Brazil's Atlantic Rainforest – new Bargain Birdwatching tour

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 will form the basis of our new September 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 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 tour also incorporates altitudinal variation and different local habitats to ensure that we see as many species as possible during the week, including many of the Atlantic forest specialities. (This tour may easily be extended to include other areas in southern Brazil and promises participants an amazingly diverse bird list).

Friday, 3rd September – Sunday, 12th September 2004. Cost: £1,195. Email info@naturetrek.co.uk for a tour dossier.

Join Bill Oddie in Madagascar

We still have a few places left on the Naturetrek/British Bird Fair tour to the wetlands and forests of Madagascar. Led by TV personality and Bird Fair regular Bill Oddie, the tour includes a visit to the Mahavavy Delta, close to the coastal town of Mahajanga, one of the wetlands sponsored by the 2003 British Bird Fair. To help the ongoing effort to protect Madagascar's dwindling forests and wetlands, 10% of the holiday cost will be donated to BirdLife International's Madagascar Wetlands Project.

This is truly a pioneering holiday, one that will take you to areas seldom visited by birdwatchers and introduce you to a wealth of rare and exciting wildlife including one of the rarest birds on the island, the little known Sakalava Rail. Indeed, we will be the first birdwatching group to visit the Kinkony Lake area, home of the rail, and we hope to be the very first tour company to show visitors this enigmatic and seldom seen bird. In addition to our time in the wetlands, the tour will take you to three of Madagascar's very best wildlife reserves, Berenty, Ampijoroa and Andasibe (Périnet), in search of a wealth of exciting birds, lemurs and other wildlife including singing Indris, the largest of the lemurs, and the beautiful endemic Scaly Ground Roller.

We also hope that this holiday will introduce the concept of ecotourism to the Mahavavy Wetlands area and help the BirdLife team demonstrate to the local Sakalava people that a living can be made from protecting the wetlands and wildlife, thus halting their inexorable decline. So please join us, and Bill Oddie of course, on this exciting adventure to some of the world's most unique ecosystems whilst at the same time helping to raise money for their continued protection.

The tour is planned to run from Wednesday, 3rd November – Thursday, 18th November 2004 at a cost of £3,295. For our tour dossier please email Paul Stanbury on paul@naturetrek.co.uk

Ocean Giants of Western Australia

This tour dossier is now available. Email maryanne@naturetrek.co.uk for a copy.

Sri Lanka – Bargain Birding, November 2003

Our Sri Lankan Endemics bargain birding tours have consistently provided tour members with excellent birdwatching on this idyllic tropical island, and it is usual for nearly all the endemic birds to be seen or heard on these holidays (although inevitably one or two can prove to be very elusive). Andy Lees travelled on the November 2003 tour and has very kindly granted permission for us to direct prospective participants to his excellent trip report which may be viewed by clicking here.

We are very grateful to Andy for sharing his experiences in this manner.

Peru's Cordilleras Blanca and Negra, November 2003

Naturetrek co-leader Andy Wilson's tour report and bird list is now posted on our website. For a copy click here.

Andy's report contains colour pictures of stunning scenery – if you have problems downloading it contact andy@naturetrek.co.uk

With the weak dollar we have cut the price of our April and May trips to £1,195. Why not join us!

Namibia – A Birdwatching Tour, February 2003

Amongst our ever expanding range of Bargain Birdwatching holidays to South America, Africa and Asia you will still find some old favourites. We have been operating our Namibia Birding tour since the mid 1990s and it is still a firm favourite with those who travel on it. Namibia is a spectacular desert country of towering sand dunes, rugged mountains and wide open vistas. From the Atlantic coastline of the Skeleton Coast to the flat acacia-covered plains of the Etosha Pan, Namibia holds a remarkably variety of different habitats for such a rain-starved land and an amazing diversity of bird and animal life. Our Bargain Birding holiday usually amasses over 300 species in a little over a week, a tally to rival many other African destinations. If you join us on this holiday not only are you assured of first class guiding by our team of local leaders, usually headed by well known Namibian birder Neil Macleod, but some of Africa's very best birding and scenery.

