Latest News - August, 2007

Naturetrek is delighted to announce the following range of exclusive (full boat) wildlife cruises.  By exclusively chartering a series of small comfortable cruise vessels we can run dedicated wildlife holidays that focus exclusively on the region's unique natural history. On a Naturetrek wildlife charter there is no need to compromise by joining a 'please all' vessel trying to satisfy a range of differing interests. You can be assured that fauna and flora will be focus and that your fellow passengers will have the same passion for wildlife as you.  Each cruise will be accompanied by a Naturetrek birder and/or botanist - usually both.

Baja California and the Sea of Cortez
27th Feb - 11th Mar '08   Cost: £2,895
26th Feb - 10th Mar '09   Cost: £2,895
The ultimate whale watching cruise around Mexico's Baja Peninsula in search of Blue, Humpback, Grey, Sperm and Fin Whales, thousands of dolphins and an abundance of other marine life. 

Scottish Islands
31st May - 7th Jun '08   Cost: from £1,595
30th May - 6th Jun '09   Cost: from £1,595
A rare opportunity to visit the most remote and inaccessible seabird colonies of northern Scotland including St Kilda, North Rhona and Sula Sgeir.

Spitsbergen - Realm of the Polar Bear
2008 - exclusive charters fuuly booked. Possibility of a late June tour to western Spitsbegen - please contact Paul Stanbury (01962 733051)

14th Jul - 25th Jul '09   Cost: from £3,350
A wildlife expedition to the high arctic island of Spitsbergen, including the exciting opportunity to venture deep into the pack ice in search of Polar Bears, Walrus, Ivory Gulls and other polar wildlife.

Antarctica, The Falklands and South Georgia
1st - 22nd Jan '09   Cost: from £7,495
This is the ultimate trip 'down under' a 22-day holiday incorporating a 19-day cruise to the Falklands, South Georgia and Antarctica.

Kamchatka - A Voyage Around the Ring of Fire
3rd - 19th Jun '09   Cost: from £4,495
A 17-day holiday to the Russian Far East, including a 12-night voyage to the spectacular volcanic landscapes of Kamchatka and the Kurils, home to millions of seabirds, Sea Otters, whales and Brown Bears.

Ecuador & The Galapagos
3rd - 22nd Mar '08   Cost: £4,295
18th Aug - 6th Sep '08   Cost: £4,395
8th - 27th Dec '08   Cost: £4,395
9th - 28th Feb '09   Cost: £4,495
Our 20-day holiday includes a unique 2-week cruise around Darwin's enchanted islands aboard our elegant two-masted topsail schooner. 

Greenland - Glaciers, Icebergs and Musk Ox
15th - 25th Sep '08 *
A new 11-day holiday along the magnificent east coast of Greenland.  Highlights include Musk Ox, Gyr Falcon, huge glaciers and icebergs and the beautiful Northern Lights. 

Additional wildlife charters for 2009 include the 'Sub-Antarctic Islands of New Zealand' and the 'Canadian Arctic'. Details to be announced soon.

* the 2008 Greenland holiday not an exclusive charter (please contact the Naturetrek office for further information)

2009 dates and prices subject to confirmation

The destruction of the Atlantic rainforests of Brazil was dramatically highlighted by the 1999 British Birdwatching Fair at Rutland Water which donated funds to support the local efforts to preserve these remarkable forests. Half the 103 bird species designated as 'endangered' in Brazil occur in the Atlantic forests and many other very rare species are known only from this area. These threatened forests form the basis of this biannual tour and during a week based at a comfortable lodge adjacent to prime tracts of forest we will be able to enjoy a stunning variety of Nearctic birds including many of the local specialities.

Owned and managed by Andy Foster, Serra dos Tucanos is a small birding lodge in the Atlantic forest of South-East Brazil. Situated at an elevation of 400 metres  it provides the perfect location from which to observe a whole host of endemic and non endemic birds. Hummingbird feeders, together with regularly stocked bird tables ensure that many species can be seen throughout the day from the comfort of the lodge itself; however the Naturetrek tour itinerary incorporates altitudinal variation and different local habitats to ensure that we see as many bird species as possible during the week.

For more information about the Naturetrek tour visit the tour page.

During the course of the Birdfair David Mills, Andy Tucker, Paul Stanbury, Debbie Ward, Paul Dukes and Rajan Jolly will be present on the Naturetrek stand. If you would like to speak to a particular member of staff or want to talk about a particular region then please time your visit according to the information provided below.

