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WORLDWIDE SAFARIS - DISCOVERY JOURNEYS - WILDERNESS ADVENTURES

Tailor-made itineraries to your requirements

In this issue: Trip Report: Peru – In the News: Paramo Outdoor Clothing Photoshoot, Andy Rouse 2008 Galapagos Explorer cruise,

Finland Nature Consultation, NEW Winter Activities - Hidden Gem: Pench National Park India – A Place to Stay: Wolwedans, Namibia

Peru

Having just returned from almost a month researching Peru on a very busy schedule I will share with you some of the highlights of this country and some of the areas less frequented. For at least the last 7 years Peru has been the most visited country in South America by the British, seeing the ‘lost’ Inca city of Machu Picchu being the main reason for most visits. Peru is a large, very large country with tremendous diversity. As a wildlife company we are clearly interested in destinations exemplifying the natural world but as many of your itineraries worldwide include cultural elements, both historic and living communities, I also travelled in less visited northern Peru. In fact in the beautiful, old Spanish colonial city of Cajamarca I did not see another foreign tourist yet thoroughly enjoyed the stay in a pleasant 4* country hotel complete with its own hot spring thermal baths.

For nature three key areas really stand out:

Firstly Tambopata Research Centre (TRC). A full day (6 hour) boat journey up the Tambopata River from the nearest lodge, the new Refugio Amazonas, which in itself is around 3 hours from the quayside near Puerto Maldonado airport in the Amazon basin. TRC is home to the world’s largest known macaw clay lick and these magnificent birds are studied here. The macaws, parrots and parakeets visit the riverbank cliff face in huge numbers on a daily basis and in the early morning light this is a truly spectacular and cacophonous display. They visit in order to ingest minerals not found in their diet and neutralizing materials that bind the toxins that are present in the various fruits on which they feed. To see mixed flocks of hundreds of parrots from around 14 species, the brilliant red macaws and the sunrise on the bodies of blue and yellow macaws flying overhead is something special.

The cloudforest is also alive with myriads of birds including the ever busy hummingbirds, the national bird of Peru: the shy Cock of the Rock and the brilliant Highland Motmot. The cloudforest can be enjoyed easily on a nature walk from Machu Picchu Pueblo hotel below Machu Picchu where they have some good nature guides who run daily walks.

Finally and perhaps the highlight of wild Peru is Manu. Manu National Park is a large protected area around the size of Wales. Here just a couple of small lodges exist along the Madre de Dios River. Access is by a 2 day road and boat trip down through the cloudforest from Cusco or a short 45min hop in a 12-seater light aircraft into a jungle airstrip having flown over the high Andes. The immediate feeling of remoteness is encountered after the flight. I stayed at Manu Wildlife Center a couple of hours by boat downstream from the airstrip. The lodge is one of the best I have visited in any of the Amazon region and is highly rated by Condé Nast Traveller. It is still simple but has individual thatched rooms on stilts screened from mosquitoes and with a large private bathroom with tiled shower and hot water. There are large public areas and the meals are very enjoyable, being freshly served to your table unlike the familiar buffets at other lodges.

The guiding is some of the best I have experienced anywhere in the world and the guides really know the rainforest. Activities here include forest walks and special interests such as birds, orchids or butterflies can be accommodated, visits to an oxbow lake to search for giant otters and where horned screamers and hoatzin can be encountered. A night visit to a mammal clay lick, one of very few known, will enable you to see tapir, the largest animal in the forest. There are also opportunities to go in search of caiman and to do short night walks seeking frogs, a myriad of insects, spiders and snakes – nothing too scary! – just immensely interesting.

Culturally, highlights include of course Machu Picchu where we would recommend being among the first to enter the site early in the morning to experience some of its magic in the quiet hours, it really does get very busy by midday. The Temple of the Moon is a pre-Inca pyramid in the desert outside of Trujillo and has some stunning reliefs painted in brilliant colours and the city itself has a beautiful colonial main square also painted in fresh colours. On the high Altiplano and around the Sacred Valley it is also possible to visit villages and farms to gain an understanding of how the Campesinos are living today.

For the more adventurous there are numerous activities besides the classic Inca Trail. In fact close to where 500 persons a day travel the Inca Trail there are some very quiet sections of Inca trails that are hardly ever visited yet are equally rewarding. Of course there is also some high mountain trekking to be enjoyed around Huaraz and you can also white water raft from one day to two weeks. Finally there is a thoroughly enjoyable and easy excursion kayaking to the island of Taquile on Lake Titicaca, even for those who have never been in a kayak before.

Accommodation is very varied with rustic Amazonian chalets, formal 5* hotels like the lovely Monasterio in Cusco and even splendid villas in Urubamba where you can stay in a private chalet with your own maid who will serve tasty traditional meals. Tourism in Peru has come of age and there are some delightful options for stress-free and enjoyable exploration.

Our website will soon reflect some changes in ‘Suggested Itineraries’ relating to my trip but as there are just so many possibilities for designing your holiday here based on your specific interests then it is better to talk with me direct. First class services in Peru will ensure a memorable holiday.

