reserve, Peru Manu’s cloud forests are one of the most biodiverse places on earth. Home of uncontacted tribes, jaguars, ocelots, tapirs and the Andean spectacled Bear.
  4. Serengeti National Park, Tanzania Two world heritage sites and a biosphere reserve are found within this system of parks that hold the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Maswa Game Reserve, and the Loliondo, Grumeti and Ikorongo Controlled Areas. The oldest ecosystem on earth where millions wildebeests and 200,000 zebras migrate each year.
  5. Komodo Island, Indonesia The Komodo dragon, the closest relative of the dinosaur and the world’s largest reptile, dominates this small island in Indonesia.
  6. La Mosquitia, Honduras Raw and untouched, apart from several Indian tribes that make this region their home, the Mosquito Coast and Río Platano Biopshere Reserve are the largest tracts of wilderness in Central America. Often called a mini-Amazon.
  7. The Rainforests of the Atsinanana, Madagascar This collection of six national parks along the eastern side of Madagascar was named a joint UNSECO world heritage site in 2007. The parks are home to some of the rarest and most diverse flora and fauna in the world such as lemurs and primates.
  8. Gunung Mulu National Park, Sarawak Rare animals including mammals are still being discovered here every year. Sumatran rhinos, clouded leopards, Malaysian tigers, sun bears, and orangutans are spotted here by the lucky few. Also home to the largest cave system in Southeast Asia.
  9. Denali National Park, Alaska Outside of the highest peak in North America, Mount McKinley, Denali hosts grizzlies, caribou, wolves, and moose.
  10. Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage, Australia This tract of lush land in the south of Tasmania includes Southwest, Franklin0-Gordon Wild Rivers, and Cradle Mountain-Lake St. Clair national parks. Forest, scrub, moorland, rainforests, and dramatic coastal scenery home to Tasmanian devils, quolls, parrots, salamanders, and many other rare and endemic species.

Click here for Top 10 Ecotourism Vacations in North America