Mark Carwardine and Chris Breen lead our European Festival of Bears, where we can expect to observe and photograph European brown bear and more of Finland's iconic mammals and birdlife.
Following successful iterations to the west coast of Canada and a previous visit to Finland, we're delighted to offer our next European Festival of Bears as we return to the Finnish taiga forests, one of the last great wildernesses on the European continent. In the company of Wildlife Worldwide founder Chris Breen and wildlife photographer Mark Carwardine, our principal focus is to watch, photograph and enjoy the European brown bear, but with luck we may also be fortunate enough to see both wolverine and wolf, alongside a fabulous supporting cast of bird species.
With exclusive use of a wonderful, rustic lodge, this 8-night trip visits northern Finland’s remote boreal forest in search of Europe’s large predators. The European brown bear has lost much of its former range across the continent, but the wealth of untouched forest along the Finnish-Russian border is home to a healthy population of these impressive mammals and other boreal predators.
Wolverine and Eurasian wolf can also be encountered. During our time in Finland, we spend the evenings in specialist hides where there are good chances of seeing wolverine (though sightings are by no means guaranteed, of course). The Eurasian wolf is also rather elusive, but there's still a reasonable possibility of observing these charismatic and apex predators over the course of our stay.
In the afternoons, before we head out to the hides, there's time to catch up on some sleep, observe the birds and other wildlife around the lodge, work with Mark on photographic technique in the hides and editing and processing – or simply have a sauna by the lake!
Typical Itinerary
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Day 1:
Depart UK & Arrive Finland
On arrival in Kuopio, we're met by Chris & Mark and transferred to our lodge in the heart of the Finnish taiga forest. Arriving in time for a late dinner, we retire to our rooms after a busy day of travelling.
Accommodation: Base Camp Kuikka, 8-nights
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Day 2:
Morning briefing & first night in photography hides
This morning we plan to have a briefing and familiarisation at the lodge before spending the rest of the day exploring the area around our accommodation. After an early dinner, we make our way to the hides to spend our first evening photographing brown bears and hopefully wolves and wolverines. The walk to the hides is short and not overly strenuous.
There's usually some time to wait before the first animals show themselves, but with the long summer evenings, there should be plenty of light for photography. In late August, there's a period of darkness during the evenings, but whilst the light is good enough, we take turns to be on watch throughout the night, allowing others to rest between periods of activity.
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Days 3-8
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Bear & other boreal predator photography
The schedule for the next few days is the same as the previous day, although after a long night in the hides, we return to the lodge for breakfast and rest. During the day at our lodge, we can enjoy the peace and serenity around Kuikka. Alternatively, you can also make the most of the lakeside wood-fired sauna.
Mark will also go through photo editing processes, demonstrating various techniques to improve our photography skills as and when necessary. We can also explore the lodge grounds in search of any wildlife that may be around.
In the evenings, we try our luck in the hides once again. Depending on wildlife activity, we may try our luck in different locations, or in the same location as the night before. If we visit the hides situated in the heart of the forest, we're more likely to enjoy sightings of the elusive wolverine. These giant mustelids are always on the move and the most challenging of the three species to photograph from the hides.
We may also be lucky enough to enjoy sightings and photographic opportunities of wolf from certain hides, too. Any sightings of these elusive canines are memorable, but hopefully we can enjoy some rewarding photographic opportunities as well.
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Day 9:
Depart Finland
After our last night in the hides, we return to the lodge for breakfast and a chance to freshen up. We then transfer to the airport for our return flights to the UK.
Please note: Wildlife is extremely wary around people, and patience is an absolute must – we can be in the hide for up to 14 hours each night.
The exact itinerary may change depending on individual preferences and our success in the hides – if we're lucky with a particular species, individual group members may subsequently choose to spend time in whichever hide they like (depending on availability).
