Natural Habitat Adventures

See the eye of the tiger on a responsible safari

Your chance to see one of the world’s most elusive and beautiful creatures in the wild…

Finally, some good news about the tiger population in India – recent reports suggest that the number of Bengal tigers in the wild is slowly growing. Some conservation groups have credited responsible wildlife tourism in the region for this rise.

One such responsible tour operator, Natural Habitat Adventures, has now created a new itinerary for its 12-day Grand India Wildlife Adventure tour, giving tourists the opportunity to see the majestic Bengal tiger plus a host of other incredible wildlife on the Indian subcontinent.

By keeping safari groups deliberately small, and travelling to some of the lesser known (and certainly less crowded) national parks, Natural Habitat Adventures promises to have created the ideal India odyssey for nature lovers. It’s an increased chance to see Bengal tigers on a trip that aims to cause minimum distruption to wildlife and the environment, work together with local communities, and support ongoing conservation efforts in the region.

What’s on the wildlife tour?

The tour explores three of India’s top national parks spending three days in each park including the tiger-rich Bandhavgarh National Park, plus Kanha and Kaziranga National Parks which are more remote with far fewer tourists.

Guests join multiple game drives in open 4x4s to safari with a naturalist expedition leader in search of tigers, one-horned rhinocerous, Asiatic elephants, over 600 bird species and a host of other Indian wildlife.

While most safari is done via Jeep, if conditions permit you can also explore Kaziranga on elephant back, the most traditional way to experience this natural jungle setting.

Spot peacocks in India (photo by Toby Sinclair)

Bush ecolodge accommodation

Alongside 5-star hotel accommodation in Delhi and Kolkata on arrival and at departure, the safari accommodation is in remote, secluded and eco-friendly bush lodges which offer luxurious comfort and the special experience of sleeping out in the bush.

Tiger safaris in India (photo by Toby Sinclair)

Supporting India’s tiger population

After years of precipitously declining tiger numbers, India has charted a 30% rise in its 2014 tiger census, compared to four years before. Conservation groups attribute a share of that increase to responsible nature tourism. The sheer economic value of visitors to India’s tiger reserves benefits the communities around the reserves, offering local people an incentive to protect the wild creatures they share the land with. Given that India is home to 70% of the world’s remaining wild tigers, and India is the only country currently seeing a rise in tiger numbers, the presence of wildlife tourism here is integral to that continued success.

India's birdlife (photo by Toby Sinclair) — India’s birdlife (photo by Toby Sinclair)

Natural Habitat Adventures is the WWF’s (World Wildlife Fund’s) official travel partner.

The 12-day Grand India Wildlife Adventure departs regularly from November 2015 until April 2016, with prices starting from £5,900 ($8,995).

For more information including full itinerary, prices, dates and booking visit www.nathab.com

New itinerary for New Zealand Nature Explorer tour

This nature-packed tour of New Zealand’s scenic South Island has now been refreshed to provide even more of a wild and epic adventure!

From whale watching and cruising the fjords of Milford Sound, to an exclusive stay on Stewart Island in search of the elusive Kiwi bird, tour operator Natural Habitat Adventures has now re-designed its popular small-group tour, New Zealand Nature Explorer, to include even more of New Zealand’s legendary landscapes, unique wildlife and hospitable people.

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The two-week tour takes in notable highlights – including the fjordlands, Southern Alps, Lake Wanaka, Kaikoura, Otago Peninsula – but also delves further into New Zealand’s remote corners: take a guided night walk in search of the Kiwi and other rare wildlife on Stewart Island; and explore the beaches of the isolated Ulva Island to spot endangered birds such as the yellow-eyed penguin.

You’ll also find out more about what makes New Zealand special by joining a sheep farming family in the Canterbury Plains, and meeting a Maori family at their home in Kaikoura to hear first-hand about Maori traditions, customs and contemporary lifestyles. The trip is rounded off with a distinct Scottish flavour in the southern city of Dunedin.

On the tour you’ll be guided by expert naturalists and led by a New Zealand native who really knows the hidden corners and where to find the true NZ.

Accommodation

No hotel chains here! Throughout the tour, guests stay at a range of the best lodgings from simple to luxurious, including a family-run lodge in a forest clearing and a boutique hotel in Christchurch, to a luxury retreat with spectacular views across Lake Wanaka.