Present Friday, Saturday and Sunday:

Andy Tucker (South America, Western Europe, North Africa)

Paul Stanbury (North & east Europe, Africa, cruises)

Paul Dukes (Americas, Asia, Ethiopia, Greece)

Rajan Jolly (India)

Present Saturday and Sunday:

Debbie Ward (Nepal, Canada, Italy, Jordan)

Present Friday:

David Mills (Africa, Asia, Oceania)
 

Talk in birding circles at the moment is of an amazing sequence of events in the Ecuadorian cloudforests which has seen some of South America's most coveted antpitta species become habituated to morning feasts of fat earthworms hand fed by a dedicated local campesino called Angel Paz at Refugio Paz de las Aves near Mindo. Here, Giant, Yellow-breasted and Moustached Antpittas can all be viewed at point blank range. Angel has trained some of Fundacion Joctotoco's staff in the techniques involved and Jocotoco Antpitta is also now habituated on the Tapichalaca reserve in southern Ecuador. We are delighted to introduce this new 10-day bargain tour for £1,495 with three departure dates for 2008. Visit the tour page for a tour dossier, or drop by our stand at the Birdfair for a chat.
 
Also new for 2008 will be a re-vamped version of our Peru - Central Andes bargain birding tour for Diademed Sandpiper-plover, Golden-backed Mountain Tanager and a range of other exciting range-restricted birds. This tour will be combinable with the Antpitta tour in Ecuador. Watch this space for details.

Office Open Days

If you would like some help in planning your wildlife holiday for 2007 or beyond, join our tour leaders and staff at our Cheriton Mill offices for tea, coffee, cakes and expert advice on one of the Naturetrek Open Days listed below.

These Open Days are generally held at Cheriton Mill, from where you may combine your visit to us with an excursion to one of our excellent local pubs, a birdwatching trip to the nearby Itchen Valley, or a look around the charming Georgian market town of Alresford or the historic cathedral city of Winchester just a short drive away. 

As space is limited, and it is important that we ensure an appointment can be made for you to see the staff member best suited to discuss your interests, it is essential that you register your interest, make a time for an appointment and/or let us know which of our open days you plan to attend by contacting Rajan (or by phone on on 01962 733051).

Forthcoming open days in 2007:

Friday 7th September

Friday 28th September

Friday 19th October

Friday 16th November

Friday 7th December

Slideshows

We will again be holding Naturetrek slideshows around the UK in January 2008. Our operations managers and tour leaders will be speaking about many of our destinations including Madagascar, Iceland, Spitsbergen, South Africa, Spain, Belize, Peru and Guyana. In order to chat and answer your questions, we will be present 30 minutes before each show and, also, during a 20-minute coffee-break at half time. Entry is by (free) ticket only. To register, please email julie@naturetrek.co.uk (or phone Julie on 01962 733051) to register your interest. Dates and venues have yet to be confirmed but will be posted here soon.

Here is a complete list of all the new tours to be featured in the 2008 Naturetrek brochure. Further details can be found by clicking on the tour title. Tour dossiers may not yet be available for all tours but keep checking the tour pages as they will be added in the coming weeks.

Butterflies of Morocco's High Atlas Mountains
An 8-day holiday in search of the butterflies of the High Atlas Mountains. A wealth of other wildlife, mountain walks, spectacular scenery, and the colourful culture of the Berber people are amongst other holiday highlights.

South Africa - Best of the Cape
A 10-day holiday, based in Cape Town, focusing on the region's colourful flora, scenic national parks, wild coastlines, and wealth of birds, mammals and cetaceans, plus an optional day spent watching (or cage diving with) Great White Sharks.

Boston, New England & Its Whales
A 6-day holiday focusing on the outstanding dolphin and whale-watching off Cape Cod, one of the top destinations for cetaceans anywhere in the world, plus a little sightseeing in Boston and the charming and historic town of Plymouth.

The Mammals of Northern Argentina
A 16-day exploration of the montane and Chaco habitats of northern Argentina in search of the region's mammals and birds.

China - Plant Hunting in Sichuan, Land of the Panda
A pioneering 22-day botanical tour to Sichuan Province following in the footsteps of the early plant-hunters.

India & Nepal - Corbett to Kathmandu
This 17-day holiday, in search of birds and mammals, offers a mouth-watering combination of the best national parks in the Himalayan foothills - Corbett in India, and the Sal and riverine forests of Bardia and subtropical jungles of Chitwan in Nepal, plus birdwatching and sightseeing in the Kathmandu Valley.

India - Assam, Darjeeling & Bhutan
An 18-day holiday exploring Kaziranga (the finest of India's national parks), the magical kingdom of Bhutan and the charming hill station of Darjeeling, plus an exciting optional extension to the Sunderbans.

