Wildlife Worldwide Blog Page
Index
- Wildlife Worldwide
- Festival of Wildlife 2008 Festival of Wildlife 2007
- Customer Comment - The Coggins' - Madagascar
- Staff Report - Sarah Williams - Okavango Delta, Botswana
- Staff Report - Chris Breen in Namibia - April 2008
- Staff Report - 'Mel Kinder and Family in Zambia'
- Customer Comment - The Cornells - Botswana
- Customer Review - Mr & Mrs Donner in East Africa
- Customer Comment - Mr How - Kenya
- Staff Report - Chris Breen in Zambia - October 2007
- Customer Comment - Mr Cusworth - Zambia
- Customer Comment - Mr Boyd - Zambia
- Staff Report - Estelle in Namibia
- Customer Comment - Mr Parker - Tanzania
- Staff Report - Isabel - 'Tanzania in 10 days'
- Customer Comment - Mrs Johnson - Kenya
- Customer Comment - The Taylors - Kenya
- Staff Report - Chris Breen in Zambia - March 2007
- Customer Comment - Bickerton Family - Tanzania & Zanzibar
- Staff Report - Isabel in Botswana
- Customer Comment - The Grippers - Botswana
- Customer Review - The Beeches in Madagascar
- Customer Comment - Ms Mitchell - South Africa
- Customer Comment - The Hannons - Namibia
- Staff Report - Estelle - 'Amazon, Incas & Andes'
- Simon Crosbie's Travelogue - Central America
- Staff Report - Sarah - 'Bountiful Brazil'
- Customer Review - 'The Paren's in Chile'
- Staff Report - Sarah -'Hyacinth Macaws in Brazil'
- Staff Report - Chris Osborn in Costa Rica
- Jonathan Scott travels with Wildlife Worldwide
-
General Bits and bobs
- Wildlife Photography Finalist - Elizabeth Faulkner
- Meet Maggie from Kapani Lodge in Zambia
- Photography weekend snaps - January 2008 - The Peak District
- Evening at the Hawk Conservancy with Chris Packham - November 2007
- 60 go wild in Yorkshire - The Worldwide Group - May 2007
- Mel Kinder in the Norfolk Broads - August 2007
Customer is Wildlife Photography Finalist!
A trip to Kenya's Maasai Mara, led by BBC Big Cat presenter and photographer Jonathan Scott, resulted in a well deserved accolade for customer Elizabeth Faulkner. Elizabeth made it though as a semi-finalist, with no less than six of her pictures, in the country's most prestigious wildlife photography competition - the Shell Wildlife Photographer of the Year....
Have a look at Elizabeth's excellent results.Customer Comment - Iceland - Mrs Sutton - June 2008
"I've just come back from a holiday in Iceland and feel a need to give feedback.
Everything was very well organised. The excursions were brilliant with a very knowledgeable driver who talked about everything about from the island's history to it's economics and even the elves. The hotel was very interesting! and the staff/owner very friendly.
We couldn't have been looked after better, the lady from the whale watching company (couldn't pronounce her name let alone spell it) made our holiday. Excellent. For example, we had decided on an extra whale watching trip but it was cancelled due to rough seas, so she took it upon her self to give us a tour of Reykyavik and the surrounding area (with stop offs) on the way to the airport."
Sarah Williams - Okavango Delta, Botswana
Botswana offers the wildlife enthusiast a huge number of varying scenic locations from which to view and experience its wealth of wildlife. It plays host to most of Africa's large mammal species: Elephant, Buffalo, Red Lechwe, Lion and Cheetah occur in good numbers in the north, while Gemsbok, Springbok and Brown Hyena are common in the Kalahari. It is also home to the largest remaining population of the endangered Wild Dog and over 500 species of bird.
In a departure from the standard jeep safaris, sales consultant Sarah Williams recently took to the water of the Okavango Delta in a leisurely and gratifying search for one of the regions most illusive mammals - the Sitatunga antelope...
Click here for the full reportFestival of Wildlife 2008 Blog
Madagascar - what a destination! We have just returned from our 5th Annual Festival of Wildlife and have been totally mesmerised by this most magical of islands. With a mix of cultures incorporating African, Indian, Indonesian and European, the visual and sensory stimulation was overwhelming and that was before even getting close to the flora and fauna! Most of the wildlife can be experienced no where else on this earth and as we walked in small groups to discover it for ourselves, the whole experience became more intimate and adventurous....
