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Wildlife Trails

Wildlife Trails Traveller Reviews

Reviews of Wildlife Trails

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Reviews Submitted: 136
Reviews Accepted: 136
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136 reviews
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Wildlife Trails by Mad on Travel, 15 Mar 2024
Holiday Rating:

Incredible India

A 3 week epic journey to India focusing on the main attractions, eg Golden Triangle with a big focus on wildlife including tigers, leopards and bears

A 3 week epic journey to India focusing on the main attractions, eg Golden Triangle with a big focus on wildlife including tigers, leopards and bears

Rating for tour operator:

Back in 2022 I used Wildlife Trails to help me plan an epic trip to Canada and as that went so well, I had no hesitation to use them again for a recent trip to India. Their specialist, expert knowledge really helped to devise the perfect itinerary even taking us to places that we hadn’t heard of in order to deliver the best experience that has created the most wonderful memories. All the arrangements went like clockwork and we were made to feel most welcomed and valued clients especially as we were met at every destination throughout our journey. This gave us lots of reassurance and eliminated the stress that is often related to travel. All requests during our trip were dealt with positively, quickly, and nothing was too much trouble - this was really appreciated. We were blown away with our jeep safaris which delivered a truly memorable experience. The guides we had were first class and their experience and knowledge shone through and really delivered for us. We felt particularly blessed as so many people we met had done multiple safaris with zero tiger sightings. The choice of zones was spot on as it happened. Our drivers were wonderful, making sure our comfort was their top priority. The accommodation didn’t disappoint and we were thrilled with the heritage locations that had been recommended. All the city tours were well structured and interesting and the guides were excellent in their own ways bringing the history and culture to life. I think to sum up, “Allan from Wildlife Trails did us proud” and we couldn’t have wished for a better trip. I would certainly have no hesitation in recommending them to anyone and I’m already planning my third trip with them.

Wildlife Trails responded to this review on 17 Mar 2024:

Wow, such amazing and detailed feedback which we really appreciate. It makes us so happy and proud of all the amazing people on the ground in India who contributed to the success of your incredible holiday. It's a big country and there can be challenges on the ground, but our hand picked guides and local agents genuinly treat our guests like family and we are blessed to have them. Speak soon and we can't wait to plan your next adventure Tina.

Wildlife Trails by Mwalimu, 11 Mar 2024
Holiday Rating:

Ranthambore Small Group Tiger Safari

It was spectacular: well-conceived, great in and out connections, Ranthambhore Regency was absolutely the excellent choice for accommodation (great ambiance, wonderful and plentiful food, beautiful plantings), the expert guidance of Vipul Jain, the park in seasonal splendor, AND we saw 6 tigers and 2 leopards.

It was spectacular: well-conceived, great in and out connections, Ranthambhore Regency was absolutely the excellent choice for accommodation (great ambiance, wonderful and plentiful food, beautiful plantings), the expert guidance of Vipul Jain, the park in seasonal splendor, AND we saw 6 tigers and 2 leopards.

Rating for tour operator:

Very personable and saw to details that helped me enjoy the tour. Knowledgeable to the 9s. Personable with all the group and with all the various staffs. Efficient without being brusque.

Wildlife Trails responded to this review on 12 Mar 2024:

So wonderful to spend time with you Brooks and learn of your amazing travel experiences from the original Hippie Trails days. We were blessed with a wonderful group dynamic and some incredible tiger and leopard sightings in Ranthambhore with Vipul. Hope to see you soon in the States.

Wildlife Trails by Derek and Sandra , 7 Mar 2024
Holiday Rating:

Tigers, Temples and more in Rajasthan

We spent a week at the Ranthambore Regency hotel. This is a little gem, set in lush tranquil gardens. Our room was large, well appointed with plenty of storage and a large comfy bed. The bathroom was also a good size with an efficient shower and a range of toiletries. The staff were professional, helpful and constantly cheerful. One of the best things about the hotel was the fabulous tasty food served up for breakfast, lunch and dinner...