Lowland Nepal
A comprehensive, 17-day mammal and birdwatching tour of lowland Nepal, visiting the country's three finest lowland sanctuaries, Chitwan and Bardia National Parks, and the remote Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve, and the forested hills of the Kathmandu Valley.

Antarctica, The Falklands and South Georgia
A 22-day wildlife holiday including an 18-night voyage from Ushuaia in Patagonia to the Falklands, South Georgia and the Antarctic Peninsula.

Wildlife of Australia's Northern Territory
A 17-day holiday focusing on the best wildlife sites of Australia's Northern Territory, amongst them the unrivalled wetlands of Kakadu, the remote Arnhem Land escarpment and the spectacular Katherine Gorge.

Wildlife of Southern Australia
A 17-day holiday offering the best of the wildlife highlights and national parks in New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia.

France - Butterflies of La Brenne
A 6-day holiday, travelling to and from Poitiers by train, to enjoy the exceptionally rich wildlife of La Brenne, focusing in particular on its remarkable variety of butterflies.

Greece - The Pelicans of Lake Kerkini
An 8-day birdwatching holiday to Lake Kerkini, one of the finest wetlands in Greece.

Greenland - Glaciers, Icebergs and Musk Ox
An 11-day holiday incorporating a 10-day cruise along the magnificent east coast of Greenland in search of Musk Ox, white phase Gyr Falcon, migrating waterbirds, cetaceans and perhaps Polar Bear. Some of the most spectacular landscapes on Earth, dressed in fabulous autumn colours, will be a further highlight.

Romania - The Wildlife of Transylvania
An 8-day holiday to the beautiful Carpathian Mountains of Romania in search of birds, flowers, butterflies and European Brown Bears.

Romania - Wild Flowers of The Carpathians
An 8-day botany holiday to the beautiful Carpathian Mountains of Romania.

The Scottish Islands
A magical 8-day wildlife voyage around the isolated islands and seabird colonies of northern Scotland including the rare opportunity to visit some of Britain's most inaccessible outposts, amongst them Foula, St Kilda, North Rhona and Sula Sgeir.

Slovakia - Butterflies of the Tatras & White Carpathians
An 8-day butterfly holiday to the Tatras and White Carpathian Mountains of Slovakia and the Czech Republic.

Spain - Granada & the Sierra Nevada
An 8-day holiday to enjoy the birds, plants and butterflies of the alpine summits and desert plains of unexplored Andalucia.

Wild Spain - La Montana Palentina
An 8-day holiday to enjoy the birds, plants, butterflies and mammals of this wild corner of Spain.

It has not been much of a summer for watching English cricket so why not join us on the tropical island of Sri Lanka for a birdwatching and wildlife tour this winter combined with daily attendance at the First Test match in Kandy? The tour itinerary visits some of Stri Lanka's world heritage archaelogical sites but will also guarantee some superlative birdwatching opportunities.

Tour itinerary

• Sun 25th November - Depart London
• Mon 26th November - On arrival Colombo early morning go to airport hotel for 'wash & brush up'. Drive to Anuradhapura stopping along the way for birding & breakfast. Arrive hotel for lunch, then afternoon relaxation/local birdwatching
• Tue 27th November - Tour of Anuradhapura & Mihintale, ancient cities & sites with plenty of birding & wildlife opportunities among the sightseeing
• Wed 28th November - Drive to Sigiriya with birdwatching stops en route. Afternoon birdwatching/climb Sigiriya Rock
• Thu 29th November - Morning around Sigiriya Rock in forest. After lunch visit Minneriya National Park for wildlife viewing including Elephants
• Fri 30th November - Drive to Kandy stopping at Spice Garden en route
• Sat 1st - Wed 5th December - Test Match with chance of birding excursions to local sites before play 
• Thu 6th December - Drive to Colombo 
• Fri 7th December - Morning return flight to UK

Tour cost: £1,700 (based on sharing twin accommodation)

Single room supplement: £150

Tour includes: full board accommodation, all transfers and transportation in private vehicles, entrance fees, services of naturalist tour leader, air fare from London, entrance fees, picnic lunches and soft drinks for daily attendance at First Test Match in Kandy.

 
Optional extension

• Thu 6th December - Drive to Nuwara Eliya, capital of hill country
• Fri 7th December - Horton Plains all day
• Sat 8th December - Drive Colombo
• Sun 9th December - Fly to London

Extension cost: £200

Single room supplement: £60
 

 
For further information please email Paul Dukes or phone 01962 733051