From birds to butterflies, from the Big Cats to delicate Alpine flowers, from whales and dolphins to the Himalayan rhododendron forests, everyone has their own favourite flora or fauna.

For many wildlife lovers birds are the top draw, thanks in part to their amazing range of form and colour. Sometimes it’s their graceful and seemingly effortless flight – as in the Andean Condor - which captivates us; occasionally it’s the very lack of the ability to fly – for example the Kiwi – which marks a bird out as special.

For sheer scale, the Blue Whale and the African Elephant hold sway in their respective environments. Whale watching has become very popular in recent years, and there are numerous great locations worldwide to observe these magnificent marine mammals. Sharks hold a different kind of fascination for us, and there are great opportunities to spot the Great White in several parts of the world.

Returning to dry land, the Big Cats of Africa – Lion, Leopard and Cheetah – and the Asian Tiger are often the top attraction, and they from the focus of many a safari.

On a smaller and gentler scale, Alpine flowers such as the Edelweiss or butterflies are the ‘must see’ items for another group of wildlife enthusiasts. Butterflies are often spectacular in form and colour, never more so than when seen in large groups, such as the Monarch Butterfly migration which arrives in Mexico’s cool pine forests in autumn, when as many as 600 million individuals congregate.

AITO members offer a spectacular range of holidays aimed at those who delight in the natural world; if you don’t see exactly the tour you’re after, ask one of them to tailor-make a trip especially for you.