Australia
Narawntapu, north Tasmania An antipodean Garden of Eden, where if you stand still for long enough you will see something: pademelons (small wallaby-like creatures), Bennett's wallabies and Forester kangaroos, wombats and, at night, Tasmanian devils.
kevinthekoala
The Australian Alps The park stretches from the Brindabella range which backdrops Canberra, through the Snowy Mountains and on to the Victorian high country with glacial lakes, unique flora and fauna, bushwalking, mountain biking, skiing, brumbies (wild horses) and impressive indigenous history. Recent films Somersault and Jindabyne were set here. On my last visit while sitting silently beside a river, a platypus swam right up to the rock I was perched on.
australianalps.deh.gov.au.
Depot
Brazil
Jaú A rare opportunity to visit virgin Amazonian rainforest, 220km from Manaus and easily reached by motor boat or canoe. The park shows the exuberance of the Amazonian forest and its biodiversity of flora and fauna. Excellent for walking tours and canoeing and for contemplating the beauty of nature.
Eco Discovery Tours (0055 92 3082 4732, eco-discovery@bol.com.br).
Paulheinrich
Cambodia
Kirirom A series of dirt roads and walking paths take you into beautiful deciduous and tropical coniferous forests with minimal undergrowth. At the top of the mountain is a Buddhist monastery surrounded by clear ponds. Temperatures are relatively cool all year and the air is fresh and clean.
KampucheaLibre
Canada
Kootenay follows the Great Divide, west of Banff, bought up for a railway scheme but eventually sold to the government. It's a long winding valley with fine mountains and lots of local as well as backcountry trails. Unlike Banff and Louise, it doesn't have big hotels and tourist infrastructure. But what it does have is fantastic mountain scenery and some quirky sights. Hike up to Stanley glacier and you'll have plenty of pikas (rock rabbits) whistling at you on the way. Kootenay Park Lodge has 10 simple log cabins and good home cooking at affordable rates.
kootenayparklodge.com/
bladeaway
Yoho Don't stop at Lake Louise. Stay on Highway 1, just a few more miles over the Great Divide, and visit Yoho Park across the state border. If you can get on the parks bus (book in advance) up to Lake O'Hara, or walk the car-free 11km trail in, you will have delightful lakes and mountains to share with a handful of campers and the lucky few at the lodge built by the Canadian Pacific Railway in Swiss chalet style. There are miles of beautiful trails and more challenging alpine routes, glaciers and waterfalls, and the odd bear. Bliss! Emerald Lake is great, too.
bladeaway
Chile
Lauca This is a stunning park up in the Andes, next to the Bolivian and Peruvian borders. Clear lakes reflecting snow-capped volcanoes, wildlife such as vicuñas and eagles and so peaceful!
Nearest town is Putre, about three hours from Arica.
gochile.cl/eng/Guide/Chile NationalParks/Lauca/Lauca-1.asp
rachyrach
Colombia
Tayrona Kilometres of great white pristine beaches right by the rainforest. Exuberant and incredible wildlife, nice people, nice food (don't miss the chocolate-filled bread), ancient ruins, excellent weather, beautiful women. You can stay in hammocks, camp, or stay in a small hotel or in government-administrated ecological houses. This place is awesome: you could stay there forever and never get bored.
bogotano
Croatia
Mljet Island A short ferry ride from Dubrovnik, Mljet has a stunning park, perfect for a day trip. You can swim in the freshwater lakes, walk and cycle round them or get something to eat at the beautifully preserved monastery. A steep hill separates the lakes from the ferry port, so if you're planning to cycle it's a good idea to use the mini-bus service included in the park entrance fee, and then hire bikes at the lakes themselves.
Philpott
Holland
The Hoge Veluwe As you cycle through the dense forest and heath you suddenly emerge in what - surreally - appears to be a desert. Sand dunes stretch out into the distance as you follow one of the well-signposted cycle routes. Heading back into the woodland you reach the centre of the park: the Kröller-Müller Museum - one of the largest galleries in the Netherlands and home to works by Van Gogh, Seurat, Picasso and Mondrian. Don't bother hiring a bike - the park provides thousands of free cycles, which can be picked up from designated areas.
hogeveluwe.nl.
ssss
Italy
Parco Nazionale delle Foreste Casentinesi Beautiful forest park in the Apennines. In late June we virtually had the park to ourselves. Wildlife is protected here so, unusually for southern Europe, you will (if you're quiet and alert!) see wild boar, deer, as well as numerous butterflies and wild flowers.
parks.it/parco.nazionale.for.casentinesi/.
roedeer
Japan
National Park for Nature Study A 200,000 sq m plot of unspoilt nature, right in the heart of Tokyo's urban sprawl. This reserve teems with birds, frogs, insects and the occasional snake, and offers the kind of sanctuary that many never find in the city. Entry is 200 yen, and tranquillity is conserved by strictly limiting visitor numbers.
East of JR Meguro station, next to the Teien Art Museum.
tomponty
New Zealand
Tongariro The Tongariro Crossing is a day trip across the extinct volcano. It requires some effort, but the rewards are worth it once you reach the moon-landscape and startling colours of the upper crater. To the south lies the still active cone Ngauruhoe and, to the north, Lake Taupo, a caldera resulting from one of the largest ever supervolcanic eruptions.
tongarirocrossing.org.nz.
nilpferd
Abel Tasman This is quite possibly the most beautiful place on earth - nothing but golden sandy beaches, turquoise seas and flora and fauna. You can walk inland or by the beaches, arrive by kayak or on foot and leave by water.
abeltasman.co.nz.
lastgeneration
Sweden
Tyresta One of Sweden's main national parks and a true wilderness, but only 20km from the centre of Stockholm. It is perfect for summertime walks or cross-country skiing in winter, with many special tracks to follow.
807 bus from Gullmarsplan tube station to Svartbäcken, then the 834 to Tyresta.
Kirmax
Tanzania
Arusha Little-visited Arusha has great views of Mt Meru and its own crater, forests and lakes, some laden with salts. There are giraffe, buffalo, colobus monkeys, flamingo and a few hippo. Quiet and peaceful compared with the main parks.
A few miles east of the town of Arusha on the Moshi road. Local operators will do a full or half-day safari or you can climb Meru on a tough three-day trek.
bladeaway
Thailand
Khao Lak-Lam Ru Tranquillity and pristine nature with about 150 sq km of virgin forest, with abundant flora and fauna and waterfalls.
cabana
US
Bryce Canyon Colourful hoodoos - spires of rock - give it an ethereal beauty (especially at dawn and dusk) that is more mesmerising than the much larger Grand Canyon.
001 435 834 5322, nps.gov/brca.
UrbanShocker
Venezuela
Peninsula de Paria A wilderness of rainforests and cloud forests running down to tropical beaches. It's a gigantic botanical garden teeming with wildlife. Stay at Hacienda Bukare above the seaside town of Río Caribe and right on the edge of the jungle.
bukare.com.
Columbus
Zambia
Kafue With a terrain ranging from the lush riverine forest of the Kafue river to the vast grassland of the Busanga plains, the park rewards wildlife enthusiasts with glimpses of a generous variety of carnivores and an abundance of their prey.
Mosephine
