As if X Factor and Strictly weren’t enough to sink our reality TV-obsessed teeth into at the moment, I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here has just kicked off. (Featured image is by Joseph A Ferris III)
A total of 10 celebs started their stint in the Aussie jungle at the weekend, and the nation is already gripped by the trials and tribulations of the famous faces.
Some of the big names in the jungle this year include heavyweight boxer David Haye, self-proclaimed funnyman Brian Conley and uber-posh Made In Chelsea star Hugo Taylor.
As for the girls, Helen Flanagan and Charlie Brooks make up the soap star numbers, while Pussycat Doll Ashley Roberts and former Birds of a Feather star Linda Robson are also on hand.
The show has courted some controversy this year by allowing Nadine Dorries, a sitting Tory MP, to head into the jungle.
The MP for Mid Bedfordshire has said she is going on the show to reach a wider audience and get some debate started around the camp fire. It’s a nice idea, though we’re not sure how much serious debate can be had when there are snakes and creepy-crawlies all over the place!
I’m A Celebrity is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the celebs to experience living life in a jungle. However, the experience isn’t just for the rich and famous. There are jungles and rain forests just waiting to be explored. So, where are the world’s best jungle treks?
Madagascar
Located off the south-east coast of Africa, Madagascar is a country unlike any other. The island’s environment and wildlife have evolved with little influence from the outside world.
The natural habitat has been impacted by logging and human development, but there is still dense rainforest in the North and along the East coast in places like Amber Mountain National Park – one of the most diverse areas in Madagascar.
Brazil
Home to the majority of the Amazon Rainforest, Brazil is a must-visit for any jungle trekkers. Representing more than half of the world’s remaining rainforest, the Amazon is vast and fairly daunting place to visit.
Treks and excursions can be undertaken all over the rainforest, but many people head to the city of Manaus, in northern Brazil.
Trips into the rainforest to suit all tastes can be arranged, from journeys up the Amazon River to hikes through the undergrowth.
Borneo
Borneo is the third-largest island in the world, and is home to the oldest rainforest in the world – a staggering 130 million years.
Like Madagascar, Borneo has many plant and animal species not found anywhere else in the world. So, there’s plenty to see on a trip to the island.
The majority of the island is Indonesian, and has some of the least-explored segments of rainforest. But if you’re looking for a well-trodden excursion, the Malaysian states of Sarawak and Sabah, to the north, are probably a better option.
Australia
If it’s good enough for an outspoken MP, it’s good enough for us. Australia has several pockets of rainforest, which originated when the country had a far wetter climate.
The I’m A Celebrity contestants are currently residing in the Numinbar Nature Reserve, in north-east Australia. But for a more spectacular jungle experience, Daintree Rainforest is the place to go.
Located in North Queensland, Daintree Rainforest is famous for stretching right up to the coast and meeting sandy white beaches and colourful coral reef.
The rainforest is a hugely popular tourist spot, but it’s still possible to feel completely alone as you embark on a trek through the wildlife-heavy jungle.