Click here for the Festival 2008 BlogCustomer Comment - Mrs Coggins - Madagascar - April 08
"All of the local guides and representatives went out of their way to be helpful, down to the local rep helping us in the post office in Tana and making sure post card went in the right post box. All guides were knowledgeable and enthusiastic and went to great lengths to make sure that we saw relevant wildlife."
Pench Tiger Reserve - India
Here is good news from the forests of the Pench Tiger Reserve. A tigress on Thursday the 15th May 2008 gave birth to four cubs raising the total number of tiger cubs in the reserve forest area to 16. At present there are 33 adult tigers in the Pench Tiger Reserve. The Pench Tiger Reserve already has 12 tiger cubs and with the newborn four cubs the total number of cubs in the Pench Tiger Reserve has increased to 16. The state Forest Minister Vijay Shah has directed the forest officials to ensure the care of newborn cubs. Earlier this year, Pench won the award for the best maintained tiger reserve in India. The forest spans 758 sq kms, and inspired Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book.
Click here for our Tiger Tiger HolidayStaff Report - Chris Breen in Namibia - April 2008
So, it was a pretty amazing day. We landed at around 8am and by 10am we were in a Cessna 210 heading west out over the desert on the way to the coast - the Namibian coast that is. I had been invited by Skeleton Coast Safaris to see their camps and enjoy their hospitality for a few days, and what a start we had! In the course of the day we made four short flights, each no more than an hour or so. Bertus was our pilot and guide, Bertus is the son of Loue Schoemann the pioneer who developed the amazing air safaris in this most remarkable of areas. We flew over some fantastic scenery, over a desert that was dusted with a smattering of green after the rains. In some places the green made a stark contrast to the deep reds of the higher dunes...
Click here for the full reportCustomer Comment - Mr Wain & Mrs Wild - Botswana - March 2008
"Having lived in Kenya & Zimbabwe I have to say that I was so impressed with the staff in all the camps, efficiency, patience and good humour all round."
Meet Maggie from Kapani Lodge in Zambia
Our blog is filled by the impressions we have about the wild and wonderful world out there. For something a bit different, we thought you may be interested to read a report about a recent trip to London and the UK by one of the staff at Kapani Lodge in the Luangwa Valley in Zambia. Sometimes travel is something that can remind us all to look at the world we live in through fresh eyes!
"The one thing that I found most strange was the pleasure to walk miles and miles without meeting the elephants. I have lived in the bush long enough that I am always alert and careful in case of meeting wild animals. Did I expect to see some there? I don't think so! But I guess it would have been nice combining my bush life with the amazing lights of London....."
Click here for the full reportCustomer Review - The Carbols in Finland
As we hiked into the towering trees of the Finnish forest, we were struck by the lush, green, peaceful setting. The quiet and tranquility were a welcome escape from the harsh sights and sounds of modern day civilization. Martinselkonen is a nature park of around 6000 hectares and sits in the wilderness of the Kainuu region. Accessed by dirt road, it takes you deep into the realm where moose and bear are more common than human...
Click here for the full review and photosStaff Report - Estelle - 'Amazon, Incas & Andes'
A whirlwind tour of Peru recently provided sales consultant Estelle Somers with total sensory overload. Estelle started her trip in the southern part of the Amazon Basin, taking a long but scenic motorised canoe ride along the Tambopata river to reach the Tambopata Research Centre in the uninhabited National Reserve. The research centre is strategically positioned next to the largest known macaw clay lick in the world but you have to be an early bird to see the parrots at their favourite gathering place!
No trip to Peru would be complete without a visit to Machu Picchu, which Estelle did in style aboard the luxurious Orient Express Hiram Bingham train, followed by a visit to the high point of Lake Titicaca with plenty more wildlife, this time seen from the calm of paddling her own canoe...
Click here for the full reportCustomer Comment - The Cornells - Botswana Tailor Made - Feb 08
"Each & every person we met at the three camps made us feel so welcome as if we were the only people that mattered. They were prepared to spend any amount of time with us explaining all about the environment & the tourist industry."
"Over the 10 days at 3 camps we saw: Hippo, lion, giraffe, zebra, blue wilderbeest, cheetah, leopard, serval, impala, llechwe, baboon, spring hare, tree squirrels, hyena, wild dogs, jackals, kudu, steenbok, tsessebe & numerous birds, reptiles & amphibians. Yet again, thank you all. "
Simon Crosbie's Travelogue - Central America
Simon Crosbie has recently departed on a life-changing experience. By coincidence, prior to attending our Costa Rican evening in November, Simon had already decided that he was heading over to South America to take part in volunteer conservation projects. You can keep up with Simon's activities in South America, and read all about his 'Jewels of Costa Rica' trip later in the year, by checking the new blog right here!