Whilst we have amassed a huge collection of tour reports over the years, we are always delighted to receive new reports from enthusiastic clients. One such report recently received gives a wonderful account of our Namibia tour that ran in 2003. Our thanks go out to Julian Thomas who wrote the report and if you would like to read a copy please click here.

Last year we operated a very successful set of tours to Australia and New Zealand, with all trips departing and many clients choosing to add extensions. The latter included add-ons to Queensland's Fraser Island, the Northern Territory 's Seven Spirit Bay, Kakadu National Park and Alice Springs, and Phillip/French Island in southern Victoria.

West Australia's Wildflowers

Across the ancient landscape of Western Australia during the spring the wildflower display is simply stunning. Carpets of wildflowers stretch uninterrupted across vast areas in this relatively undeveloped and uninhabited part of the continent. Highlights of this tour include the high diversity of plants within groups such as the Banksias, Grevilleas, Eucalyptus, Acacias and Hakeas. Due to the great variety of areas we visit you will enjoy spectacular displays of everlastings (Helichrysum bracteatum and Lawrencella davenportii), the splendid Eucalyptus macrocarpa (the largest flowering eucalyptus), the majestic Royal Hakea (Hakea victoriae), the attractive Scarlet Banksia (Banksia coccinea) along with an impressive variety of orchids. You will also have plenty of opportunity for birdwatching and to enjoy the wonderful scenery. Contact maryanne@naturetrek.co.uk for a Trip Dossier, Tour Report/plant list or other details. Our next tour is Friday, 3rd September – Sunday, 19th September 2004. Cost £3,195.

The Kimberley

The far north of Western Australia offers the naturalist the opportunity to explore a landscape little changed by time, indeed one of the world's finest wilderness destinations. Our travels will take us across vast plains punctuated by craggy ranges and incised by ragged gorges, rainforest and riverine systems.

A fascinating array of wildlife includes the enigmatic Grey Goshawk, busy groups of finches including Zebra, Long-tailed, Double-barred and the less common Star Finch, and the melodious Sandstone Shrike-thrush, to name just a few. Amongst the honeycombed limestone rocks of the Napier Range we may find Short-eared Rock Wallabies, Euros, and both Antilopine and Agile Wallabies. Our tour also includes a stay on the Mitchell Plateau, which supports rainforest pockets that harbour a wealth of birdlife, including Rainbow Pitta, Spangled Drongo, Varied Triller, Yellow Oriole and Little Shrike-thrush. We can also offer a departure in November in order to enjoy the spectacular sights of massive flocks of birds whirling around the diminishing water supplies at the end of the dry season.

Our next tour is Sunday, 18th July – Saturday, 7th August. Cost £3,295.

Whales and Dolphins in Western Australia

A week-long tour to the south-west of Western Australia to combine whale and dolphin-watching, birdwatching and an appreciation of the giant trees of the karri forest.

Day trips on regular whale-watching departures will provide the opportunity to enjoy sightings of Bottle-nosed Dolphins, and Humpback and Southern Right Whales amongst other cetacean species. Departures in June, July, September and November. Cost £1,090. Contact maryanne@naturetrek.co.uk for a dossier.

Queensland

Our Queensland tour last August proved a great success, producing an outstanding number of birds and mammals together with the excellent insight into this area provided by our popular local guide Ellen Tyrell, who co-led with Naturetrek leader Tony Smith. Queensland boasts a colourful and plentiful wildlife, enjoyed in combination with good roads, comfortable accommodation, excellent food and a friendly and welcoming people. Our tour includes visits to the Tableland rainforests where there is a bewildering array of honeyeaters along with several species of kangaroo, including the diminutive Musky Rat Kangaroo.

