Wildlife Nature

The wild is waiting

Our wildlife and nature tours travel to the places and seasons that put you in the right spot at the right time. In the Scottish Highlands that means ospreys and dolphins, ancient pine forest, and rarer species including beavers and wildcats. In Tanzania it means the plains of the Serengeti, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and the shores of Lake Manyara. Costa Rica's cloud forest at Monteverde holds an extraordinary range of flora and fauna, and each spring Namaqualand in South Africa's Northern Cape turns from open granite country into a carpet of flowers, with fynbos, succulents and proteas alongside. Closer to home, the Burren's limestone supports wildflowers found almost nowhere else in Ireland.

You travel with expert Tour Managers, naturalists and specialists who know these habitats closely, helping you spot wildlife, identify plants and understand how each species fits into the landscape around it.

Wildlife and nature tours: your questions answered

Not at all. Some guests keep detailed lists and others simply enjoy being out in good country, and both get on well. The specialists travelling with you build up a picture during the holiday, and their role is to really help you understand the story of the past, and questions are always welcome.

Naturalists and specialists who know these habitats and species in the field. Knowing where to look, when to be quiet and what a particular call means is the difference between a good day out and a memorable one, and that knowledge only comes from time spent in the place.

Wild animals are wild, so nothing can be promised. What can be arranged is timing, location and expertise, and itineraries are built around the seasons and habitats that give you the best chance. Patience helps, and so does travelling with someone who knows where to wait.

Binoculars are worth bringing and make a real difference. Photography is welcome throughout, though these are not photography tours, so specialist equipment is entirely a matter of preference rather than a requirement.

It varies considerably. Some days are spent in vehicles or hides, others involve walking over rough, wet or uneven ground, sometimes slowly and sometimes for a while. Each itinerary carries an activity level of light, moderate or active so you know what to expect before you book.

Very much so, and many guests travel solo. Shared interest naturally leads to easy conversation, and friendships formed on tour often outlast it.

Wildlife tours are timed around the wildlife rather than the weather. Namaqualand only flowers in spring, Highland species are most active through the lighter months, and the East African itineraries are timed for the seasons that concentrate animals and birds. Each tour explains what it has been built around.