Naturetrek Traveller Reviews

This was a tour of Mull's lovely scenery and a quest to find the rare and amazing wildlife that lives there. It was also a visit to the fantastical Staffa Island and Fingles Cave and to the Bird sanctuary of Lunga Island,a really 'Up close and personal experience' with the teeming bird life nesting there. We were a small group of 8 like minded nature lovers with a very experienced tour Leader,staying in a comfortable Hotel with good food and attentive staff.

Naturetrek is a very experienced travel company,specialising in everything natural,flaura,fauna and scenery both in the UK and abroad. I have been with them on 29 trips and plan to go again and again,each trip living up to expectations.

From start to finish, this was a winner. Really good communications with staff at Naturetrek. Very thorough paperwork as background and planning. A really top-drawer leader in the person of Tom Brereton, who was efficient, calm, friendly and inclusive, with an admirable knowledge and experience of the natural world . I was not alone in pronoucing, on the way home on the ferry, that I would be happy to repeat the tour another year. There wasn't an idle moment - we were butterflying from the first day, offered optional pre-breakfast birding walks, and housed in a hotel that presented the very best of Normandy cuisine. Plus a memorable visit to the Bayeux tapestry and Manet-like picnics in beautiful locations. Who could ask for more?

As mentioned above, Naturetrek has created the very best of impressions. Very friendly and informative staff on the end of phone lines, a very inclusive pack of essential information for planning ahead and the inclusion of reports from previous tours to give a picture of what to expect. Very impressive. Faultless, in fact.

We visited Canopy Tower first for three nights and, WOW, what views of the Rain Forest, Panama Canal and Panama City. It was wonderful to see so many birds at our level. We went out walking and driving and altogether it was a great experience. The Tower is a unique venue in which to stay. On to Canopy Camp Darien and our tent was perfect in an isolated spot. Here we walked through the Rain Forest and took vehicles to bird watching areas, where we would do some walking. The highlight of our trip was going to see the 21 month old female Harpy Eagle - how lucky are we to see such a magnificent bird in full view, a sight we will never forget. We have some amazing photos. Our Guides were excellent. Their command of english makes it so easy to understand what they are saying and they were very enthusiastic and wanted to show us all the birds and wildlife that they could. All the staff at both venues were friendly and helpful.

Naturetrek have a wide ranch of bird watching and wildlife holidays in which to participate, so there is plenty to chose from. When we contact them on the phone the staff are always courteous, friendly, efficient and helpful. If they do not know an answer to a question they will always phone or email very quickly to give us the answer.

The initial impetus for my NATURETREK trip Just Brown Bears was a performance of Tapiola by Sibelius, music the mystery and which evokes the mystery and grandeur of the Finnish Taiga forest. I decided one must go there and browsing the web discovered the NATURETREK trip Just Brown Bears. I met up with the other members of the group at Kajaani airport and after a two hour journey largely through forest, arrived at the Martinselkosen centre in time for supper. The next morning there was a birdwatching trip with three stops. At the first, which overlooked an open area, great excitement was caused by two hunting waxwings. The second involved a walk to a hide which overlooked a lake. two particularly iconic birds were watched, a pair of cranes and a whooper swan. There was also a close view of a waxwing and a hobby. The profusion of flowering cloudberries was one of the pleasures of the walk back to the van. That afternoon we visited the bear watching hide. This involved a short trek through forest during which a mother bear and cub were spotted. The hide was equipped with bunks and seats for viewing the bears and what a performance they put on. The weather was cloudless and as the shadows lengthened during the evening the colours grew more and more magical. A party of gulls mainly black headed and back lesser black came to feed but only when the bears were there. An irritated gesture from a bear and they would scarper. We spent the night at the shelter. The next day the sun rose at 2.30 and shone solidly till midnight. There was a morning boat trip on a lake to see the Russian border and in the in mid afternoon a visit to another hide which looked across open land to woodland from which a bear or bears would make a dramatic entrance. The journey back to the centre provide a fitting climax to the holiday. Bears, fairly close by, were spotted on the walk to the van and finally driving back we saw a bear surveying us standing fully erect on the road ahead. The centre was excellent. I particularly liked the home cured salmon and the rye bread at breakfast. The dining room overlooked a bird feeder visited by a Siberian jay and nesting pied flycatchers.