We spent a week at the Ranthambore Regency hotel. This is a little gem, set in lush tranquil gardens. Our room was large, well appointed with plenty of storage and a large comfy bed. The bathroom was also a good size with an efficient shower and a range of toiletries. The staff were professional, helpful and constantly cheerful. One of the best things about the hotel was the fabulous tasty food served up for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The hotel is ideally placed for access to Ranthambore National Park, we had six game drives in the park and had exciting viewings of tigers, leopards, sloth bears, crocodiles, deer, wild pigs and an abundance of birds. All viewings were aided by our amazing guide Vipal whose knowledge and experience proved to be essential in ensuring we not only learned about the animals but also the people and culture of Rajasthan. We spent the second part of our trip (three nights) at Ramathra Fort. A fabulous hotel set in a renovated fort on a hilltop surrounded by lush fields, trees and a lake nearby. We stayed in a luxurious suite of rooms with every amenity one could wish for. Nothing had been forgotten to ensure our stay was as comfortable as it could be. Once again the food was a feature of this hotel, made with vegetables grown in their own gardens we had fabulous delicious dishes that we have never had before. And again the staff here were excellent, well trained and helpful. Our guide Vipal accompanied us again and went out of his way to give us an insight onto the real India of temples, bustling towns and simple farmers going about their daily business. Throughout our trip our transfers were on time and in comfortable air conditioned vehicles with courteous drivers. On game drives we mainly used Canters which are open topped 20 seat vehicles which give a high vantage point from which to view the animals but with little upholstery or suspension to absorb the bone jangling bumps from pot holes and rocky tracks. The advantage we had was that Wildlife Trails had arranged for the 8 of us to have sole use of the canter to ourselves. Otherwise we used small open topped 'Gypsy' jeeps which can seat up to six and are slightly more comfortable than the Canters.

Rating for tour operator:

We have travelled with Wildlife Trails several times and this trip, like others before, delivered exactly what we expected. They know what their customers want. This trip was designed as a small group tour and the organisation worked perfectly, even when a planned train journey was cancelled at short notice alternative transport was arranged without a hitch.

Wildlife Trails responded to this review on 09 Mar 2024:

Thanks so much Derek for this indepth and incredibly positive feedback about your tour to Ranthambhore national park and Ramathra Fort. Our group was a joy to be with and we were blessed with some great tiger and leopard encounters. We look forward to the next one :-)

Wildlife Trails by Yvonne & Tich, 20 Jan 2024
Holiday Rating:

Canada, Bears ,Glaziers and trekking

Fantastic holiday North America is such a beautiful country. We were looking for bears and we were not disappointed, Seeing the bears from the drift boat was unobtrusive our guide was very knowledgeable and experienced. Floatplane from Nimpo Lake to Nuk Tessli Lodge was wonderful. Nuk Tessli lodge accommodation and trekking was outstanding! The drive up to Jasper and Lake Louise was awesome the scenery is spectacular!

Fantastic holiday North America is such a beautiful country. We were looking for bears and we were not disappointed, Seeing the bears from the drift boat was unobtrusive our guide was very knowledgeable and experienced. Floatplane from Nimpo Lake to Nuk Tessli Lodge was wonderful. Nuk Tessli lodge accommodation and trekking was outstanding! The drive up to Jasper and Lake Louise was awesome the scenery is spectacular!

Rating for tour operator:

Allan worked with us on this trip tweeting it to accommodate our desire to trek which was spot on. His attention to detail is the best. The accommodations were always to a very standard and great location. He was always available to ansewer and questions we had. It was our second trip, we had also been to India to see tigers.

Wildlife Trails responded to this review on 20 Jan 2024:

We are so happy that you loved this combination of wildlife, trekking and stunning Rockies scenery and your time in Canada was so enjoyable. There is no doubt that the Bella Coola valley is a big hit for many of our clients and one of the most natural ways to view brown bears in British Colombia.

Wildlife Trails by Ms B D 24, 11 Jan 2024
Holiday Rating:

Excellent safari for a photographer

This was a photography tour, so it had specific demands. I was provided with an excellent and very knowledgeable guide, everything was organized quickly and smoothly. The vehicle was perfect for the rainy season road conditions and for filming from it. The accommodation was nice and I had everything I needed. I was able to get the animal I was after and so much more!

This was a photography tour, so it had specific demands. I was provided with an excellent and very knowledgeable guide, everything was organized quickly and smoothly. The vehicle was perfect for the rainy season road conditions and for filming from it. The accommodation was nice and I had everything I needed. I was able to get the animal I was after and so much more!

Rating for tour operator:

I've worked with Wildlife Trails before, so I knew I could rely on them to understand the needs of a photographer. They were able to quickly organize a real photography tour for me, and I was able to get great results on this trip.

Wildlife Trails responded to this review on 12 Jan 2024:

Hi Barbara, so glad to hear that this last minute 'New Years Day' Tanzania safari was a big success. We were lucky to get availability of one of our top guides and then you enjoyed some amazing encounters with African wild dogs in Selous. We are very happy for you and thanks for using Wildlife Trails again.

Wildlife Trails by Ruth, 12 Dec 2023
Holiday Rating:

Trip to Churchill for wildlife viewing

A cold holiday to visit Churchill and see polar bears. We also took a side trip to Riding Mountain National Park. Organisation was faultless, as was pre-trip communication. The group size was perfect and the accommodation always appropriate. We stayed right at the airport on arrival (really posh!) which was great when so tired, but at a lovely little B&B in Churchill which was fun and friendly. Thanks to Allan we were able to cook there ...