The highlight of this area is the chance to see the unusual and shy Platypus swimming effortlessly in the clear creeks. Amongst the fascinating variety of plants and giant trees in the Daintree Rainforest, the Southern Cassowary may be encountered, whilst on the Daintree River sightings of Papuan Frogmouth, rare Great-billed Heron and Little Kingfisher may be possible. Our tour includes a stay in the beautiful mountains of Lamington National Park, where highlights include both Regent and Satin Bowerbirds, and the possums that provide nocturnal entertainment by peering through windows watching meal times! Last August a total of 241 bird species (nearly a third of Australia's species) together with 22 species of mammals were recorded.

Our next tour is Saturday, 7th August – Sunday, 22nd August 2004. Cost £3,495.

A 12-DAY WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY TOUR TO BANDHAVGARH TIGER RESERVE – 2004 (Something different this Easter)

Bandhavgarh National Park, situated amid the airy Vindhya Hills of Madhya Pradesh, has established a reputation as one of the best places in India to observe Tigers. Although a relatively small reserve when first established in 1968, it was enlarged twenty years later to include adjacent tracts of Sal forest and this extension has proved very beneficial for the Tiger population. The 105 square kilometres of park area open for tourists is estimated to have a population of 22 Tigers, a density of one Tiger for every 4.77 square kilometres. Like many Tiger reserves in India, the area was formerly the hunting reserve of a Maharaja and contains much evidence of its royal associations, most spectacular being the ruins of a huge hilltop fort which dominates the centre of the reserve. Bandhavgarh is somewhat isolated in the rural heart of India but the long overnight train journey from Delhi is well worth the effort and visitors are richly rewarded by a fine selection of wildlife and the real chance of never-to-be-forgotten encounters with the greatest of the big cats.

Our tour begins in the capital city of Delhi but we pause only briefly before catching an overnight sleeper train to Umaria, the nearest railhead to Bandhavgarh. From here we drive to comfortable accommodation just outside the reserve where we stay for six nights. During the following days we will board jeeps for morning and afternoon excursions into the National Park, each visit charged with that unique tingle of anticipation generated by being in Tiger territory. Even here, the appearances by Tigers can never be predicted, or guaranteed, and sometimes only a giant footprint in the dust, or a distant roar, betrays the presence of our quarry, but perseverance has its rewards and that magical moment when the lord of the forest finally emerges into view will never be forgotten. Depending on the situation it is often possible to approach Tigers closely by jeep and much film is sure to be expended during such encounters. Even without the Tigers, there is much to see at Bandhavgarh. Herds of Spotted Deer roam the reserve and constitute one of the main prey items for the Tigers, although the utterly endearing little fawns look far too appealing to deserve such a fate. Other herbivore residents are less conspicuous but include Sambar, Chausingha, Chinkara, Nilgai and Muntjac. Several hundred species of birds have been recorded in the reserve and it is often the excited behaviour of the birdlife that first announces the presence of a prowling Tiger, although the anxious chatter of Grey Langur Monkeys and barking alarm calls of Chital quickly relay the warning to all the creatures in the vicinity! The wildlife at Bandhavgarh will be mostly viewed from jeeps but riding elephants are also employed on occasions to traverse some of the areas impassable to vehicles and travelling on one of these huge animals as it plods with sure footsteps through fast flowing streams or picks its way along a rocky trail, is a thrilling adventure, spiced with the constant possibility of coming upon a Tiger at rest.

Outline itinerary:

Departure Dates:
Wednesday, 31st March – Sunday, 11th April 2004 (only one place available)
Wednesday, 7th April – Sunday, 18th April 2004 (only three places available)

Cost: £1,795 (London/London).

See below for late availability, and do not hesitate to contact us should you have any questions on any of our tours.

Kind regards,

The Naturetrek Team

If you would prefer not to hear from us in this way, please email remove@naturetrek.co.uk

For more information on any of our holidays please call us on 01962 733051