As areas of outstanding beauty, staggering biodiversity and intriguing cultural heritage, national parks have become cornerstones for wildlife conservation, sustainability and community well-being. There are now as many as 113,000 national parks and protected areas dotted across the globe, covering a staggering 58 million square miles. Here we celebrate ten of the best national parks in the world, according to the Original Travel team. Some are well-known, others less so, but all protect some of the planet’s most precious habitats in perpetuity.
1
Yellowstone National Park, USA
The world’s first national park, Yellowstone is the original and remains one of the best. Gawp at huge geysers such as Old Faithful, as well as cougars, coyotes, bison and bears in their majestic natural habitat. 2022 marks the 150th anniversary of the park’s establishment, making this milestone year the perfect time to visit.
2
Gal Oya National Park, Sri Lanka
Gal Oya consists of 62,000 acres of verdant forests and expansive savannahs, set against the backdrop of eastern Sri Lanka’s dramatic mountains. The unspoilt park remains light on tourists, yet long on attractions, placing it firmly on our list of the best national parks in the world. Embark on walks with the indigenous Vedda people or take a bird spotting boat trip on the lake.
3
Vatnajökull National Park, Iceland
Bestowed with the accolade of being the largest national park in Western Europe, Iceland’s Vatnajökull encompasses the continent’s largest sub-Arctic glacier – larger than all of Europe’s glaciers combined – along with dramatic volcanoes, rivers, ice caves and wetlands, inhabited by herds of reindeer.
4
Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, Vietnam
Located in the centre of the Annamite Mountain Range in Vietnam’s Quang Binh province, the park’s steep-sided hills are typical of karst limestone landscapes. However, few karst regions have cave and underground river systems quite as magnificent as this magnet for spelunkers (cavers).
5
Triglav National Park, Slovenia
Slovenia’s Julian Alps remain a semi-secret corner of Europe and are home to the lush Alpine landscapes, soaring peaks and tumbling waterfalls of the country's only national park: Triglav. Walk through pastures past shepherd’s huts on the Valley of the Seven Lakes trail to see the region in all its glory, and marvel at the crystal clear waters of Lake Bohinj along the way.
6
Morne Trois Pitons National Park, Dominica
Named after the park’s highest mountain, Morne Trois Pitons (‘mountain of three peaks’), is an unspoiled corner of the Caribbean. Here you’ll find hiking trails through rich rainforest and past plunging waterfalls, as well as intense volcanic hot springs and geysers, including Boiling Lake (which is heated by lava).
7
Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda
The active volcanoes of Kīlauea and Mauna Loa are located at the heart of Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, while its thick montane forest-covered slopes – part of the Virunga Mountain range – are home to the majority of the world’s last mountain gorillas.
8
Kidepo Valley National Park, Uganda
The ‘Masai Mara without the crowds’, Kidepo Valley in Uganda is home to vast herds of elephants, buffaloes and flocks of ostriches kept in check by a healthy lion population. And there’s only one camp in the entire park, making this one of the continent’s most mysterious and secluded destinations.
9
Kakadu National Park, Australia
This sprawling nature reserve in Australia’s Northern Territory is incredibly biodiverse and plays host to over 2,000 plant species. Spot crocs galore, explore escarpments and billabongs (ox-bow lakes) on hikes, and learn about Aboriginal heritage from extraordinary 20,000-year-old rock art, with over 5,000 recorded sites illustrating Aboriginal culture.
10
Galapagos National Park, Ecuador
Part pristine ecosystem, part petri dish for Darwin’s theory of evolution, the Galapagos proudly tops many travellers’ bucket-lists and is a clear contender for one of the best national parks in the world. As an all-round must-visit and once-in-a-lifetime destination, the islands boast a vast array of unique wildlife (such as blue-footed boobies, fur sea lions and flamingos), along with an encyclopaedia of sea life.
