Naturetrek Traveller Reviews

A well organised visit that was conducted fluently by our excellent guides. Unfortunately the blue whales had left the area we visited far earlier than normal in persuit of their food the krill. Great efforts made by our guides and the boat crew to find the whales with greatly extended trips to sea. Despite the lack of whales the trips were extremely enjoyable and resulted in the sighting of whale sharks, hammerhead shark, various dolphins, a ray, flying fish and a turtle. Hotel at our base of Mirissa was very good and the staff efficient and attentive. An onward journey to Yala provided some interesting scenery and some bird spotting. The wildlife at Yala was more obliging than the whales and we saw a good range of mammals and birds; this did include a good long sighting of a leopard descending a tree, going for a short walk and then climbing another tree to have a cat nap. Wide selection of Sri Lankan and European food served up at Cinnamon Wild Lodge where we stayed. Onwards once again for about half our group and one guide to Sinharaja Forest and the Blue Magpie Lodge, the remainder of the group either doing their own extension or returning home. Blue Magpie Lodge may be described as small and simple, but the staff were superb and the food a wonderfully varied diet of typical Sri Lankan dishes, GREAT. Plenty of birds and wildlife on view from the roofed open air dinning room, although a Sri Lanka blue magpie did not visit us, we had to search the nearby Sinharaja forest for them and had some very good view of them and many other bird species. This was not exclusively a birding trip, so to see 25 of Sri Lanka's 33 endemic species seemed to be exceptionally good for a non-birder. Early start to get one last birding trip in started or final day and after a find last lunch at the Blue Magpie Lodge we were off on a scenic journey back to Colombo and a night at the Airport Garden Hotel. Another good hotel,great food and no noise from the nearby airport allowed a good nights rest before we started our journey home. A memorable holiday to a very welcoming country and people, very tempted to return and not just to see blue whales.

Have travelled with Naturetrek several times and always found the holiday to be as stated in the itinerary, to be well organised and to have excellent local naturalist guides. Planing and booking the holday is usually straightforward with the aid of well informed and helpful staff. Holiday paperwork, bird or animal lists etc is comprehensive and easy to understand. The accomadation provided is always well described and of a good standard for what is locally available.

Well organised, wonderful food, excellent group leader who went all out to help us to see everything in the area.

I could speak directly to a person who actually wasn't just reading off a computer screen. They arranged a flight from a local airport saving me a trip to London.

A very comfortable and enjoyable trip. Saw far more birds and mammala than anticipated. Relally enjoyed visiting rural villages - way off the beaten track. Boat a very co fortable and relaxing way to travel around India

Well organised trip. We added a tailormade extension and all arrangements were excellent. Lovely heritage hotels. They listened to our requirements and understood what we wanted.

We went to Chilean Patagonia hoping perhaps to see an occasional distant Puma, which is what happened for the first 2 days. However, on the third day (sounds like the book of Genesis!) we had the most outstanding sighting of a big cat imaginable - beautiful weather, very close up and on foot. It will rank as a wildlife highlight for a long time. To have 2 more similar sightings in the next 2 days was incredible. Add to all this incredible scenery and excellent other wildlife encounters and it was an outstanding trip in every way

I am a Naturetrek fan. We have done several trips with them and their guides in particular are outstanding. I also like the fact that prices include more or less everything and are very competitive. This complex trip was well organised and thoroughly enjoyable. It was especially good to have the Naturetrek Tour Manager along with us.

It was very organized, the accomodation was first class. As a vegetarian, the food was cooked specially for me and it was amazing.

excellent and very organized.

A tour & exploration to discover some of the birds & animals to be found throughout Southern Costa Rica. Varied terrains, regions, & accommodation were experienced in order to see as much as possible without speeding from place to place. A well paced trip with excellent leaders/guides.

This is the 3rd. time I have travelled with "Naturetrek". The service they give is EXCELLENT & when I want an "animal" trip I consult their brochure first.

