Attenborough at 90: how to visit the locations of his greatest series

As the natural historian and presenter turns 90, we guide you through his landmark TV series and how to visit some of the dazzling locations

Zoo Quest, 1954

Attenborough’s first major TV success was the seven-series Zoo Quest, which aired from 1954-1963. The first saw him travel to Sierra Leone with London Zoo curator Jack Lester in search of white-necked rockfowl.

How to do it: While West African nation is recovering from the debilitating effects of civil war and Ebola, it has been clear of the virus for several months. It is also home to hundreds of bird species and Bird Quest (birdquest-tours.com) is offering a trip to see them in their natural environment. Departing 7-21 February 2018, the small group tour will travel through a variety of habitats, from coastal mangroves to mountains and evergreen forests. It costs £3,320pp excluding international flights.

David Attenborough on a Zoo Quest in Komodo, 1956 (BBC)

The Blue Planet, 2001

This landmark series on the world’s oceans featured Attenborough as narrator, with each episode exploring a different aspect of marine life.

How to do it: Get a taste of how such a programme is put together on Natural World Safaris’ (naturalworldsafaris.com) eight-day California Blue Whales Film Crew Experience. Guests will swim with the world’s largest mammal and join Patrick Dykstra and his team in filming a nature documentary. Departing 3 August, it costs from £3,925pp excluding flights. There are only two places, so if you miss out, Natural World offers several other opportunities to swim with whales, whether it’s orcas in Norway or humpbacks in La Reunion.

Life in the Undergrowth, 2005

The five-episode series studied invertebrates using macro and close-up film technology. Attenborough travelled the world in search of its tiniest inhabitants, from New Zealand in search of glow worms, to Malaysia where he was visibly startled by the emergence of a trapdoor spider.

How to do it: Visit Waitomo Glowworm Caves on North Island to see thousands of glowworms on the grotto’s surfaces (waitomo.com). Nature Quest New Zealand (naturequest.co.nz) offers a range of nature tours including private guided trips and researched, customised tours accompanied by experienced naturalists.

Planet Earth, 2006

The most expensive documentary series ever commissioned by the BBC, Planet Earth’s 11 episodes each focused on a different biome or natural habitat, from mountains and caves to jungles and great plains.

How to do it: Expedia (expedia.co.uk) has a week-long break on Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula, where the Planet Earth team dived in the crystal clear waters of cenotes (sink holes), in stalactite- and stalagmite-fringed caves. A week’s B&B in a suite at Hotel Live Tulum, with flights but not transfers, costs from £695pp in June. Snorkelling excursions to the cenotes cost about US$50-70 through local outfits such as Akumal Dive Shop (akumaldiveshop.com) and Diving Cenotes Tulum (divingcenotestulum.com). Dives start at roughly US$100.

Madagascar, 2011

The stars of this show were lemurs, primates that are endemic to and synonymous with Madagascar. The film crew spent a month tracking one particular group of indiri lemurs, and filmed crowned lemurs moving amid the karsts of northern Madagascar. This series spawned a sequel: Attenborough and the Giant Egg, in which the presenter returns in search of the remains of eggs laid by long-extinct elephant birds.

How to do it: Kuoni (kuoni.co.uk) offers an 11-night Madagascar Explorer small group tour that takes in Isalo, Ranomafana and Mantadia national parks, all home to numerous species of lemur, as well as the scenic highlands and the island’s capital, Antananarivo. From £3,368pp including accommodation, most meals, transfers and guiding. International flights extra.

Sir David Attenborough pictured with lemurs during a lecture at London zoo in the 60s (Getty Images)

Frozen Planet, 2011

Filmed across both polar regions, this spectacular series centred around the changing seasons and the challenges faced by polar bears, Arctic wolves, Adelie penguins and wandering albatrosses.

How to do it: Explore the tundra of the Canadian Arctic – where part of the series was filmed – on Steppes Travel’s (steppestravel.co.uk) Classic Polar Bears group tour. From the small town of Churchill you’ll head out in specially adapted vehicles in search of the world’s largest bears, which flock here in their hundreds each autumn during their annual migration. You may also spot the Northern Lights. From £4,235pp including flights; departs October and November.

Polar bears in the Canadian Arctic (Shutterstock)

Galapagos 3D, 2013

The Sky series explored the Ecuadorian archipelago almost 200 years after Charles Darwin’s Beagle pulled ashore at the islands. It wast Attenborough’s fourth visit, during which time he encountered the Galapagos pink land iguana and the late Lonesome George, the last of the now extinct Pinta Island tortoises.

How to do it: Wildlife Worldwide (wildlifeworldwide.com) offers a number of specialist trips to the region, including the Five Day First Class Northern Galapagos cruiser, which visits some of the smaller islands including Santa Cruz and its flamingo-filled lagoons and sealions on Rabida. The group tour costs from £2,130pp excluding international flights.

Africa, 2013

The continent was explored in all its diversity, from the Atlas mountains to the Kalahari desert. The series took four years and 79 expeditions to film in 27 countries. Mozambique’s Gorongosa National Park featured in the last episode as a case for considering the threats to Africa’s wildlife. The park’s ecosystems and wildlife have been successfully restored after being devastated by years of civil war and destructive farming policies.

How to do it: Cedarberg Travel (cedarberg-travel.com) offers a 10-day tour of Mozambique including three nights in Gorongosa from £2,900pp, including flights.

The Hunt, 2015

Taking in locations from the Arctic to Africa, this series examined the relationship between predator and prey, capturing the brutal reality of a kill.

How to do it: Part of the series was shot in Nsefu, in Zambia’s South Luangwa National Park, which can be visited with Expert Africa (expertafrica.com) on a seven-night safari. From £3,486pp including flights, transfers, full board accomodation, wildlife spotting and park fees.

Lions in Zambia

Great Barrier Reef with David Attenborough, 2016

Attenborough has described his first time diving the Great Barrier Reef, in 1957, as “the most magical experience of my life”, and nearly 60 years later he returned, equipped with a submersible and a helicopter, to capture a unique perspective on the “rainforest of the sea”.

How to do it: Austravel (austravel.com) has a week-long Tropics and Tablelands itinerary that takes you round trip from Cairns, the gateway to the Reef, to diving hub Townsville. From £569pp including accommodation and car hire. Flights and excursions such as boat trips to the Reef are extra.