Naturetrek Traveller Reviews

Although classed as a Mammal Safari and my wife and I mainly photograph birds it was excellent for both mammals and birds-- the mammals were as amazing as the birds-- a really terrific experience. We have now booked with Naturetrek to return to Southern Africa next year.

This was our second trip with Naturetrek and both trips have been very enjoyable. The wildlife, accommodation and food has always been great. Clearly a lot of thought and care goes in to these holidays and it is much appreciated.

Reviewer's images:

Roberts leadership helped us to gain knowledge of photographing landscapes and get many excellent photos. We visited more places than expected and the holiday was good value for money. It was a very friendly and small group. The hotel was comfortable with good food.

The tour operator kept us informed and answerered any questions promptly

Spectacular scenery and the composition of the tour was excellent with a nice mixture of natural history and geology. We had comfortable accommodation and abundant food. Our local guides were very knowledgeable on the mammals, birds, plants and trees and the geothermal areas we visited, Nothing was too much trouble for them and they were a lot of fun too.

We have been on several trips with Naturetrek and found then to be very professional. Itineraries are well researched and arranged with plenty of pre departure information. The leader they sent on this trip was excellent and we would certainly travel with him again.

Naturetrek 'Just Cats' tour ( October 22nd - 2nd November 2018 ) ~ we saw cats ( in spades ) but so much more. Informative guides, fantastic wild-life viewing ~ could not have asked for better.

Arrangements were excellent, staff pleasant and helpful ~ absolutely no complaints

small group holiday with 2 naturalist guides. The morning were gentle walks looking at wildlife and vegetation and the afternoons visiting places of interest in the region. Transport was good. Evening meeting to check on the day's viewings was helpful.

Very well organised trip. Full-board which included a packed lunch for greater freedom and an evening meal in a local restaurant experiencing regional dishes. Both guides were thoughtful and very knowledgeable, ensuring everyone was included and had a chance to see specific birds such as the Golden eagle as it flew past.

Birding for 2 weeks on mainland PNG. Excellent guides, local men as we were the only ones on the trip, perfect logistics that went without a hitch, great accommodation and we saw birds of paradise aplenty

Always reliable, accommodating and extremely helpful when we’re deciding on our next trip

All the guides were excellent , particularly our tour leader Jose Antonio. The holiday was very well organised by Naturetrek. Highlights were many but included birds such as Peruvian pelican,Inca tern,hoatzin,rufous crested coquette,lyre tailed nightjar and shining sunbeam. We will never forget the macaw clay lick in the rain forest or our first encounter with a caiman. Equally unforgettable was the lush spectacular cloud forest , with amazing epiphytes on the trees. Also amazing tree ferns. Some great insects seen included leaf cutter ants, army ants,bullet ants, preying mantis and katydids. The Inca sites were spectacular but the crowds at Machu Picchu were awful. This was not a relaxing holiday . By the end we were exhausted with all the travel. But the wildlife was superb and just to experience tha Andes was a real privilege.

Very well organised and efficient.

We have used Naturetrek several times and have been more than happy with their service and their holidays and this was no exception. This trip was to Lake Naivasha and Masai Mara- both we’re perfect for nature watching and relaxing. We were very fortunate with wildlife sightings and our driver/guide was excellent. We booked an extension which also worked well, with transferrs and tours being really great.

We have used Naturetrek several times and would definitely recommend then for service, organisation and quality. They go the extra mile.

We spent 7 days on Safari through Botswana's Kalahari Desert, and the Okavango Delta. We were excellently guided and taken care of by the tour staff, and were incredibly lucky, spotting many Leopards, Lions, and Wild Dogs.

Shadrek was a knowledgeable leader who opened our eyes to the wonderful natural landscapes and wildlife of the region. He was organised, and full of brilliant stories of his youth, growing up in Botswana.

Reviewer's images:

The initial part of our holiday was a group tour to Borneo staying at 3 different lodges with the main aim of finding Orang- utans in the wild. We then added on an extension to Gaya Island staying at the Bunga Raya resort. The group element was everything we could have hoped for; the guides, Tim and Hazwan were extremely knowledgeable and accommodating. The group (8 in total) was an ideal combination and despite the wide age range we complimented each other perfectly due to our joint passion for seeing wildlife in its natural habitat. The first lodge we stayed at was Sepilock Nature Reserve. The quality of the food and accommodation was excellent and the setting was stunning. We saw interesting birds and monitor lizards from our balcony. On an impromptu early evening stroll we were amazed to encounter our first wild orang-utans and male and female thrashing about in the trees above us looking for a suitable nesting site for the night. The following day was spent visiting the Sepilock orang-utan santuary where we had plenty of close-up sightings or orangs and macaques plus an array of beautiful birds. The second lodge we stayed at, Sakau Rainforest Lodge was situated on the Kinabatangan River. Although the accommodation was fairly basic the food and location more than made up for it. Early morning and evening boat trips took us almost within touching distance of amazing birds and families of monkeys - it was highly entertaining watching their behaviour and listen to their vocal communication. Just outside the rooms there were often incredible butterflies enjoying the nectar from the various flowering shrubs. The journey to the Danum Valley Lodge was all part of the adventure with many manmade bridges to cross and wildlife to spot on the way. The Lodge itself was absolutely stunning and clearly well thought out, located on the edge of a river with a panoramic view across the valley and high sided forest. The accommodation was excellent and the food was out of this world and catered for a wide pallet. There was just not enough room in my stomach to do it all justice and I still think about it. The extensive programme of walks and open vehicle rides delivered multiple wildlife sightings including several orang-utans, other primate, hornbills, lizards, birds, snakes, civets, amazing insects and frogs. Much of the wildlife was spotted around the grounds of the Lodge including a large male orang-utan which came down a tree right in front of us and went on his way. Perhaps the most fascinating experience we were treated to was viewed from the lodge grounds in the trees the other side of the river. A gibbon and and binterong were feeding on fruit on the same tree and started squabbling and teasing each other - this went on for a good hour and was truly a David Attenborough experience. Luckly we with the aid of our guide's scope we were able to get close up views. On the whole our experience at Bunga Raya was a good one. The setting and grounds were beautiful and well laid out. The room was absolutely perfect and just what we asked for being high up within the resort, extremely comfortable and with privacy and lovely views. An added bonus were a pair of hornbills which regularly perched on trees nearby and even landed on our staircase enabling us to observe and photograph them with ease. Another positive feature of the resort was their coral reef which they are making every effort to protect. Snorkeling was the main draw for us to this resort and whilst not outstanding, it was very enjoyable and relaxing. The giant clams were fascinating. Sadly, there is evidence of plastic and other man made pollution, albeit the staff are doing their best to combat this. There is a pond within the resort next to one of the restaurants which is inhabited by several monitor lizards (up to 6 ft long) which are entertaining to watch whilst dining. The downside of Bunga Raya was the lack of ambience and quality of food on offer, albeit the staff were very attentive and did their best. Moreover wine was, in our view, totally overpriced, especially in conjunction with the standard of the food menu. The boat ride to Bunga Raya is very basic with a lack of care over people's luggage - this could be much improved.

We have come to trust Naturetrek to deliver a certain standard of wildlife holiday in terms of the destination, wildlife encounters, food, accommodation and guides. The staff at Naturetrek are extremely helpful and respond well to queries and do their best to accommodate our wishes and particular requirements. We have been with them on 3 trips now and have not been disappointed. We are planning our next trip with them.