Click here for Simon's BlogCustomer Comment - The Atkinsons - India Tailor Made - Feb 08
"The tour operators in India were there to meet us, ontime, helpful & efficient. The tour was well planned and any guides/agents they used were also top notch."Customer Review - Mr & Mrs Donner in East Africa
We went on a month's holiday to Kenya and Tanzania from mid-November to mid-December 2007. Overall the holiday was a great success. We thoroughly enjoyed it and Isabel did a good job planning our itinerary and putting up with our frequent suggestions for changes to get it just right.
Click here for the full reviewPhotography weekend snaps - January 2008 - The Peak District
On heading up towards the Peak District through the cold sheeting rain last Friday evening I did begin to wonder exactly how much we might be able to achieve on a photography weekend within the confines of our base - The George Hotel at Hathersage in Derbyshire. We were hosting a weekend for general and more specialised photography techniques to be tutored by top wildlife photographers Nick Garbutt and Chris Mattison...
Click here for full review and picsStaff Report - Sarah - 'Bountiful Brazil'
Sarah Williams recently set foot in Brazil - South America until now, having been an unexplored region for Sarah. If you received last month's eNews, you will have learned about Sarah's involvement in the Hyacinth Macaw Project in the Pantanal. Sarah, as part of our 'Brazil's Endangered Wildlife' itinerary, also encountered plenty of the wide variety of other wildlife in the area, as well as a dip into the Natural Aquarium and visit to Blue Lake Grotto...
Click here for full reportCustomer Comment - Mrs Johnson - Kenya
" Thank you for all your help from a very nervous first time , on my own, traveller. "Staff Report - Chris Osborn in Antarctica
I woke up early on the morning of day 3 at about 5am, the world had stopped moving and I could not hear any wind or waves. I drew back the curtains and there it was; icebergs, snow, mountains, Antarctica!!!. We were sailing between the mainland and the outlying islands. I rapidly got ready and rushed upstairs on deck. There are moments in life which stick in the memory for ever. This was one. It had definitely been worth it...
Click here for full trip reportCustomer Review - The Parens in Chile
The Atacama provided a wide variety of desert and saltpan scenery and an amazing range of colours, particularly at the beginning and the end of the day. The Tatio Geysers were the best we have seen anywhere, although they only function for a couple of hours at dawn each day. Our guide, Patrick, struck the right balance between scenery and wildlife...Click here for the full review
Customer Comment - Mr Parker - Tanzania
"Most important the animals, birds & scenery exceeded all our hopes."Evening at the Hawk Conservancy with Chris Packham - November 2007
'Rain Didn't Stop Owl Play' - Up to 40 people braved the autumnal Hampshire downpours and joined Wildlife Worldwide at the Hawk Conservancy in Andover on Tuesday 20th November for a presentation by local naturalist, wildlife photographer and television presenter Chris Packham...Click here for the full review
Customer Comment - The Bickerton Family - Tanzania & Zanzibar
Our family voted it 'the best holiday so far'Staff Report - Sarah -'Hyacinth Macaws in Brazil'
Several loud squawks and a flash of deep blue was my first introduction to the largest macaw in the world - the Hyacinth Macaw. I was in the South Pantanal, Brazil and spending the day with two girls who are part of a very small team who devote their time and effort to increasing the numbers of these stunning parrots in the wild...Click here for the full report
Customer Comment - Kenya - Tailor Made - Mr & Mrs Taylor
"Our guide was outstanding. He was very knowledgeable in Wildlife and the local areas - everything we wanted to see he showed us and he was a very careful and competent driver. It is thanks to him that our holiday was so perfect."Staff Report - 'Mel Kinder and Family in Zambia'
Mel Kinder and family took advantage of the children's extended October half term holiday to take a 10 day trip to Zambia. Having been to the country 12 years earlier, before the children arrived, expectations were already set high.Click here for the ful report
Customer Comment - Mr How - Kenya
"We would do it again. Almost certainly. And Wildlife Worldwide will constantly be in my mind for future wildlife related holidays."
Staff Report - Chris Breen in Zambia - October 2007
Amazing. 14 hours after sitting in London at Heathrow, we were drinking a beer at Chikoko, a small bush camp in the heart of the Luangwa Valley. I am not sure why this still amazes me...Click here for pictures and full diary
Festival of Wildlife Diary - 2007
This year's festival in Canada promised Spirit Bears, Humpback whales, and all the usual fun amongst the wildlife lovers and experts alike....
