David Attenborough at 100: Travel Advisors Share Wildlife Journeys Inspired by the Naturalist
Sir David Attenborough turns 100 on May 8, 2026. To mark the milestone, Forbes asked three travel advisors—Olie Lever (Lightfoot Travel), Amy Siegal (VWT by Chase Travel), and Niki Stanford (Epitome Travel)—to propose 12 trips inspired by his documentaries. Recommendations include a small-yacht Galápagos cruise, a Naboisho Conservancy safari in Kenya, gorilla tracking in Uganda's Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, an Antarctic expedition, Pantanal wetland exploration in Brazil, a Sri Lankan sojourn at Yala National Park, a Norwegian fjord farm stay, the Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu, puma and penguin spotting in Chilean Patagonia, a Benguerra Island wellness retreat in Mozambique, an Alaskan immersion at Kachemak Bay State Park, and an Amazon expedition across multiple countries. Attenborough's recent projects include Ocean with David Attenborough (2025) and A Gorilla Story: Told By David Attenborough on Netflix. He received the UN Champions of the Earth Lifetime Achievement Award.
Key facts
- David Attenborough turns 100 on May 8, 2026.
- Forbes article features 12 travel ideas from three advisors.
- Olie Lever is Head of Americas & Polar Regions at Lightfoot Travel.
- Amy Siegal is a Luxury Travel Advisor with VWT by Chase Travel.
- Niki Stanford is Brand Manager for Epitome Travel.
- Attenborough's documentaries include Life on Earth (1979), The Blue Planet (2001), Wild Isles (2023), Ocean with David Attenborough (2025), and A Gorilla Story: Told By David Attenborough.
- He received the United Nations Champions of the Earth Lifetime Achievement Award.
- Galápagos Islands are 600 miles west of Ecuador.
- Naboisho Conservancy is in Kenya; the name means 'coming together' in Maa.
- Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is in Uganda.
- Antarctica can be reached via Drake Passage from Argentina.
- Pantanal is the world's largest wetland, best visited June–October.
- Yala National Park in Sri Lanka has the largest leopard population.
- Amot Norway is a family-owned farm among fjords.
- Salkantay Trek is a 39-mile alternative to the Inca Trail, reaching 4600m.
- Torres del Paine National Park is in Chilean Patagonia.
- Kisawa Sanctuary is on Benguerra Island, Mozambique.
- Tutka Bay Lodge in Alaska is accessible only by water taxi or floatplane.
- Amazon spans Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela.
- Jacques Cousteau called the Tapajos river the 'Caribbean of the Amazon'.
Entities
Artists
- David Attenborough
- Charles Darwin
- Jacques Cousteau
Institutions
- Forbes
- Lightfoot Travel
- VWT by Chase Travel
- Epitome Travel
- United Nations
- Netflix
- Relais & Chateaux
- Great Plains Conservation Reserve - Collection
- Resplendent Ceylon Collection
- Oncafari
- Hyacinth Macaw Institute
- Yanapana
- Ride 4 a Woman
- Naboisho Conservancy
- Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
- Yala National Park
- Torres del Paine National Park
- Kachemak Bay State Park
- Pacaya Samira Reserve
- National Marine Park (Mozambique)
- Galapagos Safari Camp
- Pikaia Lodge
- Origin, Theory & Evolve
- Mara Nyika Camp
- Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp
- Wild Coast Tented Lodge
- Amot Norway
- Estancia Cerro Guido
- Tierra Patagonia
- Kisawa Sanctuary
- Tutka Bay Lodge
- Caiman (lodge)
- Delfin I
Locations
- Galápagos Islands
- Ecuador
- Kenya
- Naboisho Conservancy
- Uganda
- Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
- Antarctica
- Argentina
- Drake Passage
- South Georgia
- Pantanal
- Brazil
- Sri Lanka
- Yala National Park
- Norway
- Peru
- Machu Picchu
- Salkantay
- Chile
- Patagonia
- Torres del Paine
- Tierra del Fuego
- Pinguino del Rey natural reserve
- Benguerra Island
- Mozambique
- Mozambique Channel
- Alaska
- Kachemak Bay State Park
- Homer
- Anchorage
- Amazon
- Bolivia
- Colombia
- Venezuela
- Pacaya Samira Reserve
- Tapajos river
- Manaus
- Ireland
- Indo-Pacific