Discover the World of Nocturnal Wildlife: A Unique Ecotourism Adventure
Tarsiers, famous for their large eyes, are nocturnal creatures that hunt for insects during the night. While most ecotourism activities focus on daylight adventures, noctourism—wildlife tourism during the night—has been growing in popularity.
Nocturnal tours offer rare wildlife experiences, such as lemur-spotting late at night and midnight expeditions in search of elusive creatures like nightjars. These activities can take you from the African savannah to the lush jungles of southern Japan, where you’ll witness the unique animals that thrive after dark.
Looking for an unforgettable vacation? Book your next trip with MWR LIFE and embark on a nocturnal adventure like no other! Explore the night and discover nature in a whole new light.
Spot Elusive Fauna Across Kenya and Tanzania
Pangolins, resembling both anteaters and armadillos, aren’t closely related to either.
While the Maasai Mara and Serengeti are known for elephants, wildebeests, and zebras, smaller creatures also thrive there, especially at night. Lydia Eva Mpanga, founder of Nkuringo Safaris, highlights the many private reserves in the Masai Mara region, ideal for night drives. These offer the chance to spot leopards, servals, bat-eared foxes, and even the unique pangolin, which has keratin plates on its body.
Search for Pumas Across the Plains of Patagonia
The puma’s range extends from British Columbia to the Southern Cone, making it one of the most widespread mammals on Earth.
Patagonia, known for its glaciers, plains, and beaches, is also home to unique South American wildlife. Puma-watching is a major draw in the region, with these cats found from the Atacama Desert to Torres del Paine National Park. Harriet Pike, Head of Swoop Patagonia, highlights that the company offers tours during the pumas’ most active hours. Patagonia is also home to the monito del monte, a nocturnal marsupial found in the Valdivian rainforests of Chile and Argentina.
Find Endemic Mammals in the Depths of Borneo
Tarsiers are unique among primates because they are entirely carnivorous.
Borneo’s rainforests are perfect for spotting orangutans. While these creatures are active during the day, some of the island’s more elusive animals, like the tarsier, are most active at night. Gavin Bate, founder of Adventure Alternative, highlights Borneo’s nocturnal tours. The tour features a variety of rare animals, such as the tarsier, with its large eyes, and others like the tufted ground squirrel, flat-headed cat, and clouded leopard.
In the United Kingdom, there’s also fascinating nocturnal wildlife to discover. Claire Copeman, co-founder of Adventure Tours UK, notes that Wales offers excellent stargazing and nightjar sightings. Scotland’s Cairngorms National Park is a prime ecotourism spot, with its ancient mountains and pine forests home to species like European pine martens, tawny owls, and badgers.
Madagascar is famous for its free-roaming lemurs.
The aye-aye is one of roughly 100 extant lemur species.
When it comes to noctourism across the African continent, Timbuktu Travel Co-Founder and CEO Johnny Prince highlights two destinations in particular. At Zimbabwe’s Camp Hwange, visitors can take part in thermal imaging drives and laser pointer stargazing as well as specialized scorpion-spotting by blacklight, but for a truly unforgettable experience, it’s tough to beat Madagascar’s Masoala Lodge. More than half of the country’s native lemurs are nocturnal, with species like the hairy-eared dwarf lemur, aye-aye and Moore’s woolly lemur being just a few of the potential appearances during a night walk.
Embark on a Late-Night Cruise in Latin America
The Amazon rainforest is renowned for its high diversity of amphibians.
Both Central and South America are brimming with colorful wildlife, and for Head of Rainforest Cruises Jon Parker, there are two expeditions in particular that are well-suited for noctourism. Aboard the Kontiki Wayra, passengers can marvel at bioluminescent plankton during an eight-day foray along the wildlife-rich Osa Peninsula, while entomology and herpetology buffs can discover a mind-boggling array of species during a cruise on the Zafiro. Spanning five days in the depths of the Peruvian Amazon, this once-in-a-lifetime journey offers a chance to see eye-catching reptiles like the rainbow boa, while glowworms, fireflies and UV-lit scorpions can be encountered as well.
Explore Lush Forests and Vast Deserts Across Asia
Jerboas possess long, kangaroo-like legs that are useful for evading predators.
While 360 Private Travel Director Katie Robertson pinpoints Botswana as a top destination for finding honey badgers and porcupines on late night safari, she also recommends two underrated noctourism hotspots across Asia. In the southern reaches of Japan, the island of Yakushima boasts vast swathes of verdant forest that play host to all sorts of native mammals, with sika deer and Japanese giant flying squirrels both calling the area home. Meanwhile, Robertson also cites Oman as a must-visit for noctourism, providing visitors with a chance to spot animals like the jerboa and Arabian red fox during a desert night walk.
