ADVENTURE/ Unique and Remarkable National Parks

Alaska's Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve is at the top of more than one list of superlatives. At 13.2 million acres, Wrangell-St. Elias is the largest U.S. national park and preserve. When combined with Glacier Bay National Park and Canada's Kluane National Park and Tatshenshini-Alsek Park, it is the biggest piece of the largest internationally protected area in the world: 24 million acres – larger than the state of Indiana. This World Heritage Site provides a crucial refu...

Nairobi National Park is unique by being the only protected area in the world with a variety of animals and birds close to a capital city. The park is a principal attraction for visitors to Nairobi. The park also serves many residents and citizens living in the city. It has a diversity of environments with characteristic fauna and flora. Open grass plains with scattered acacia bush are predominant. The western side has a highland dry forest and a permanent river with a riverine forest in the so...

The Bavarian Forest is the oldest national park in Germany. Nature has been allowed a free reign in this unspoilt highland region, 95 per cent of which is covered by forest. Together with the Bohemian Forest National Park adjoining it to the east, the Bavarian Forest National Park is the largest unbroken area of protected forest in central Europe. Visitors are warmly welcomed to experience the fascinating process of an ever-evolving forest wilderness at close hand. A network of clearly marked...

Under the blistering heat, a breeding herd of elephants blocks the way and a cow nudges its calf under a huge baobab tree on the roadside. An irritated bull tells off a wandering calf in a no-nonsense mood, with a shriek but firm voice. The elephants tolerate our presence for a few moments but as soon as their snorkeling trunks sniff us they retreat in polite disgust. A few meters away, giraffes forage the bush, heads up in indignation above stunted mopane bush shrubbery. The mopane bush shru...