Wildlife Trails Traveller Reviews

This was a two site trip, firstly for wildlife viewing by safari vehicle and then on the river by boat. Both sites offered excellent opportunities to see a wide variety of animals and birds. Far from worrying that I might not see a jaguar, we had 32 separate sightings in 4 days. The food was delicious and the accommodation comfortable. The local guide was incredibly knowledgeable and animal welfare was top of the priority list for both him and our boat driver. It was a very well paced trip without too much travelling and I would recommend it without hesitation

Wildlife Trails have second to none customer service, combined with an ethical approach to ecotourism that other companies should aspire to. It's my second trip with them and I shall book again as soon as possible.

This was our first, small group tour with Wildlife Trails. We were very impressed with the excellent service from booking, through trouble shooting with flights, right to the end of a wild life rich tour in Sabah with a surprise 70th birthday celebration. The tour was bespoke and intensive, designed to optimise viewings in challenging rainforests, during day and night drives. The local naturalist (Hamit), guides and drivers in each reserve were exceptional. They were knowledgeable, skilled spotters and safe drivers. Allan (naturalist) was particularly skilled and sensitive, balancing concern for the welfare of the wildlife with the demands of five photographers. Overall, the itinerary and sightings exceeded our expectations, providing many magical moments. These included listening to Sun Bears, watching eight Orangutans, seeing numerous beautiful birds, frogs and snakes, plus Pigmy Elephants in Deramakot and Kinabatangan; whilist enjoying the sensory experiences of being in the rainforest.

We benefitted from the efficient, personal services of a small, dedicated tour operator with decades of first hand experience. Everything was well organised, explained and negotiated with the six guests. Although most of the accommodation was simple (with the basics - en-suite, air-conditioning and flavorsome food), the hospitality was genuine; as was the pride in the special ecosystems in Sabah.

This was our latest holiday organised by Wildlife Trails and again they delivered. All of these the vehicles provided were comfortable, of a good standard and had air conditioning which was definitely needed and also provided bottled water which was welcome. All of the transfers were on time and enabled us to make our flights. We had a range of accommodation from basic (Pousada Alegre) to luxurious (Hotel das Catarartas). The 'airport' hotels were all satisfactory and more than adequate for an overnight stay. The accommodation at Pousada Alegre was adequate. We had a large room with comfortable bed, minimal furnishings and a working bathroom although the air-conditioning could have been more effective. Pousada Aguape was our favourite lodge, small and friendly plus the staff were lovely, always willing to help. The room was comfortable with storage shelves and clothes hangars available and good air-conditioning and ceiling fan. The bathroom was a good size and worked well. The food at this lodge was excellent, good quality and plenty of it. Hotel Pantanal Norte (Porto Jofre) had a very different feel to it. A much bigger concern with many more visitors on site. Again our accommodation was good and the air-conditioning was effective. As the temperature hit 42C this was essential The bathroom was okay nothing special. As we found here and everywhere we stayed the food provided was generally buffet style but plentiful and tasty. Hotel das Catartatas, well this was the icing on the cake. A fantastic luxury hotel with every amenity one could want and sitting on the top of the Brazilian side of Iguassu Falls. What a way to finish our trip. The drivers who ferried us from A to B were all courteous and competent. The drivers taking us around the sites 'game viewing' were very aware of their environment and knew how to ensure we had good opportunities to see the birds and wildlife. A special mention here for Elison our driver at Pousada Aguape Our first guide/naturalist at Pousada Aguape was Rodrigo (AKA Uruguay) He was brilliant, very knowledgable about all the birds and animals we saw. He was able to answer all our questions and helped us to understand the Pantanal. Our guide from Pousada Alegre onward was Fininho. He was a lovely guy, very passionate about Brazil's wildlife and the countryside. He too was very knowledgable about the animals, birds and plants we saw and where to see them. Our success in having 33 Jaguar sightings at Porto Jofre we owe to Finn and his 'pilot' Wilson who was a master at getting our boat into a good position on the water. Finally George at Iguassu, he too was very passionate about Brazil and it's nature. He took us on tours of both sides of the falls pointing out all the special features and telling us the history of how the falls were made accessible all the while telling us funny stories and anecdotes. He was a joy, the only dud note was when we got soaked on a boat trip to the falls which we were not expecting. All three of our guides took responsibility for us and 'oiled the wheels' to make sure everything went as smoothly as possible and we'd have no hesitation in recommending them to other travellers.

Allan and the staff at Wildlife trails have consistently provided us with trips that have delivered everything we wanted and this was no exception, We were very happy with our trip, It provided us with the opportunity we wanted to see the varied wildlife and landscapes of Brazil. Our main objective was to see Jaguars in the wild in their natural environment and this we did many times over. We were lucky to have 33 jaguar sightings not forgetting giant anteaters, tapirs, crab eating foxes, racoons, tayra, peccaries, caiman, and the incredible hyacinth McCaws etc. This holiday typifies why Wildlife Trails are our first port of call for wildlife holidays.

Allan recommended this destination and organised everything perfectly. He was confident I would really get on with the driver guide “Isuru”, and he was right… He is a gem, excellent driver, good guide and great company! We did a fairly big tour of the country in 2 weeks, visiting Wilpattu, Sirigiya, Horton’s Plains, Gal Oya and Yala. The accommodation was very good: I particularly liked Gal Oya Lodge and the night and morning walks with Anudara where we saw so many species including to name a few: a mouse deer, a couple of frogmouth, jungle owlets, Red-backed flamebacks etc... I had an exceptional sighting of a leopard with her 2 cubs in Wilpattu, and we were the only vehicle around them for about 15 minutes, so I felt very lucky and privileged to observe them so close, playing, grooming, climbing trees etc.. The photo opportunities were amazing! I was very impressed by the slender lori walk - we had 3 sightings including one very close and very relaxed. Fantastic to witness this successful small conservation projects and the guide (Yeshitha) was excellent. There were plenty of other interesting sightings during the trip. Food was delicious overall.