A cold holiday to visit Churchill and see polar bears. We also took a side trip to Riding Mountain National Park. Organisation was faultless, as was pre-trip communication. The group size was perfect and the accommodation always appropriate. We stayed right at the airport on arrival (really posh!) which was great when so tired, but at a lovely little B&B in Churchill which was fun and friendly. Thanks to Allan we were able to cook there in the evenings saving us going out again in the cold when we had just thawed out. We also ate better than we would have in restaurants! The trips to see polar bears did not disappoint. We used both the tundra buggies and then jeeps with three days of trips on each type of vehicle. All drivers and guides were knowledgeable and informative. They also kept the welfare of wildlife paramount and did not stress the bears by approaching too close or being careless. Photographic opportunities were everywhere and totally exceeded my expectations.. I am already arranging a further holiday with this company.

Rating for tour operator:

Excellent written itinerary. Great communication beforehand. Everything had been thought of. The devil is always in the detail and great care had been taken to dot every i and cross every t. Trips like this do not run smoothly without a great deal of preparation and we really benefitted from that hard work. Allan was able to accompany us on this trip, which was a bonus, but I imagine he has selected all his other tour guides with great care.

Wildlife Trails responded to this review on 13 Dec 2023:

Thank you so much Ruth for your detailed and very positive feedback with regards to our Riding Mountain and Churchill wildlife holiday which took place in November 2023. We were lucky to have you in the group and enjoy some memorable wildlife encounters together. We are grateful that you have shown trust in our organization and are now heading to Brazil with Wildlife Trails next year.

Wildlife Trails by Frances C , 10 Dec 2023
Holiday Rating:

Uganda is a truly beautiful and welcoming country.

We signed up for a bespoke 9 day trip focusing on the guerrillas and chimps, without knowing much about Uganda beforehand. These are amazing animals and we saw so much more besides, including elephants, hippo, lions, leopard + many birds. We could not have asked for a better guide than Herbert, who was with us throughout our trip and was really enthusiastic and well informed about the places we visited, especially the birds and animals. ...

We signed up for a bespoke 9 day trip focusing on the guerrillas and chimps, without knowing much about Uganda beforehand. These are amazing animals and we saw so much more besides, including elephants, hippo, lions, leopard + many birds. We could not have asked for a better guide than Herbert, who was with us throughout our trip and was really enthusiastic and well informed about the places we visited, especially the birds and animals. Over our week together he became a real friend. We had some other drivers/guides in other excursions (e.g. in trekking and habituation walks, Queen Elizabeth Park, boat trips on Kazinga channel and near the Impenetrable Forest) all of whom were very knowledgeable and professional. Herbert took real care to ensure that we were happy and felt safe during our stay; this was particularly pertinent given the tragic events that took place the day we arrived at Queen Elizabeth Park on 17th October. We liked the fact that we stayed 2-3 nights at every Lodge (all of them amazing!), since despite mostly good roads, distances were sometimes quite far. We felt very privileged to see so much, and at close hand. We would definitely like to return as there is so much more to see

Rating for tour operator:

This is the second holiday we have taken with Wildlife trails, who are a small family owned travel company and so it is a very responsive and personal service. Allan has checked out all the itineraries through earlier visits so has 1st hand knowledge / advice about the visit We really like the fact that local business/ guides are used

Wildlife Trails responded to this review on 11 Dec 2023:

Thank you so much for the detailed and positive feedback. It is great that you have highlighted the importance of the driver/guide and the positive impact they have on your Uganda wildlife holiday in so many ways. We feel that Uganda has some of the best guides in the whole of Africa and they certainly have a beautiful country to show off.

Wildlife Trails by Max, 30 Nov 2023
Holiday Rating:

Well Organized Exploration of Borneo!

Visiting Borneo for wildlife photography, we visited a number of different hot spots, including Deramakot, the Kinabatangan River, and the Danum Valley. Each location provided opportunities to see out different species, and we enjoyed a fantastic variety of wildlife: two cat species, several civets, all eight hornbills, nine different primate species, and more.

Visiting Borneo for wildlife photography, we visited a number of different hot spots, including Deramakot, the Kinabatangan River, and the Danum Valley. Each location provided opportunities to see out different species, and we enjoyed a fantastic variety of wildlife: two cat species, several civets, all eight hornbills, nine different primate species, and more.