From the High Atlas to the desert to the coast, this was a great trip looking for birds in the various habitats. The Atlas Mountains were stunning and we were also treated to swathes of wild flowers in several locations. The weather was kind and we saw so many birds - thanks in part to our superb guide Chris, ably assisted by our lovely local guide, Mohammed. We had a really nice group and with many eyes, we didn't miss out on the birds. We had lots of traditional Moroccan food - tagines a-plenty! The mint tea was delicious but the Saffron tea a rather acquired taste! Accommodation was good throughout - we particularly enjoyed the riad in Taroudant with its beautiful flower-clad courtyard and delicious food. Morocco is a fascinating country to visit and Naturetrek covered all the areas we wanted to visit and made this a truly memorable trip.

Naturetrek were extremely efficient with providing details before our journey - they had even arranged for our boarding passes which we hadn't expected. Everything went smoothly from the moment we boarded the 'plane outbound to boarding the plane homeward. All arrangements in Morocco were very well-organised. The trip was as described in the information and everything went smoothly. As previously stated, our guides were excellent as were the two drivers - all working long hours but remaining cheerful. I would recommend Naturetrek to anyone without reservation, and we certainly would hope to travel with them again in the future.

Due to the outstanding knowledge and expertise of our Naturetrek guides we were privileged to see all the 'wished for' rare mammals on this trip including Aardvark, Brown Hyena, Bat Eared Fox, African Wild Cat and the magnificent Black-maned Lion. This was besides an abundance of top quality sightings of more usual but equally beautiful mammals, birds, reptiles and insects. Every day was rich with exciting wildlife in stunning and varied settings.

I consider Naturetrek to be an outstanding and wide ranging wildlife tour operator. Whilst always maintaining a personal and attentive response to any queries or concerns,their knowledge and expertise on wildlife greatly enrich every wildlife experience. All aspects of organisation including practical pre-departure information and useful suggested books to read are excellent. This knowledge, enthusiasm and responsiveness extends throughout the company. Their genuine interest and promotion of wildlife makes them so much more than just a tour operator.

The first winter holiday I've taken away from warmer climes! With the suggested 'layers' of warm clothing, I found this short trip very pleasant. Yes, it was cold, but the snow across the Pyrenees was quite beautiful, stunning scenery and plenty of wildlife to see. Imagine a red fox, sitting on sparkling snow on a sunny morning, Griffon Vultures gliding over snow clad mountains, far away chamois feeding where the snow had melted, a perky red squirrel appearing from a fir tree covered in snow. Magnificent Red and Black Kites, close-up views of Crossbills, a busy little Wallcreeper the closest I've ever seen, on the face of a narrow gorge, and the beauty of the trip -the Wildcat! We were lucky in seeing two different male cats for over an hour, listening for prey, pouncing and walking around. With great food throughout, excellent accommodation and first-class guiding, this winter break was something different and enjoyable.

Naturetrek are a well-organised company, giving excellent pre-tour information and Leader/Guides. Accommodation has always been good, as has the food, and they cover some of the more unusual destinations for finding wildlife, making the overall holiday interesting and enjoyable.

A very enjoyable weekend in the Forest of Dean looking for target bird species and mammals of the area. The tour leaders were excellent and worked hard to secure superb sightings of crossbill, hawfinch and goshawk as well as other bird species. Excitement was experienced by those intrepid nighttime explorers who wished to see wild boar and again the tour leaders ensured that there was no disappointment. A large and fierce looking boar was seen within minutes. Later in the evening, under a moonlit sky, a family group of approximately eight members was seen by the road side eating swedes. Torch light assisted the viewing as the group scampered away. Other mammals of the area included fallow deer and rodents.

I am a repeat customer with Nature Trek and as a firm they have always delivered. They have excellent knowledge of the area in which their trips take place. They used tour leaders who are extremely knowledgeable on both the species searched for and the environments/areas in which the species are located.