Naturetrek Traveller Reviews

We saw sea eagles, otters, pine martins and porpoises; and I saw a minke whale. We were well looked after by Naturetrec as per usual. This was our third naturetrec holiday. We thoroughly recommend their holidays for people who want an experience of nature with a qualified and experienced leader - together with the company of likeminded people.

If by tour operator you mean the leader of our small group of eleven, then he was perfect; what else can I say.

Everything went to plan, there were no hiccups and we did and saw so much more than we'd anticipated. The mini Inca trail day was outstanding as was the day we were driven over the Andes from Cusco to Cock of the Rock Lodge in the cloud forest. The latter notched up at least 100 new bird species, many of them seen along the route, where we stopped frequently for birding and cultural visits. All our guides, drivers and hotel staff were friendly, informed and generally excellent

Naturetrek(UK) guided us, managed and arranged our holiday based on my research and reading of group holidays to Peru with an emphasis on nature, landscape and culture. We chose the bits we wanted to include and added activities that I had read about on line (eg - Palomino Islands just off Peru - an excellent trip, including swimming with sea lions- would recommend this after a long haul over night flight to Lima from Heathrow via Madrid)Inkanatura managed our trips, guides, drivers, bookings, food, accommodation, pick ups, transfers etc once in Peru. All staff were brilliant. Professional and knowledgeable local people who could offer a real insight to the 'real' Peru.

A small party of keen nature watchers travelling on a Ketch through the inside passage of the Alaskan panhandle. The tour included frequent trips in mosaics to isolated beaches for nature watching but also to access bear watching areas controlled by US Dept Agriculture. As we progressed through the passage we kept watch for whales and at one point we were surrounded by 13 feeding Humpback whales a number of which were really close in to the boat. As well as the above also saw numerous birds seals. sea lions ,killer whales.

Nature trek specialise in wild life tours. They produce a full and updated colour brochure every year. Additionally their website is well maintained and informative. If you prefer the personal touch you can phone them and speak to a trip advisor. In my experience the brochure information on hotels and food is always accurate. The brochure also includes information on the level of fitness required for each trip. Nature trek tour guides are always approachable, knowledgeable and unflappable. I always feel relaxed when travelling with Nature trek confident that if the unexpected happens Nature trek will see you home safe.

THIS WAS MY SECOND SPITSBERGEN POLAR BEAR HOLIDAY WITH NATURETREK. I WENT IN JULY 2011, I ENJOYED IT SO MUCH I WANTED TO VISIT AGAIN. WE HAD VERY GOOD NATURETREK LEADERS WITH US MAKING SURE WE WE DIDN'T MISS ANYTHING. POLAR BEARS, WALRUS, REINDEERS, ARCTIC FOXES, THREE DIFERENT SPECIES OF SEALS, HARP, BEARDED & RINGED. WE SAW FANTASTIC CLIFFS WITH BREEDING BIRDS, LITTLE AUKS, GUILLEMOTS, PUFFINS, SO MANY MORE DIFFERENT BIRDS AND AMAZING SIGHTS. THE ICE COLOUR AND REFLECTIONS IN THE SEA WERE SPECTACULAR. IF I HAD THE CHANCE, I WOULD GO AGAIN.

NATURETREK IS AN EXCELLENT TOUR OPERATOR. I HAVE BEEN WITH OTHER TOUR COMPANIES TO MANY DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE WORLD, MANY YEARS AGO, BUT I THINK NATURETREK ARE THE BEST.

We saw not only many plants (many endemic to the area) and birds (including Egyptian Vultures and rare White-rumped Swifts) but also Paleolithic rock engravings and much historic scenery in both town and country.

Always professional and good value for money.

The whole holiday was well organised to maximise our enjoyment. Each day was a relaxed pace, with the odd more exerting climb available should we want it! We saw an amazing array of wildlife, thanks to the expertise of our guides.

Great communication, plenty of advance information, and incredibly well planned.

Well conceived and planned. Organising and guiding very good indeed.

Used many times. Quality reliable.

This two-base week was Naturetrek's first venture into this underpopulated region of northern Portugal, It included Portugal's highest mountains, the Serra da Estrela, rising to 2000 metes. Led by one of Naturetrek's stalwarts, and seconded by a young Spanish botanist and birdlover, we were fully informed of the variety of birds, butterflies and flowers we encountered , first in the lowland , then on the flanks of the granite mountains. The great attraction for me was the range of kites, harriers, vultures and eagles, surely a bonus of the barren regions, regions however obviously carriying a rich vertebrate source of food for these predators and carrion-eaters. On the granite uplands, botanising was a matter of getting down on one's knees, so minute the flowers and their foliage. But as a geologist, i find interest in the diverse crystallography of granites. Another 'novelty' in this tour was a night-time expedition to view four palaeolithic engravings of horses and horned cattle,. Recently discovered and identified, they were cut onto open near-vertical rock faces. They are best viewed at night, illuminated by strong sideways light, which enables the shallow graffiti to be seen more clearly.

Naturetrek is a first-rate tour operator. I have travelled twice annually, for manŷ years,on both European and long-distant tours. I have several times been on Naturetrek's first time runs, to Syria, to northern Argentina, and now to Northern Portugal. Even then, I have found that their diligent preparation and consultation of local experts makes these exciting ventures. As I became older and less agile, i have always found that the leaders and my colleagues have helped me overthe more strenuous places. Regrettably, this year may be my last Naturetrek tour. I am almost eighty and have become more disabled (and will then be less insurable). I shall treasure my Naturetrek tours among the most enjoyable of all my many 'Nature Treks'.

It covered all of the areas of wildlife I expected, and more. It was based at a single Bed & Breakfast location which takes so much of the strain out of this kind of holiday, the majority of which use several sites. The travelling ran smoothly and was less hassle than driving to work is most days! I fed well, relaxed when necessary, put in the hard yards when there was wildlife to find, and generally reaped rewards way beyond what one might expect in just seven days.

Naturetrek provided all the details expected and always answered my queries when I felt something needed clarification. They employed guides with very good levels of expertise, especially in one area which had probably not lived up to expectations the year before. In recent times, I had felt it necessary to grumble a little about certain aspects of tours in which I had partaken (with various Companies), but this time I could not really find fault with anything major.

The Just brown bears tour of Finland was excellent. So many bears to watch in the forest hide. The lodge was comfortable and it was all in all a great getaway.

Naturetrek IPAs very professional and helpful, responding promptly to any queries.