Naturetrek Traveller Reviews

This tour was arranged by Nature Trek. The walking followed part of the Pilgrimage Route to the Camino to Santiago from the French to the Spanish Pyrenees. During the week, Peter our guide pointed out various plants, flowers and fauna typically scene along the route. We also spotted birds, butterflies and birds, We also had the opportunity to learn more of Spain's sometimes turbulent history in addition to its natural wonders visiting some of the important churches and fortifications on the route which made it an interesting, varied and fascinating week. The accommodation for the week was excellent and Peter, Melanie and everyone at Casa Sarasa were excellent hosts which made this holiday even more special.

This is my fourth Nature Trek holiday. The organisation specialises in wildlife and nature holidays for all budgets and interests

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This was probably the best wildlife holiday I have ever been on. Everything was incredibly well organised, the accommodation and food was well above my expectations and the guides were superb. We saw so much more than I ever expected. I had a wonderful time and 2500 photos to remind me!

Incredibly well organised and very good communications. Top notch. Makes you feel that you matter to them. Will definitely use again,

From start to finish the holiday was well run. I worried about travelling for the first time on my own but the paperwork and clear instructions made this easy. On arrival we went to the accommodation where we were taken to our room before having a lovely lunch of simple yet delicious food. This quality continued throughout the holiday. We were then taken to our first birding location to get first view of the raptor migration. Weary we all went back to the rooms for showers and rest before meeting p in the evening for a delicious meal and discussion of the sightings of the day. This pattern continued for the rest of the holiday with no meal being sub standard. and the guide knowing exactly where to look for the wildlife depending on the wind direction and local knowledge.Through out the holiday we were informed of different aspects of the culture and what is being done in the area to help the wildlife. Which only added to the interest in the country.

Efficient and helpful

Fantastic trip to a place I never thought I would see with my own eyes. Amazing wildlife. Incredible expert guides.

Specialise in nature tours to different parts of the world.

I had no idea how varied this holiday would be! From the wide vistas of mountain scenery while hiking in the Carpathian Mountains, to leisurely sunny days spent floating along the many channels of the pristine Danube Delta. Viewing birds galore, the entire 10 days were bursting with wonderful experiences. Some highlights included the many beautiful butterflies in Romania, each species carefully identified by our guides. Seeing a total of seven wild Brown Bears, including 2 cute cubs, from a bear hide in the deepest forest. Bran Castle, the only touristy spot in all of Transylvania! Our visit to Greci, a traditional village in the Danube Delta. The vast number of birds inhabiting the Delta and therefore the importance of protecting this gem. Swimming in the Black Sea with 'the locals'.

Naturetrek is a name you can trust with excellent credentials that they continually live up to. They attend to every detail, the entire tour groomed to ensure that their customers will have an enjoyable and memorable experience.

My holiday in Gibraltar & Taifa studying the Autumn migration of birds, whales and dolphins, was incredible, my feet didn't touch the ground, we covered so much with an amazing tour leader whose wealth of knowledge was second to none. The food, accommodation, itinerary (and the weather!) was everything I could have wished for. It was a whole new experience, and one which I will repeat with Naturetrek again next year.

From the first day I contacted Naturetrek I was impressed by their efficiency, friendliness, and excellent customer service

I flew into Guayaquil, spent 2 days there, and then flew to the Galapagos, for a 7 day tour. I then flew to Quito, and spent 2 days there, before going on to Sacha Lodge in the Amazon for 3 days. It was a very physical holiday-walking, hiking over a variety of terrain, snorkeling,birding from land and water. The habitats changed dramatically, from city to small settlements, ocean to mangroves, lava field to jungle.

Naturetrek did a terrific job in organizing this holiday. All our guides were competent, knowledgeable, organized, and truly helpful. We were picked up and dropped off on time, the hotels, and other accommodations, were excellent, and all transitions were smooth.

It was wonderful to have the opportunity to approach closely an extraordinary diverse range of mammals, reptiles and birds. The organisation of the holiday was first rate and the holiday as a whole was extremely enjoyable.

