Naturetrek Traveller Reviews

I have recently been to the Dolomites with Naturetrek on a nature tour looking at wildflowers, butterflies and birds.

Naturetrek run a wide variety of nature tours. The leaders on this one, particularly the female botanist were very good.

The Realm of the Polar Bear was an 8 day Naturetrek cruise aboard the Ortelius, which is run by Oceanwide Expeditions. The Naturetrek experts in birds, mammals and plants were supplemented by Oceanwide expedition crew with their own expertise in Arctic wildlife, ice and polar bears. The itinerary was flexible according to weather and ice conditions and we went as far north as possible in search of polar bears, seeing 11, with wonderful views over drift ice, the third largest ice sheet in the world and stunning views of the Svalbard coast. Many glaciers are in retreat with global warming and the threat to wildlife and the planet was clear to all. With the expert help of our leaders we saw Blue whale, Humpback whale, walrus, arctic fox and numerous seabirds scarcely seen in the UK, and most days had at least one expedition ashore in zodiacs to search for wildlife and see the habitation left by hunters in the past. The food and comfort aboard the Ortelius was excellent, adding to a truly memorable experience.

The information supplied by Naturetrek in advance lived up to expectations in every way. The leaders were on hand at the airports to sort out ticketing and luggage issues, as well as providing daily briefings about wildlife seen and on hand on deck and on shore to help identify plants and birds and provide assistance when needed eg with life jackets etc. Oceanwide expedition leaders in charge of the zodiacs ensured we were safe on shore as well as providing talks on board ship. Everything was well organised and smoothly run.

The company of a group with similar interests is a great pleasure on a Natural History trip. The family run hotel made us very welcome and provide an excellent base for our daily excursions with a Natural History bias.

Naturetrek always provides friendly and knowlegable leaders to run their holidays.They have a wide range of interests and their enthusiasm with beginners and experts alike is infectious.

Reviewer's images:

Spectacular views - Birds - good food - nice people - best of all Flowers and excellent Guides.

Naturetrek

Enjoyed touring the Rodope and Pirrin mountains on the border berween Greece and Bulgaria. amazing scenery and amazing variety of wildlife seeing over 50 species of dragonfly and over 100 butterflies. hotel accommodation good standard as was the food

Very organised and reliable. This was our 5th holiday with them

This Arctic expedition surpassed my expectations. This was in part due to the wonderful organisation and leadership of the expedition team. I felt completely confident in the team which allowed me to enjoy the wonderful and captivating scenery as well as the wildlife , which was a joy. The guides - both groups were helpful, enthusiastic and knowledgeable. I was so impressed with the whole venture. Thanks too to the wonderful crew and staff of the Ortelius

Good , clear information in a timely fashion. Very pleasant on the phone. Come back to you when they say they will. Clearly committed to their clientele. Employ a good range of knowledgeable, experienced guides who are a pleasure to be with. They clearly engage with their guides to put teams together

From the time of planning the holiday with the Naturetrek office to the traveling there and back and the seven days enjoying the itinerary, I felt comfortable and re assured that all would go well and there would be no hitches or disappointments. I was right, as usual! The flowers and butterfies in these upland areas were wonderful and gave me great happiness and enjoyment, especially the day walking with new made friends in the upland meadows with the cows and their bells ringing. The mountain scenery was a highlight.

Jessica Turner was an accomplished, organized and kind operator. Always aware of what was going on among the nineteen of us, and quick and calm about getting things done. She was also very knowledgeable about the flora and fauna and birds, and showed a skill of negotiating tactfully.

A top quality holiday, from two bases. The first base was in Kalavrita, near Mount Chelmos, in a spa hotel, which was seriously top quality in every way. The second base was in Delphi, and was also very good, with beautiful views into the valley. The Naturetrek tour guide, who was with us the whole holiday, and who led the daily field visits, and did all the driving was knowledgeable, patient, and really friendly. His expertise allowed us to see nearly 100 butterfly species, including two of Europe's three rarest butterflies. Every aspect of the holiday was excellent, and I would recommend it to anyone, even those with a marginal interest in butterflies, because of the views, the food and the excellent company.

This was my fifth Naturetrek holiday. They have always been excellent in every way, both in the pre-holiday period (all the pre-departure information), and in the organisation of the holiday itself. Literally, between turning up at the airport at the start of the holiday, and picking up baggage on return to the UK, I don't have to think about a thing. Top quality company.

I had no problem going on my own. It was a lovely holiday with a friendly group and top class leaders. The days were packed with so much choice, bird watching ,wild flowers ,butterfly's and moths . The Italian Dolomite's were amazing.

This is my second Holiday with Naturetrek and I cannot fault them. They are so knowledgeably and nothing is to much trouble, very helpful.

In perfect weather, we enjoyed excellent days out seeing not only so many different species of birds but flowers, butterflies and insects. Our leaders were excellent, extremely knowledgeable, very friendly and approachable and in my opinion made the holiday. I am relatively inexperienced but was made to feel very comfortable and relaxed.

The booking and information given was excellent. The staff in the office were excellent and very helpful.. Any queries I had were dealt with on the phone quickly and efficiently.