I would highly recommend Wildlife Trails: they are knowledgeable, professional, quick to respond to any queries, all in a very pleasant manner.

A two week safari in the Pantanal organised for us by Wildlife Trails. It was excellent in organization, in the standard of transport and guides and in the amount and nature of the wildlife we saw from very close range.

Wildlife Trails arrange everything from their office in the Uk, in close discussion with us. This was our fourth time of traveling with them. As always, everything we asked for was provided, it was extremely efficient and the wildlife sightings were wonderful.

Visited several locations Lewa House, apparently where William proposed to Catherine. Lovely place to see, food and service excellent. Rhino were the main attraction and did not disappoint Also had Female Leopard and 2 cubs. Then on to Meru stayed in Elsa's Kopje think middle earth and Hobbits incredible place with lovely people, nothing too much trouble and excellent game viewing. On to Samburu and Ashnil camp. More of a hotel feel to the place, Whilst the tents did get rather warm during the day, we were out most of the time so not really an issue for us. Again tremendous wildlife sightings with both Cheetah, and Lion on the list. Final stop was the Laikipia Conservancy where we looked for the Melanistic Leopard known locally as Giza - first morning success with her for 2 hours and got some amazing images,. Also saw her at night - tricky photography but pleased with the results. Camp staff looked after us well. Flew into our first camp and back to Wilson from our last camp, driver guide in between; pick-ups went well and everything ran smoothly. We've used Wildlife Trails now for about 15 years now and can thoroughly recommend them. Thanks again to Allan, Kirsty and Bee for a very well organised trip. Looking for to our next one with you to Columbia next year.

When you first call expect a reasonably long discussion with Allan. He takes the time and trouble to find out what you want from the trip, type of accommodation you expect, etc. But it's well worth it. Being a relatively small operator in terms of personnel we have always had a feeling that our trip matters and the attention to detail is far better. Having also travelled with larger operators we have sometimes been left disappointed by the lack of attention to detail; and the frustration that then goes with it.

Trip to Kenya covering Lewa, Meru, Samburu and Laikipia, Wildlife was amazing. All camps / accommodations were great.. We flew to some camps and also had a driver / guide for others but all of our guides were excellent.

We have used Wildlife Trails for around 15 years. Personally consider them the best in the business. Allan takes time to understand your requirements and ensures you have the vacation and experience you want. Looking forward to our next trip with them next year.

Our first visit to Africa (arranged by Wildlfe Trails LTD,) will be a memeorable one. The transfers went seamless and the food, accommodations and staff at both lodges were fabulous. The game drives went by so fast and the sightings were many and in high quality. The Magnificent 7 were all seen with multiple great views. We also very much enjoyed the other mammals, birds and herps we saw. The things we liked the best was the exclusivity and privacy we had as well as the viewing ethics practiced by the rangers and trackers. Our next vacay abroad will have Wildlife Trails in mind.

I sent out a couple of interests in using a tour operator as we had never visited Africa before. Allan Blanchard of Wildlife Trails kept in touch with me throughout the process and everything went according to the itinerary he sent me months before.

Flew with British Airways from Heathrow to Nairobi on 10th. August. Stayed overnight at the Ole Sereni Hotel there, then took an internal flight to our first stop, the Mara Intrepids safari lodge.We stayed there for seven nights. Our accommodation, the food, and the wildlife experience was superb, as was the type of vehicle and our driver/guide, Moses. I cannot praise the staff at Mara Intrepids enough. I have to thank Geoffrey and all his team for making our stay so memorable. We even managed to see a wildebeest river crossing Thereafter we had a one and a half hours drive to our second resort, the Kichwa Tembo Tented Camp, where we stayed a further five nights. As with our first safari camp, the accommodation food, and wildlife experience was amazing. Once again the type of vehicle we used, was perfect, and our driver/guide, Oscar had a fund of knowledge, especially in bird life.. Having been at Kichwa in 2023, the staff were even more wonderful, and made our stay one we will not easily forget.

Our Tour Operator was Wildlife Trails, from Cumbria, in England, managed by Alan Blanchard. Our itinerary involved a few changes in its making, but he was extremely patient, and in the end we had absolutely no complaint

Our Guide and spotter, Moses, was absolutely brilliant! As a photographer himself, he always tried to get into position re. the wildlife that would provide the best photo opportunities. Moses' support team, who maintained the camp and catered for our every need were a lovely group of people. The other 2 members of our group were great company and very generous with their extensive knowledge and expertise. The roads and tracks were tough, but just added to the sense of adventure.. There were too many highlights to mention them all, but it was fantastic to be snuggled up in our tent and listen to the wildlife, such as lions, hyenas, honey badgers and elephants throughout the night. The whole trip was a thrillingly memorable experience, after which we took the opportunity to pop across the border into Zimbabwe to see Victoria Falls.

Allan and his team were great at ensuring the trip was as enjoyable as possible; they were great at communicating with us and responding to all questions and requests, giving us the sense that the whole trip was very much a bespoke experience. We had previously been on one of their Indian tiger trips, which we would also recommend.