After a 3-year pandemic-induced break, our recent Brahmaputra cruise proved as fabulous and rewarding as ever! This cruise always provides a fascinating look into the kaleidoscope of life and landscapes along this great Indian river, yet, for us, it is the wildlife of this remote region that is particularly special. Whilst on the river, Gangetic River Dolphins and spectacular sunsets delighted us; in the wayside wildlife reserves and national parks of Orang, Nameri and Kaziranga, Hoolock Gibbons, Asian Elephants by the score, wild Water Buffaloes, Greater One-horned Rhinos, Black Giant Squirrels, both Pallas's and Grey-headed Fish Eagles, great flocks of mynahs and starlings, and even a distant Tiger were amongst hoped-for highlights. Best of all, though, was a very special daytime sighting of the endangered Fishing Cat – a female with her two large kittens – a species we’ve not previously seen on this cruise. However, as all participants have noted, what truly made this holiday so very special was the superb team of crew and naturalists we had aboard with us. To cap it all off, for those taking our pre-cruise Sunderbans extension, a pair of the very rare Buffy Fish Owl and six species of Kingfisher (Pied, Eurasian, Collared, Black-capped, White-throated, and the ‘mega’ Brown-winged Kingfisher!) provided additional highlights; whilst, on our post-cruise extension to Manas National Park, Gaur and large herds of Asian Elephants, a wealth of green pigeons, Green Imperial Pigeons and the rare Bengal Florican were much enjoyed.

View tour

‘Our trip to southern Morocco covered all the major habitats – from the High Atlas, through the southern deserts to the coast – and introduced the group to the culture and wildlife of this part of North Africa’, writes tour leader Chris Griffin. ‘We connected with many of the region’s specialities, including 161 bird species, plus five distinctive subspecies, together with five mammal species, eight species of butterfly, 10 of reptiles and two of dragonflies, although Vagrant Emperor was probably the most common species of all, with hundreds seen daily across the whole area.

The weather was dramatic throughout, with both the High Atlas and Anti-Atlas receiving their highest snowfalls for 20 years or so, and everywhere was cooler than usual, but in places in the far south the drought had yet to be broken. Despite tricky conditions, we had great views of the key species including Bald Ibis, African Crimson-winged Finch, Lanner Falcon, Pharaoh Eagle Owl, Black-crowned Tchagra, Maghreb Wheatear, Tristram’s Warbler, Moussier’s Redstart and Desert Sparrow. Migration was yet to really flow, but the sight of hundreds of Black Kites streaming northwards was an almost daily occurrence. At the coast we caught up with European Bee-eaters and more hirundines bypassing the snow-clad passes. As always, other species were found in such a biodiverse area – a brief Fennec Fox being the highlight for some, whilst Oudri’s Fan-footed Gecko and Common Chameleon showed the herpetological charm of the area. The diversity of landscapes and wildlife makes this a special tour and early spring showed the landscape at its best.’

Book tour

‘This tour showcased Mexico’s fascinating culture and varied landscapes, together with the natural wonder of overwintering Monarchs, mighty Humpback Whales and some of its special birds’, writes tour leader Martin Pitt.

‘We began with the pre-Aztec civilisation and the spectacular “stepped” pyramids of Teotihuacán, before heading over 10,000 ft into the fir and pine forests to the west of Mexico City to experience the overwintering Monarch butterflies in their millions. Here, we also found the special Salamander, together with some of the unique birds of this protected biosphere reserve. We then flew west to the Pacific coast, taking two boat trips into the warm coastal waters and finding many Humpback Whales, including mothers with calves. We witnessed them breaching, spy-hopping, flipper and fluke bashing, whilst other wildlife included the vulnerable Olive Ridley Turtle, Bottlenose Dolphins and a sea snake. In the hills above the marina, we successfully searched for the Military Macaw and found our first Heliconius butterflies. We finished the trip by searching the mixed habitats around the old colonial town of San Blas, looking for wintering North American migrants and local endemic birds in this well-known hotspot, together with enjoying a rush of new butterflies that included some flashy Swallowtails, Daggertails and Malachites.

Overall, we identified 48 species of butterfly, 214 species of birds and 18 species of mammal, including detecting a confusing 11 species of bats, plus notable amphibians and reptiles. We all enjoyed the wonderful weather, friendly people and excellent food and returned with a wealth of memories – who can forget trees dripping with butterflies, forests lit by hummingbirds, seas full of whales, dolphins and turtles, and everywhere the vibrant colours of tropical birds and butterflies?’
 

Book tour

'The wildlife and cultural tour “The Best of Cambodia – Birds, Mammals & Temples” with 12 guests and two tour leaders concluded in February with warm and sunny days ranging between 34-38 degrees centigrade’, writes leader Neil McMahon. ‘We utilised hotels, eco lodges and one night of camping as we explored four UNESCO temple complexes, dipterocarp woodland, grassy plains, lakes, rivers, marshes and uplands in our quest for gibbons, monkeys and exotic and rare birds. We had a fleet of air-con 4WD Toyota Landcruisers with professional drivers at our disposal for most of the tour and we used boats to explore the vastness and marshes of Tonle Sap Lake and the mighty River Mekong.

We found time to tour the royal palace, S21 genocide museum and commemorative parks and found Cambodia's “Big Five” – Red-headed, Slender-billed and White-rumped Vultures and Giant and White-shouldered Ibis, using the skills of guides from local communities as part of an eco-sustainable project. The endemic Cambodian Tailorbird showed well and other sought-after specialities included Mekong Wagtail, Bengal Florican, Sarus Crane, Milky Stork, Greater Adjutant, Irrawaddy Dolphin and Southern Yellow-cheeked Crested Gibbons.

Other stars of the show included an amazing Atlas Moth, snakes, geckos, lizards, four species of squirrel and close views of magnificent hornbills and seven species of owl. Asiatic Cuckoos, Eastern Palearctic warblers, wood-shrikes, cuckoo-shrikes and gorgeous minivets kept the birders happy!'
 

Book tour