Naturetrek Traveller Reviews

My wife and I recently returned from the “Ecuador – Andes & Amazon” tour (via Naturetrek), a tour we chose because of the mix of geography – and the diversity of conditions/habitat that comes with it – promised and I can categorically state that it did not disappoint. From the high altitude “sierras” surrounded by snow-capped peaks, through impossibly steep-sided, tree-covered valleys and gorges, down to the steaming wet-forest of the Amazon, the scenery was varied and incredible and I certainly gained a respect for Ecuadorian ingenuity and problem-solving! The local people we met were very friendly and welcoming and the feeling we got from passing through the various towns and villages was one of laidback contentment. The focus was of course, the birds… and oh my! A dazzling array of spectacular colours and sounds awaited us at every location. From the flying jewels that are hummingbirds to the enigmatic Aracari and the multitude of secretive “Ant” species, each one offering something new and unique. Personally, I had been hoping (though not necessarily expecting) to see a Harpy Eagle and was looking forward to the Andean Cock-of-the-Rock lek and I am happy to report being fortunate enough to see both during the trip. There were of course other animals too; with monkeys, reptiles and a plethora of interesting and beautiful insects all vying for our attention… and camera lenses! An unexpected highlight – whilst undoubtedly not everybody’s cup of tea – was my first-ever wild Tarantula, spotted one early morning at Sacha Lodge. The accommodation throughout was lovely and each place had its own charm and personality, providing something unique to its location. Rooms were clean and spacious, the food was excellent and the staff were, without exception, friendly and attentive. We especially enjoyed the San Isidro Owls which visited San Isidro lodge each evening!! Given this was a fully guided tour it would be remiss of us not to mention our superb guide, Javier, who masterfully combined an encyclopaedic knowledge of South American birds – we saw more than 400 species which were new to us – with unerring leadership and composure. The local guides too were excellent, in particular “Oscar” who added his own experience and dedication to our stay at Sacha Lodge. All-in-all this was one of, if not the best nature holiday we have ever experienced and we would not hesitate to recommend it.

Naturetrek - this was our second tour with this operator. In our experience they are very professional and easy to deal with; always there to answer any queries and seem genuinely interested in any feedback we provide. On tour, their leaders are excellent and we have always felt in safe hands.

Wildlife holiday to Fuerteventura and Tenerife. Brilliant views of desert birds and plants and then onto contrasting island with beautiful species rich laurel forests and endemic pigeons! On the ferry to La Gomera we saw huge numbers of shearwaters and pilot whales. The 2 guides were great and made this a fun trip. Hotels were great and were in a good location. I had a great time and would thoroughly recommend this holiday and Naturetrek in general.

Great, reliable and well organised.

A great combination of birdwatching with opportunity to enjoy relaxing on the beach/go snorkelling too.

Efficient organisation and a very good trip that met all our expectations.

Excellent organisation and knowledge led to 19 sightings in 15 safaris

Very proactive in managing pre-departure issues - airline changes, Indian visa, and hotel overbooking, all sorted in a well communicated professional fashion.

We travelled to three different national parks primarily to see tigers. We had some incredible sightings and also saw other wildlife including over a 100 different bird species, sloth bear and leopard. I hadn’t expected to see so much but this was down to our guides who were so knowledgeable.

Naturetrek is a wildlife tour operator. We were impressed by their itinerary and organisation.

This is the fourth Naturetrek holiday we've taken in the UK but it was the best yet. There is a fabulous variety of habitats which gives a great range of birds and the tour leader was knowledgeable and very happy to share information. He made sure that nobody was left out and everyone saw whatever was around. The unique opportunity to see the dawn roost at Snettisham made up for the early morning start. The hotel was comfortable, room was spacious and food was excellent. This was a great value for money holiday and would highly recommend.

Good communication before and after the tour and very quick to follow up on any questions. Very personal service with no long waits on hold (and if you do have to wait you get lovely birdsong instead of musak).

This holiday two Centre holiday provided so much and our leaders Niki and Alejandro were excellent in their knowledge and determined we should see as much as possible in our limited time there. Every day we saw something different and so many different birds or mammals The locations we stayed in were so interesting too from wetlands to mountains Coto Donana has such a history too You don’t need to be an expert the expertise is with our guides The fact that there was so much variety keeps it interesting for those who are not purely ‘twitchers’ The group was 12 which is also ideal and not too big not to relate to the others with you. You didn’t need specialist binoculars or scopes - our guides had those and made sure we’d seen what had been spotted. It was great to be outdoors all day

NatureTrek are Friendly, Helpful only too happy to help Well organised and good communicators

2 weeks in Ecuador visiiting the Amazon floor and the heights of the Andes. an action packed holiday aimed mainly at the birds of Ecuador. All flights, accommodation, food etc were first class. could not fault the planning. Our guide and driver were both excellent - hugely knowledgable, very patient and extremely caring - super company. Bird sightings were outstanding. over 400 new species for us and some great photographs as holiday reminders. We will be back with Naturetrek soon!

faultless. pre trip information covered all issues. arrangements superb. In fact we had very litte to worry about except setting an early morning alarm to catch the early birds! second time we have used Naturetrek and they are first class. I cannot recommend them highly enough and we are already planning for our next trip with them.

Staying at a small, comfortable Casa Rurales our group had sole use of the premises . We visited several different habitat types by short trips in minibuses and short walks , and thanks to the excellent local knowledge of the leaders we saw a wide range of resident birds , including many that were firsts for me.

Naturetrek kept us well informed about all aspects of the holiday and provided good advice. The trip went very smoothly with no administrative "hiccups" , keeping the stress levels associated with travel to a minimum. The leaders both had excellent knowledge of the birds and other wildlife , and were skilled at spotting and identifying birds, even at great distance. They drove the minibuses safely and with great patience did their utmost to ensure that everyone got the best possible views of the birds. They provided excellent picnic lunches, with plenty of choice .

3and a half full days with great bird guides, comfortable transport, accommodation and plenty of time to linger. Lots to see every day.

Small groups, wild places, lovely company, the organisation is always superb and well forward planned. We always feel confident that everything will go smoothly and that the trip does everything on the schedule and more.