Naturetrek Traveller Reviews

This holiday is a long weekend staying in Wells, Somerset and visiting various nature reserves to see the local flora and fauna. Whilst it was full on from the itinerary point of view, I never felt rushed and the time passed so very quickly. I wanted to see a wild bittern and a wild crane and managed to tick off both birds on my list on the first day due to the skill and knowledge of the guides. The two vehicles were very comfortable with plenty of room for our group of 16 split between the vehicles and the journey between each reserve gave us an opportunity to look out for birds along the country lanes. We returned to the hotel in time for a shower and to get ready for Dinner so the evenings were very relaxing. This mini break gave everyone the chance of bird watching with professional guides who knew the creatures well so it was perfect . There was no need to be an expert as everyone at all levels of knowledge was made very welcome and no question was a stupid question! The Guides knew plants, birds, insects and mammals so we were pretty well covered with all of the flora and fauna! They were both obviously very enthusiastic and loved the subject so it was a pleasure to listen to them. The trip, whilst full on with activities, was relaxing at the same time in a beautiful area of England.

Naturetrek is an excellent tour operator for wildlife holidays. All of their staff are extremely knowledgeable from their office team to the guides out on the trips. Nothing is too much trouble and they happily answer questions. I have a severe life threatening food allergy and they were extremely helpful in ensuring that the hotel was aware of the situation and went out of their way on lunch stops to remind the restaurants of the situation. I have travelled with them before and have now booked two further holidays with them. I would score them 10/10 on the friendly and professional service given where nothing is too much trouble.

And the Lord sayeth unto our Leader, "Go forth my daughter into the high mountains where the bear and the chamois, the wolf and the deer dwell in perfect harmony, far from the destructive hand of man; where glossy coated chough swirl around the towering crags; where Fritillary and Swallowtail and other winged jewels find home among the flowered carpets; where melting rivulets of snow and breaths of crystal clear breeze calm the anxious mind and sooth the troubled soul. Shew thy people this masterpiece of God`s creation that they may protect and preserve it forever, and let them know this land as ABRUZZO."

The service of the Naturetrek Team was unbeatable, from the excellence of their inspiring brochure, the prompt attention and thoroughness of pre-tour information provided, the smooth flights to and from Rome, to the meeting arrangements and hotel transits in Italy. The hotel was superb with great location and facilities, wonderful meals and charming and helpful owners and staff. Jessica Turner was the consummate tour leader with an encyclopaedic knowledge of the flora, birds, butterflies and mammals of the area. She showed great patience in ensuring that all members of the group were able to see and appreciate the wildlife. She also proved to be a superb driver. Congratulations Naturetrek.

I spent a week in Madeira with Nature Trek, the holiday was called the Floating Garden, we looked for mainly wildflowers, butterflies and birds. Our tour leader Martin was brilliant and he made the week a huge success with his knowledge and ability to support all the group with their diverse abilities and interests. Our driver for the week was really nice and the hotel we stayed in was small, friendly and clean.

I have used NatureTrek before, each time I use them I find the holiday are excellent and the organisation great.

I went to see alpine flowers I had only seen samples of in botanical gardens. My father always talked about the wonders of mountain flowers that he had seen in his youth and so I promised myself that I would take the opportunity if I could manage it one day. The most wonderful thing apart from the glorious flowers and landscapes was our guides’ depth of knowledge and their endless patience when asked repeatedly the names of birds, butterflies and flora. I came away with a feeling that I had learnt a great deal and was more confident in my ability to recognise some of the wonderful things to be found in the Pyrenees.

Extremely friendly, responded to questions and emails promptly and ensured a holiday that went without a hitch. Pity they couldn’t manipulate the weather!

We had an excellent guide with an intimate knowledge of all the sites of wildlife interest in Hampshire. There were bird's-nest orchids in the beech wood and musk and butterfly-orchids on the chalk downs. The broomrape and cow-wheat were very impressive. My personal favourite was the night visit to see bats when we also had the opportunity to watch a large crayfish in a chalk stream.

Very friendly and efficient.

We spent a week exploring the Pyrenees for the Alpine plants and animals, many of them endemic to the area. Led by excellent guides we saw everything we could have hoped for.

All the information supplied was superb, the hotel was good, as was the food. The guides were flexible enough to cope with unseasonable weather so that we missed nothing.

A week in Istria, Croatia was a new experience. Although the weather was variable for May we enjoyed a multitude of wild flowers, birds, butterflies and cultural differences. The food was very good and different which we enjoyed, and the hotel accommodation was very comfortable, clean and spacious.

Naturetrek have always been very efficient and this holiday was no exception. Transport, accommodation, local knowledge, flexibilty was very good. The tour leader, who lived locally, was outstanding in his knowledge, energy and good humour.

Interesting trip to Romania to see birds and brown bears and other wildlife. Beautiful countryside - mountains, hills and meadows. Many birds and insects and wildflowers to see. Wonderful walks through unspoilt meadows and woodland. Boat trip through the quiet channels of the Danube Delta. Lovely holiday. Excellent informative and caring guides. Excellent food and good accommodation.

Naturetrek looks after its clients from meeting at the airport and throughout the trip right to arrival back. Wherever the trip, one is well looked after and the whole trip is always well organised - hotel, food, travel, guides, local information. Pre trip information excellent.

It was a great group of participants, a wonderful hotel and the 2 trip leaders were excellent. They were very knowledgeable about multiple natural history subjects, great spotters and catered for our every need. The trip included cultural as well as natural history aspects which we enjoyed. That part of France is steeped in history with wonderful medieval villages, ancient castles and chateaus, many dating back to the 100 years War (13 century). We also visited the Pech Merle cave that contains 28,000 year old cave paintings. That was one of the highlights for me.

Although we joined the tour from Canada, Naturetrek were very good in keeping us informed and quickly responded to our many questions.

Reviewer's images:

We were amazed to see just over 100 species in 5 days with some firsts for us. Our guide was so knowledgable about the area that he knew just where he'd find each one.The trip also included a late evening to see beavers at work, but another day we watched baby Ural owls being ringed. There was a good mixture of forest, lake and marsh dwellers without having to travel long distances. The spa accommodation was very comfortable with plentiful delicious food, and they also prepared our great picnics each day.

We have used Naturetrek for many years with continuing success. The brochure description is accurate and there's helpful, knowledgeable people in the office. Another of the plusses is that once the final instalment is paid there's nothing else to pay as all meals are included as well as park entrance fees. They also supply comprehensive information before the holiday.