"Nick was out whale-watching - and saw numerous Humpbacks. He says that they have the worst hallitosis of any mammal he has got close to - apparently, their breath smells of three week old fish guts mixed with rancid cabbage".
"Of course this was followed by another bear out in full view, feeding on the shoreline. Oh, and then there was the bear hauling a salmon out of the river whilst we were sitting at the viewing point - which of course was immediately followed by another right in front of us that proceeded to jump into the water and grapple with salmon, after salmon, after salmon. Not a bad start to the day."
Click here for the Diary!Festival 2007 Feedback
Festival 2007 participants write in with some feeback about her experiences of the trip, and includes some fantastic photos... "Very many thanks to you all for another super Festival; so very different, but just as exciting amongst wonderful scenery, and to all the experts for imparting some of their experience in all forms."Click here for Festival Feedback
'Barn Swallow v Goliath'
The Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) has been given the green light to begin construction on the Dube Trade Port in Durban, including King Shaka International Airport on condition that they focus on rehabilitating the wetlands in the area, and to ensure minimal impact on the Barn Swallows that roost in the area. Flight schedules will even have to be planned around the flight times of the swallows. Birdlife SA, are now satisfied that enough work has been done to ensure the continuous survival of the Barn Swallows that roost within the trade port area. All chameleons found will also be removed and relocated to similar bush clumps not scheduled for removal. Mel Kinder in the Norfolk Broads - August 2007
Thankfully, many of the rarest British birds have recently shown to have increased in numbers by between 50% and 70% due to some Europe-wide conservation measures. Such measures have included outlawing egg poaching, trapping and hunting and well as safeguarding certain habitats - known as SPAs (Special Protection Areas).
Mel Kinder recently spent a week in Norfolk, where she witnessed how this area has benefited from EU funding to help certain breeds return.
Read Mel's Full ReportCustomer Comment - Mr Cusworth - Zambia
Dear Chris (Osborn) and all at Wildlife Worldwide,I returned from my wonderful holiday to Zambia on Friday last. I just wanted to say a sincere thank you for all you work and expert advice which helped to ensure I had a most memorable, fascinating and enjoyable time. All the arrangements you made for me were superb and went without a hitch and your recommendation of 'Robin Pope Safaris' was spot on. Their organisation, care and guest satisfaction at both the permanent and mobile camps are second to none. Your suggestion to stay at the 'Islands of Siankaba' at the end of my safari rather than one of the Livingstone hotels was inspired - again a lodge with great attention to guest comfort and satisfaction.
Thank you again and I shall have no hesitation to book with you again in the future or to recommend you to my friends.Staff Report - Sarah - 'Bearing it all - Hiding in Finland'
Wildlife Consultant - Sarah Williams went in search of Brown Bears in Spring 2007: There I was, sharing a small log cabin deep in the Taiga forest, close to the Russian border, with six relative strangers.... certainly an unusual way to spend a Saturday night! ....Click Here for full report
Customer Comment - Mr Boyd - Zambia
Just a quick note to thank you for organising our recent trip to Zambia.
We had a wonderful time. There can't be many places on the planet as beautiful as the Luangwa Valley.
To view our Zambia itineraries Click HereJonathan & Angie Scott in India, March 2007
There is something of the leopard about a tiger - and nothing of the lion. A tiger conjours up the same sense of mystery and secretiveness embodied by the leopard. They are equally as beautiful though the tiger is so much larger, the biggest of all the cats, equally at home among the dappled light of the jungle as it is when merging with the russet gold of head-high grass. Like the leopard, the tiger tends to move quickly when spotted away from cover..... For their Full Report Click Here
Jonathan & Angie Scott in Antarctica
The appeal of Antarctica is multi-faceted: the landscape, wildlife and history combine to make a journey there a unique experience, each day revealing a new layer of awe and complexity; the excitement of glimpsing your first towering iceberg, being stunned into silence by the raucous braying of a penguin colony, witnessing a pod of killer whales knifing through the water in pursuit of prey - and the chance to enter the world of the explorers as you step inside one of the historic huts.... Read Full Report Here
Staff Report - Estelle in Namibia
Estelle recently returned from a five day educational trip in Namibia. The Namibia Tourist Board hosted the trip, which was focused mainly on the Waterberg Plateau and Etosha National Park. Estelle's report also gives details of other locations visited such as the Africat Foundation and the Aabadi Bush camp...Click here for full report
Staff Report - Isabel - 'Tanzania in 10 days'