Naturetrek were extremely helpful in arranging our particular flights for us (different from the Group flights) at a very competitive price. The accommodation provided was totally acceptable given the isolated nature and the tour was arranged so we stayed an appropriate number of nights at each stop. The local guide supplied was extremely knowledgeable about the wildlife. We will certainly be travelling with Naturetrek in the future and would have no hesitation in recommending them to our friends

The Naturetrek 'Abruzzo in Autumn' tour was lead by a very experienced group leader and most ably assisted by an excellent co-leader. The organisation was first class and the itinerary re-arranged to accommodate any changes in weather forecasts for the relevant planned activities. Individual interests and requests were met wherever possible and the knowledge of flora and fauna species by the leaders was amazing with any queries followed up the same evening. The leaders passion for their subjects was obvious from the start and their organisation was first class with all domestic or personal issues dealt with to everyone's satisfaction. Virtuall all wildife that was mentioned in the overall tour information was indeed seen with the one main exception being the wolf. To actually see a wolf would have been the icing on the cake but chances of achieving this are extremely rare, however, obvious signs of these creatures was present and a carcass of a recent red deer kill was discovered along with tell tale scats. Scenery was beautiful and the peace and quite of the countryside delightful. An amazing area of interest and lots to see and do.

All aspects of the tour were covered from start to finish and one could relax in the knowledge that any problems that might arise would be dealt with most efficiently. An example of this was on a previous Naturetrek tour when the return flight was cancelled, due to a French Air Traffic Controllers strike, and all necessary arrangements were made for us to return on a later re-scheduled flight. The extra time available was well used and all refreshments provided. The benefit of having all meals provided in the price allows one to be able to budget accordingly. Accommodation is comfortable and well situated for the planned excursions with any transfers to other hotels, as part of the tour, undertaken efficiently. Pre-travel questions are answered promptly and the service from Naturetrek has been outstanding with a huge range of holidays available to suit almost any interest.

The trip started inauspiciously with the non-arrival of one our bags at Sao Paulo. Fortunately my wife and I had cross-packed clothes and other items into two bags and we put the incident behind us. The wildlife viewing began as soon as we hit the gravelled Transpantaneira Road with abundant herons, egrets, raptors and kingfishers en route to our first lodge - Pouso Alegre - with a night drive after dinner despite being shattered with hardly any sleep for what seemed two days. The following day consisted of a leisurely early morning walk to the nearby marshes and exploring the countryside in our open-sided safari lorry later in the day. The following morning we set off in our safari lorry to Porto Jofre for the boat ride to the Southwild Jaguar Flotel and joked that by the next day we just might have sighted our first Jaguar. Little did we know that within 30 minutes or so of our first boat trip that afternoon we would encounter not one but two Jaguars and a group of Giant River Otters hunting just a few metres from our boat! In the 4 nights spent at the Flotel we encountered multiple sightings of 8 Jaguars - Roxanne, Tore & Kim (the two brothers), Marley, Hunter, Mick, Nessi and Anne. Our final stop, for three nights, was at the Southwild Pantanal Lodge on the bank of the Pixaim River. We had barely set out on our first river trip when we saw yet another Jaguar which is not common at this location. The Pixaim River is a very tranquil river teeming with herons, egrets and kingfishers and there is never a dull moment especially when an Amazon Kingfisher decides to perch on your boat right in front of you waiting for titbits thrown by the boatman. This lodge also has a night-time platform for viewing Ocelots. On the first night unfortunately we didn't see one but the following night one appeared right on cue. For me, the sighting almost eclipsed the Jaguar sightings it is such a beautiful cat. And then it was time to return home along with our second bag which we now been reunited with and begin sifting through 2000 images. A truly fantastic trip!

Naturetrek is a very professional operator and have honed their trips to perfection. I particularly like the way no time is wasted by spending stopover nights. It's straight in and no messing even though you may be a little short on sleep.

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