Rewilding Travel: Going Green with Wilderness Experiences

4 June 2025

So, you're tired of cookie-cutter vacations where your biggest adventure is deciding between the pool and the beach bar? Good. It’s time to ditch the sterile, over-touristed hotspots and embrace something wilder. Welcome to rewilding travel—where nature takes center stage, and your biggest concern is whether you should befriend that questionable-looking raccoon. (Spoiler alert: probably not.)

What Is Rewilding Travel & Why Should You Care?

Rewilding travel is the rebellious younger sibling of eco-tourism—it doesn’t just take you to nature; it lets nature reclaim its space while you tag along for the ride. Instead of trampling precious ecosystems for Insta-worthy selfies, you're actually helping to restore them. Yep, that means fewer fancy hotels and more off-grid, full-immersion wilderness experiences.

Why should you care? Well, aside from the fact that the planet is kind of falling apart (no big deal, right?), rewilding travel offers something mainstream tourism doesn’t—a genuine, raw, and unfiltered connection with nature. And let’s be real, when was the last time you truly unplugged without your phone weeping because it's on 2% battery?

The Many Perks of Going Wild (Other Than Becoming One with Nature)

1. Detox from Digital Chaos

Do you check emails while brushing your teeth? Scroll through social media like your life depends on it? Congrats, you need a digital detox. Rewilding travel throws you into places where Wi-Fi is about as common as a unicorn sighting. Instead of mindlessly consuming content, you’ll be soaking in the sounds of rustling leaves, the crackling of a campfire, and the occasional rustle from something moving in the bushes behind you (don’t worry, it’s probably not a bear).

2. Win at Sustainable Travel Karma

Traditional tourism often leaves behind a wake of destruction—plastic bottles, wasted resources, overcrowding, and the occasional drunk tourist trying to pet wild animals. Rewilding travel, on the other hand, rehabilitates landscapes and supports conservation. So, instead of adding to the mess, you become part of the solution. That’s a travel flex you can actually brag about without sounding obnoxious.

3. Escape the Crowds (and Their Questionable Vacation Behavior)

No loud tour groups wielding selfie sticks? No jam-packed beaches where someone's kid is kicking sand into your overpriced margarita? Sign me up. With rewilding travel, your primary companions are birds, trees, and those little creatures you normally only see in National Geographic documentaries.

4. Rediscover Your Inner Wilderness Guru

Let’s be honest, most of our survival skills are laughable. (Can you start a fire from scratch? No? Thought so.) Rewilding travel forces you to reconnect with basic survival instincts—navigating trails, finding fresh water, and maybe even learning that yes, you can survive without coffee for a few days (debatable, I know).

Where to Rewild? The Best Destinations for Wilderness Junkies

If you're ready to swap boutique hotels for sleeping under a sky full of stars, here are some jaw-dropping destinations where you can rewild like a pro.

1. The Scottish Highlands, UK

Moody weather? Check. Rolling landscapes that look like something out of a medieval fantasy? Double check. The Scottish Highlands offer rugged mountains, Highland cows that judge you from afar, and rewilding projects dedicated to restoring native wildlife.

2. Patagonia, Chile & Argentina

Patagonia isn’t just for hardcore adventurers—it’s also a prime spot for rewilding projects. Trek through glaciers, camp beneath jagged peaks, and support conservation programs working to protect pumas, Andean condors, and other iconic creatures. Plus, saying “I went to Patagonia” automatically makes you sound 10x cooler.

3. Yellowstone National Park, USA

Rewilding isn’t just for far-flung destinations. Yellowstone has been rewilding before it was cool, reintroducing wolves and balancing ecosystems in the process. Want to witness actual wolves in the wild instead of in a zoo? This is your spot.

4. The Carpathian Mountains, Romania

Think Transylvania is just about Dracula? Think again. Romania’s Carpathian Mountains are one of Europe’s last great wilderness areas and home to extensive rewilding projects bringing back bison, lynx, and bears. Come for the Gothic castles, stay for the untamed wilds.

5. Namibia’s Desert Wilderness

Rewilding in Namibia means vast, sunbaked landscapes, roaming elephants, and black rhino conservation efforts. Forget safaris where a line of jeeps surrounds a single lion—here, it’s just you, the horizon, and a few (very distant) wild creatures.

How to Rewild Your Travel Style (Without Accidentally Destroying Nature)

Alright, you’re convinced. You’re ready to break free from the shackles of crowded beaches and guided tours. Now, how do you make your wilderness experience count without causing unintentional harm? A few golden rules:

1. Leave No Trace (Like, Actually)

No, “leave no trace” doesn't mean leaving 90% of your trash behind and claiming you tried. It means zero impact—carry out everything you brought in, don’t carve your initials into trees, and definitely don’t feed the wildlife (they are not your emotional support animals).

2. Support Conservation-Focused Travel

Opt for eco-lodges, rewilding safaris, and experiences that directly fund wildlife restoration. If your trip benefits nature as much as it benefits your Instagram feed, you're on the right track.

3. Go Slow & Stay Longer

Jetting off to five countries in one week? Please don’t. Rewilding travel thrives on slowing down, connecting deeply with a place, and embracing the fact that sometimes, the best thing you can do is just be.

4. Respect the Wild (It's Not a Theme Park)

No matter how much you love wildlife, resist the urge to get too close. That cute little fox? Yeah, it doesn’t want to be your friend. Keeping your distance ensures they remain truly wild—aka not reliant on human food handouts.

Rewilding Travel: A Fad or the Future?

Look, we all know the travel industry loves buzzwords. But rewilding travel isn’t just some fleeting trend designed to sell overpriced eco-tours. It’s a legit movement aimed at reversing our damage to the planet while letting us reconnect with nature in meaningful ways.

Sure, ditching luxury resorts for wilderness trails might not be everyone’s cup of tea. But if you’re craving something real—something raw, rewarding, and maybe just a tiny bit uncomfortable—rewilding travel might just be your next great adventure.

So go ahead. Trade the sun lounger for the great unknown. Step into the wild, let nature take the lead, and maybe—just maybe—you’ll come back not just with a tan, but with a renewed sense of awe for this planet we’ve all been treating like a disposable playground.