Rating for tour operator:

I traveled to Malaysian Borneo in hopes of scouting locations for future photography trips. Working with Allan at Wildlife Trails, we were able to craft an itinerary that hit several different wildlife hot spots. The tour was well-organized, Allan was helpful with a lot of extra info prior to the trip (which made planning much easier and gave us peace of mind), and the operations on the ground—including a stellar local naturalist guide—were excellent. It was a smooth trip, and I'm looking forward to returning very soon!

Wildlife Trails responded to this review on 02 Dec 2023:

Thank you so much Max for this detailed and positive feedback on your small group tour to Borneo with Wildlife Trails. Like you, we are fascinated with this diverse and unique destination and will be returning in September 2024; including an additional visit to Tabin.

Wildlife Trails by Patron, 8 Oct 2023
Holiday Rating:

A bonanza of a wildlife trip in Romania

We had a marvellous experience on our wildlife watching tour in Romania, arranged by Wildlife Trails. Our long nights on the night-time safaris were well rewarded with an abundance of animals including bears, jackals, fox, deer, wildcat, hedgehogs, hares, door-mice and bats. We will never forget our time in the boat, drifting down the network of channels on the Danube Delta, pitch black with a clear view of the milky way over our heads and ...

We had a marvellous experience on our wildlife watching tour in Romania, arranged by Wildlife Trails. Our long nights on the night-time safaris were well rewarded with an abundance of animals including bears, jackals, fox, deer, wildcat, hedgehogs, hares, door-mice and bats. We will never forget our time in the boat, drifting down the network of channels on the Danube Delta, pitch black with a clear view of the milky way over our heads and the odd falling star. We shared the task of looking for animals through night vision binoculars that detect body heat. The area was teeming with squacco and night herons with the odd kingfisher here and there. WE were delighted to see both a wild cat and a jackal on the banks and also had a brief sighting of a European mink swimming, apparently a rare species in Romania. The guide was incredibly enthusiastic and knowledgeable. Thanks to his expertise we were treated to great views of: the 3-toed and middle-spotted woodpeckers; pigmy, tawny and long-eared owls; forest, edible and hazel door-mice, various species of bats; and chamois. On a personal level, the guide was extremely helpful with tips on photography. We were well looked after and enjoyed our food and accommodation.

Rating for tour operator:

Extremely good. Packed loads in. Also see comments above.

Wildlife Trails responded to this review on 08 Oct 2023:

Thank you so much for sharing your detailed feedback on what was certainly a 'bonanza' of wildlife sightings, as you travelled through Romania. We are really keen to increase our wildlife destinations 'closer to home' and this very much looks like a winner. We are delighted that you enjoyed the trip and our chosen guide and naturalist was a big hit.

Botswana Photographic Safari by Linda from Adelaide, 27 Sep 2023
Holiday Rating:

Trip of a lifetime! 🐘🦛🐊🐆🦁🦒

I had never been to Africa before, so I had no idea what to expect. I was hoping for some animals....how many and which ones, I had no idea. This safari did not disappoint! From Day one, I was spellbound. We returned to camp every day, chorusing, "That was amazing!" Every single day, we saw something different, whether it was leopards mating (!), a lion kill, African wild dogs, right down to a tiny little frog. Our guide, Joster, had the knack ...

I had never been to Africa before, so I had no idea what to expect. I was hoping for some animals....how many and which ones, I had no idea. This safari did not disappoint! From Day one, I was spellbound. We returned to camp every day, chorusing, "That was amazing!" Every single day, we saw something different, whether it was leopards mating (!), a lion kill, African wild dogs, right down to a tiny little frog. Our guide, Joster, had the knack of pulling something out of his hat every day, and his sense of humour made every day a brilliant day. Our camp crew, Eddie, Bali and Zulu, were the best, keeping us well-fed and safe in our self-contained tents (ensuite - luxury!). Loved every single minute of it!

Rating for tour operator:

I had travelled with WildLife Trails once before to India, and loved that they were a small, family business with years of on-the-ground experience. Despite living in Australia and travelling with a UK company, there were no hassles or glitches. Allan rang and emailed me to keep me informed, and very kindly organised the trip dates around my timetable! I knew that he would arrange the best on-the-ground support, and he didn't disappoint with the choice of Unlimited Safari, and then OddBalls camp as an add-on trip. For small group, well planned specialist holidays, WildLife Trails are perfect....I am already thinking about my next trip with them 😊. Couldnt recommend highly enough

Wildlife Trails responded to this review on 27 Sep 2023:

Wow, this is such amazing feedback Linda and thank you so much for taking the time and trouble to leave such a detailed report - it really helps us understand how our trips are doing. This particular tour is one of our favourites and from a wildlife viewing perspective, superb camp logisitcs and quality of guides, it is right up there with the best.