Steve

Paramo Directional Clothing Photoshoot…

As we go to press with this issue of our newsletter we are in the final stages of finalising the next catalogue photoshoot for Paramo, a leading outdoor clothing manufacturer who produce a superbly technical range of clothing for both travel and mountain wear. The shoot will be in the tremendously inspiring landscape of Erongo Wilderness Lodge in Namibia and has been arranged in conjunction with Air Namibia. The catalogue will be launched next Easter with all the new developments to their clothing and we will be announcing further details of a competition in association with Paramo and Air Namibia on our website shortly.

Andy Rouse 2008 Galapagos Explorer Cruise

Following on from the popularity of Andy Rouse’s 2 week Galapagos Expedition cruise we have added a second 1 week long Galapagos Islands Explorer cruise in September 2008 for which there are just a few cabins available for wildlife enthusiasts. If you are interested in what should be a fun but extremely informative photographic trip then do contact us.

Finland Nature Consultation…

This weekend sees our Director, Dr. Steve Banner, back in Finland, (you may remember the earlier report on Bears and bear watching). This time Steve is over brain-storming to help with the development of Wild Taiga, a tourism nature initiative that seeks to develop and increase nature tourism in Eastern Finland where the forests are host to wolves, elk, flying squirrels, beavers, owls, capercaillie and of course bears. We hope to report on developments for one of Europe’s best wildlife experiences in a future newsletter.

New Winter Activities…

We are launching some new winter activities to complement our ever popular northern lights short breaks and dog sledding holidays. Additional programmes will be available in Iceland, including short breaks in both Reykjavik and a good hotel in the countryside where the northern lights are better seen. Already on our website is a dog sledding trip in Finland for those who prefer a little more comfort than wilderness cabins. This tour extends along the Russian border staying in cottages and ends at a good lakeside hotel. For those seeking a real wilderness experience you cannot beat the remote dog sledding through the mountains of Sweden close to the Norwegian border. STOP PRESS – 2 double rooms available in Lapland 22 – 26 December.

Tiger Safari - Pench National Park - India

Are you thinking about a Tiger Safari? We hear many thoughts from prospective clients as to the best destinations for seeing tigers in India, mostly due to accessibility and consequent amount of press coverage Ranthambore in Rajasthan is often cited. However, those wanting close-up experiences with tigers by jeep or on elephant back you should head to the lovely state of Madhya Pradesh (MP) where rural India is at its best. Travelling is stress-free and it has some of the best National Parks in the country where tiger populations are reasonably healthy.

Bandhavgarh and Kanha are the two most important parks in MP, both are large and each is very different in character from the other. Both also have good tourist facilities for nature enthusiasts. Pench National Park was only opened to tourism in 2003 having been founded as a wildlife reserve in 1997. It is just a couple of hours from the airport at Nagpur and therefore is an ideal stopover en route to Kanha National Park. It is much smaller than either Kanha or Bandhavgarh yet holds abundant concentrations of chital and other ungulates which make for good prey species for tigers. Sambar and nilgai are readily observed and there are also small herds of gaur or Indian bison. Wild boar will be found scouring the undergrowth. Jackals, dhole (wild dog) and leopards are present in this park and there are estimated to be around 50 tigers.

Pench claims the original setting for Kipling’s Jungle Book and it is a very pretty reserve with many small wooded hills of teak and other mixed deciduous species including the notable white ‘ghost’ or Kullu trees. Winding tracks circulate through the forest and across more open areas where herds graze. The Pench River has been dammed below the park and this resulted in a large expanse of water that attracts a wide variety of winter migrant birds. Game drives are in small jeeps with a naturalist guide from either of the two lodges close to the entrance. Pench Jungle Camp had a refurbishment last year and has huge permanent tents set in gardens. Baghvan is a small luxury lodge with just 11 beautifully furnished cottages located in the bush where you can walk the trails with a naturalist or relax between game drives at the pool. Visits to a nearby village are also possible.

We would always recommend visiting the national parks of MP and certainly adding Pench will enhance your enjoyment of this part of India.

Wolwedans Collection – Namibia

The Wolwedans Collection of outstanding wilderness camps sit within a private nature reserve in the heart of the NamibRand Nature Reserve. Dunes Camp, Dunes Lodge, Boulders Camp and the new Private Camp offer a variety of accommodation styles each with spectacular views across this beautiful reserve which has everything from rolling plains to rich red sand dunes.

Tranquility is assured as numbers are limited and guests very rarely see another vehicle whilst on nature drives or enjoying a sundowner atop a remote dune. Each day brings something new and apart from the game drives, walks and even hot air balloon flights can be arranged to see the reserve from all angles.

The new Wolwedans Private Camp is a perfect addition to this exclusive collection. With room for just four guests, it is ideal for small family/friends groups or a truly romantic escape for a honeymoon couple. Guests can choose to guide and cater for themselves or take advantage of the fully inclusive package, experiencing the ultimate luxury of a private guide and chef.

Roaming around the reserve you might find oryx, ostrich, zebra and maybe even the odd African wildcat, but this is not a big game destination, but rather a focus on pure nature in all its unspoilt glory.

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