The tour was excellently organised.

Our guide Paulo Ribeiro was excellent; amiable, knowledgable, resourceful and tireless. Our accommodation I would classify as adequate to very good (we stayed in the 3 different places). On the Flotel I enjoyed the interaction with and informative talks about the main animals we saw from an expert of the jaguar team conservation based on the boat. I loved going out on the boats looking for the jaguars and seeing the giant river otters I had on my 'hope list' to see. I'm not a very keen bird watcher; however the variety of birds we saw was stunning. I am a lover of wetlands and generally loved visiting the Pantanal.

I have travelled on tours with Naturetrek several times. Trips were always well organised and local guides have been very good. The staff at head quarters have always been pleasant, helpful and supportive when things did not go according to plan.

Naturetrek took me to France in searing heat and humidity, looking for odonata. It's one of my passions. It proved to be an inspired choice of trip, as it exceeded my expectations. From early admin to local tour guide leader, from local food and wine to an enjoyable journey by Eurostar, I can wholeheartedly recommend this trip to anyone with a love of wildlife, especially odonata. Maybe next time, the French could turn the heat down a bit....

I have travelled with Naturetrek a fair few times now and have always had a great time. Having a love of wildlife helps, of course. However, Naturetrek do it so much better than most.

It was a fabulous trip to Panama to see the harpy eagle along with a host of other fantastic bird species – and also three toed sloth, which was an unexpected and exciting surprise. The trip went very well (and all too quickly!. I can’t fault our guide. He was so knowledgeable and helpful; nothing was too much trouble and he was always at pains to ensure everyone in the group saw all the birds. The camp accommodation, the food and the excursions were all first class. It was a punishing schedule but that appealed to me as it meant no time was wasted. Even the weather was kind to us!

Have travelled with Naturetrek on 13 holidays over the past 11 years. They are first class. They offer a wide range of world-wide holidays all of which are very well developed, organized and run. Will happily continue to use them as my holiday provider!

Naturetrek holiday to Croatia with main focus on butterflies but also enjoyed the scenery, flower meadows, birds, lizards etc. Well-organised with two knowledgeable guides for the group of 14 people, with varying interests but all friendly and with a good sense of humour! We stayed at three hotels, located near the National Parks, where we made very welcome and provided with plenty of food. Leisurely walks (lunch provided) allowed time to look at the varied fauna and flora, while enjoying the input and fellowship of all on the trip. (We also enjoyed a week of warm, sunny weather with only a few minutes of rain while we travelled in the minibus!)

Naturetrek provide excellent summaries of trips, helpful pre-departure information, arrange flights/minibus and accommodation plus guides. All food is provided so, basically, clients can just relax and enjoy all there is to see. Their brochure details the focus of trips and grades the walks as gentle, moderate or strenous so you can choose what suits your interests/fitness.

A short trip with lots of varied and interesting activities. Bird watching, moth trapping, bird ringing, wild flowers, butterflies, boat trip .......not to mention the history and local culture or the successful hunt for blonde hedgehogs. Amazing amount packed into just 5 days, but never felt rushed or hurried. Delightful hotel right on the quayside. Both guides were excellent and also very good company. .....and we were blessed with superb warm, sunny weather.

Well organised. All expectations met. Relaxed and pleasant attitude.

The whole trip, from the Carpathian mountains, to the Danube Delta and other stunning habitats, was very well planned, executed and expertly guided. We were very fortunate to see everything that we hoped for and much more.

Very professional, friendly and efficient.