Naturetrek Traveller Reviews

Naturetrek is to be highly commended for a very well organised, small group holiday, in what can only be described as a beautiful setting. The hotel was excellent, the weather unbelievable, and the scenery stunning. This was a holiday geared for botanists, I was on the trip more for the scenery, taking photographs, but did get caught up in the enthusiasm of the group as a whole. As an octogenarian I had concerns about keeping up with the group, but fortunately managed to do so, in spite of the amount of trekking we did. All in all a a very satisfying holiday, a lot to see, an excellent tour leader, and congenial companionship.

David is an excellent tour leader, and is extremely knowledgeable about the flora & fauna of the Swiss countryside. Given that some of the flowers were minuscule in size, he was able to spot them, identify them and explain in great detail the salient points about a particular flower or shrub. The days had to be kept flexible should the weather change, but David always had a 'plan B' should situation demand it. Everyday was different, something new to see, with a very diverse itinerary. Great job!

It was very well organized. The tour guides were extremely knowledgeable and patient with those of us whose fact retaining facilities are not quite what they used to be! They made sure we could cope with what was expected on each day and alternatives were provided for those who didn't want to do that, whereas others like me who didn't want to miss anything, were given every encouragement and help to take part. The hotel we stayed in was very comfortable and the staff were friendly and welcoming. I can't praise it highly enough.

I've already said above that he was extremely knowledgeable and was eager to share his lifelong experience and knowledge of all things natural with us. He also had a good sense of humour, which made the atmosphere for the whole trip very congenial.

The holiday was everything I had hoped it would be - stunning views, wonderful alpine meadows full of beautiful flowers, butterflies to see...That along with an excellent guide who made the holiday special from start to finish. It was the stuff of memories!

Excellent. With the guide and the hotel staff they arranged an emergency dentist for me, en route to our destination, on a Sunday afternoon! Can't say better than that. It was amazing - if expensive - I'm hoping that Gordon Ramsay will pay up - it was due to a hard material in his sausage at the airport!

Despite visiting in the rainy season I had an excellent holiday. Our guide, Alexis Sanchez, managed to keep us out of the storms most of the time and still ensured we saw masses of wildlife. I thoroughly recommend this holiday.

Naturetrek take time to ensure all aspects of the holiday are well organised and their clients are well looked after. As a single traveller I find this very reassuring.

a week visiting wildlife sites in shetland from sumburgh head to unst. saw rare birds such as wimbrel,ren necked phalarope,storm petrel,divers,mergansers,skua's gannets and many other seabirds. visited bressay,noss,toft,yell,,fetlar, unst. also visited,shetland bus memorial,and other historical sites on the islands.

all travel arrangements went to plan, hotels were good value. guide was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic.

An outstanding expedition in the Arctic circle staying on the MV Ortelius. The accommodation is lovely, and all the crew and staff ensure everyone is well looked after. The expedition staff are extremely knowledgeable and ensure all guests get the most out of the trip. The wildlife viewing, indeed the whole perience, was truly amazing. To be out of reach of the outside world was very liberating - no phone, email, Internet, television, or even newspapers. This all adds to the experience and removes distractions so you can really appreciate this stunning corner of the world.

We booked fairly late for this holiday and Naturetrk ensured that we were ready for our departure. They look after you right from check in at Heathrow to your return to the same airport over a week later. They have put together an excellent package which has something for everyone taking a trip to this part of the world. All the staff, both on the office and the reason the trip, couldn't be any more helpful and we would highly recommend them.

The leaders were very knowledgeable about all aspects of the natural world. We spent our time walking in areas of the spanish countryside, off the beaten track, looking mainly for wild flowers and birds. Some of the locations were very scenic, mountain paths and gorges, rivers and meadows. We stayed in 2 small mountain hotels which were simple but comfortable and very welcoming.

Naturetrek are a company that we have used several times before. We enjoy the type of holidays that they do and find that they are good value. We are looked after well, plenty of lovely picnics provided while out and about and always booked into comfortable clean if simple hotels that provide an authentic taste of the country we are in.

This was our first Naturetrek holiday. We have been on guided walking holidays in Europe before with other companies. This holiday was extremely well planned so that the variety of walks allowed the group to see the wide variety of alpine flowers and butterflies as well as many birds and mammals; many of which are unique the alpine environment. All of this was experienced with mostly blue skies and a backdrop of stunning snow capped mountain scenery. There were flowers everywhere from colourful alpine meadows to natural rock gardens. All with flitting butterflies where ever you looked. We also saw golden eagles, willow tits and snow finches, chamois and ibex, and much more. Our guides were expert in their knowledge. Names and differentiation of various species of flora and fauna was done with only occasional help from field guidebooks. We accessed the starts of walks by comfortable mini bus van which was driven very well by our main guide. Walks varied form 4 to 5 miles, taking most of the day, to a series of shorter walks, some not leaving sight of the minibus. All at a leisurely pace, frequently stopping to look at the nature. Each day a wonderful picnic spread was provided, using fresh local produce including local cheeses. The hotels were half board and were comfortable 2* family run businesses. The meals reflected local cuisine and generally very good. The group varied from the keen amateur flower spotter to the novice nature lover. All were friendly and the leaders helped the group gel. A thoroughly enjoyable activity holiday, which we would highly recommend for the moderately fit of all ages who like nature.

Naturetrek were efficient and professional. They have obviously put a lot of thought into the planning and organisation of their holidays. They uses expert guides who look after the guests well.

Well planned and managed. Spitsbergen is an amazing destination. The ship was a delight. The staff and crew were friendly, courteous and helpful. Food was of a very high quality (5 star). Spitsbergen itself, the scenery is unique, the wildlife amazing, and overall such a wonderful and unforgettable experience. We were privileged to be a part of it.

All contact was handled in a courteous and professional manner. Information we received was detailed and timely. On the tour the guides took the time to answer questions and generally became part of our group. Very approachable and professional and amply qualified. Would recommend Naturetrek and will be booking with them again.

It was absolutely amazing. We boarded the 'Ortelius', a converted ice breaker, at Longyearbyen and spent the next 8 days exploring the west side, sometimes on the ship and sometimes being transported to land by zodiacs so that we could see the lovely alpine flowers and some of the history of the area. When we got into the ice we were all looking for Polar Bears, and certainly one of the highlights for me was seeing 3 adult males eating a seal. We managed to achieve 80 degrees 50.6 minutes before thick pack ice stopped us. Other highlights were seeing Blue Whale, Walrus, Arctic Fox and the seabird colonies. The ship was very comfortable and the staff and leaders couldn't have been more helpful. It was without doubt, the holiday of a lifetime.

My wife and I have travelled with Naturetrek on many occasions and have always been very satisfied. On the rare occasions that we have raised an issue, they have always been quick to acknowledge and thank us.