Naturetrek Traveller Reviews

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.

This holiday combined wonderful scenery, fascinating and plentiful butterflies, a small window into Armenian culture and a delightful group of people, and of course first class Naturetrek leadership.

Extremely efficient in all respects.

I have travelled extensively during the last 15 years and have seen many wonderful places and animals but seeing Jaguars in the wild was certainly an experience to be treasured for the rest of my life.

Marcus was a very knowledgeable guide. Extremely dedicated to his subject and I think we all enjoyed his company and guidance

Flew from UK via Norway to Longyearbyn. Boarded ship m/v Ortelius for cruise along the coast & inlets of Spitzbergen with an emphasis on seeing the wild life Ship simple, practical and comfortable with great choice of food and never ending hot drinks available. But the joy of the holiday was the "other world'" experience. With trips from the boat in zodiacs we were able to see so much of the arctic birdlife and come oh so close to the mammals The experts on the boat gave very good lectures which gave us a greater understanding of the challenges the wildlife face in this environment. We have come home with hundreds of photos, and with wonderful memories of this fantastic trip

Flawless booking and holiday experience with Naturetrek.

Very well organised and very professionally led week looking at wildlife in the Spanish Pyrenees, with the emphasis on finding butterflies. Hotel accommodation at the Casa Sarasa in Berdun was outstanding - very comfortable, superb food, and nothing was too much trouble for the owners, who were extremely helpful and friendly.

As with all the previous Naturetrek trips I've done, this one was excellent, with, as ever, expert leaders whose knowledge, guidance and sociability contributed significantly to making the trip such an enjoyable experience.

Gorgeous scenery, loads of wildflowers and birds, excellent guides, good food, good company - and all very well organised.

excellent personal service from Naturetrek