Isabel Ashworth, Wildlife Worldwide consultant and Sales Team Leader has recently returned from a fast paced trip toTanzania where she was able to retread familiar paths whilst at the same time uncovering some new accommodation and wildlife viewing delights. Take a more leisurely virtual trip to Tanzania by reading Iz's blog and then find out how you could spend leisurely real time in the same locations!Click here for full report
60 go wild in Yorkshire - The Worldwide Group - May 2007
The little Yorkshire village of Ingleton - home of our Walks Worldwide division, was the perfect location for the annual Worldwide Group get together over the May bank holiday weekend. Ingleton is now recovering from the influx of about sixty of the Worldwide Group team and their families. Click here for full report
Wildlife Consultant - Clementine Gent in India
Clem is no stranger to India, but in November 2006 she took a trip to the western side of the country to visit the areas of Sasangir National Park and Rann of Kutch Wildlife Sanctuary. Please click the link below to read Clem's full report of this fabulous trip.Clem in India - Full Report
Customer Review - Mr Thomas in China
The main reason for the visiting the Qinling mountains in central China was to attempt to observe and perhaps photograph Giant Pandas in the wild. This iconic species must be one of the most instantly recognisable animals in the world yet has been seen by only a handful of western observers in its remote mountain strongholds. Areas such as Lao Xian Cheng National Park are reputed to have the highest densities of Pandas in the world, so we considered a five day trek into the core area of the park would offer at least a chance of success, as well the opportunity to view other rare mammals such as Takin and Golden Monkey....Click here for the full review
Staff Report - Chris Breen in Zambia - March 2007
Chris did the 'Rivers & Rainbows' safari, combining a stay at Kapani Lodge with a visit upriver to Mchenja in the heart of the South Luangwa National Park. For more information on this itinerary please click here
Our 'Kafue's Rivers and Plains' itinerary is the first of its kind, an overland safari in this wild and untouched national park in the company of expert naturalists. With large walk-in tents and excellent food this will be a once in a lifetime journey. For more information on this itinerary, please click here
Visit the 'Source of the Luangwa' on this Malawi and Zambia combination. This is partly a driving safari and partly a traditional walking safari and visits Vwaza Marsh and the Nyika Plateau in Malawi, and Zambia's Luangwa Valley. For more information on this itinerary, please click here
For our 'Walk on the Wildside' we have combined the spectacular camps of Tafika, Crocodile Camp and Chikoko, with Mwamba Bush Camp and the beautifully located Kaingo. It's a perfect example of one of our Tailor-made holidays. For help tailoring a trip to your specific requirements, please contact us.
To read Chris' full article about his trip please click on the link below.
Chris in Zambia March 2007Staff Report - Chris Osborn in Costa Rica
As a Wildlife Travel Consultant, Costa Rica had always fascinated me. This Small Central American country that has decided to preserve a quarter of its land as National Parks and to spend more money on conservation and education than on national defence (Costa Rica scrapped its army in 1920). It seemed to me that this would be some kind of wildlife utopia.....Click here for full report
Staff Report - Isabel in Botswana
Clients often ask me what my favourite country is in Africa and it's a very difficult question to answer, but Botswana has to rate very highly as being one of the best destinations to go on safari. The volume of game and birdlife is second to none, the scenery is varied and breathtaking and the guiding is fantastic....Click here for full report
Customer Review - Anthony Guest in China
Overall an excellent trip and I got the photos I wanted, and the overall experience was a very good and positive one from me. But bear in mind the road problems and the choice of hotel for future clients and this is an excellent trip....Click here for the full review
Customer Review - Mr & Mrs Litton in India
Here is a review from Mr & Mrs Litton who travelled with us to India in January 2007."Tiger" I breathed as the adolescent tiger cub emerged from the bushes less than five feet from my elbow. A second cub followed rapidly and then the mother emerged. She snarled at us and was obviously warning us to keep away from her family......
Click here for the full reviewCustomer Comment - Wings over Botswana - Mr & Mrs Gripper - April 06
"Best game viewing we have ever had on bi-annual visits to Africa since 1988."Customer Review - Mr & Mrs Beech in Madagascar
Here is a review from Mr & Mrs Beech who travelled with us to Madagascar in November 2006.All the arrangements went very well. We were very impressed with the service of your ground agents. We had an excellent guide/driver, Kempschen, who was very well informed about everywhere we went. We were warned that not many people speak English and it helped that we were able to communicate with him in French - his French was fluent, his English seemed more limited, but he went out of his way to be helpful. In practice we used French most of the time.....
Click here for the full review