Recommended for… Travellers who love wildlife (particularly those interested in rare birds), and spectacular landscapes

Be aware that… It’s a rapid and packed two-week itinerary so you may want to extend your visit to spend more time in favourite places at a more leisurely pace!

‘Good’ credentials:

All tours are restricted in number (no more than 12) to ensure small groups with minimum disruption
Long term experience in the country ensures that NHA has strong connections with local communities, leading to authentic meetings that benefit both travellers and the local people
All guides are wildlife experts with a passion and respect for local people and the local environment
NHA is the world’s first carbon neutral travel company and your trip will be 100% carbon off-set
NHA is WWF’s (World Wildlife Fund) travel partner

New eco-luxe camp to open on Greenland’s ‘Arctic Riviera’

Adventure travellers looking to visit the stunning wilderness of Greenland’s east coast, will get the chance to explore the area from its first eco luxury base camp, opening in summer 2015.

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Built by nature travel and WWF partners Natural Habitat Adventures, the new Base Camp Greenland offers all the amenities of a deluxe African safari-style camp. Private tent-cabins will have heating, carpet, beds with duvets and pillows, en-suite bathrooms, and verandas with stunning views. A camp chef will prepare fresh meals and guests can gather in a communal area for dining and relaxing.

Natural Habitat founder Ben Bressler explained, “‘Til now, Greenland’s remote east coast, carved by glaciers and rent by deep fjords filled with icebergs, has been inaccessible to all but the hardiest of travellers. Base Camp Greenland is changing that.”

The camp enjoys a view of the Greenland Ice Sheet – the world’s second largest ice mass – where guests will have a close-up vantage point on the dynamics of global warming as glaciers spawn gigantic icebergs and meltwater rivers form in front of the ice cap.

The new ecolodge, which accommodates just 12 travellers at a time, is the vision of Natural Habitat’s Olaf Malver who has been to Greenland (a staggering) 26 times! He says the camp’s location is ideal, “It’s remote, majestic and nature feels huge here, like few other places in Greenland. Yet it is relatively easy to reach from Iceland.”

Travellers can book a four-night stay at Base Camp Greenland on Sermilik Fjord, the heart of a region known as the ‘Arctic Riviera’ for its many dry, sunny summer days – wildflowers will be in bloom on the tundra and pods of whales can be spotted from camp. Guests can enjoy a wealth of incredible activities and explorations including whale watching, sea kayaking, hiking, and visits to traditional Inuit villages.

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Trips depart in August 2015. For more details and booking, visit www.nathab.com/alaska-northern-adventures/greenland-nature-adventure.

Due to its commitment to environmentally-friendly travel, Natural Habitat Adventures has been chosen by global conservation charity WWF as its worldwide travel partner.

(Please note: The Google Maps marker indicates the nearest town and not the exact location of Base Camp Greenland)

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New Mongolian snow leopard trip launched

Responsible travel company Natural Habitat has launched a brand new, and exclusive, wildlife trip with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Intrepid independent travellers can now book an incredible expedition to seek the elusive snow leopard in Mongolia.

‘In Search of the Snow Leopard’ will depart twice this August (2013) for two weeks of trekking and camping in Mongolia. Each trip is led by highly experienced and knowledgeable WWF scientists as travellers track the beautiful, and sadly highly endangered, snow leopard in the remote Yamaat Valley in Mongolia’s Altai Mountains. Natural Habitat Expeditions (part of Natural Habitat Adventures) is the only company offering a wildlife-focused expedition to both the Yamaat Valley and Jargalant Hairhan – two different ecosystems that are both key snow leopard habitats, each of which is exceptionally remote and rarely visited.

What’s involved:

Several days will involve 4-8hrs of tough trekking across mountainous terrain at altitude – therefore, NHE recommend this expedition for those with a good level of fitness (some prior experience of similar trips may also help). Groups will remain small (around 10) to ensure a comfortable experience with minimised impact on the local environment.

The expedition journeys across several of Mongolia’s national parks and protected areas where the group will be able to observe more incredible wildlife including huge flocks of migratory birds and wild Takhi horses. On the trip, trekkers can also meet the traditional nomadic herders who are community partners with the Snow Leopard Trust, WWF’s conservation partner in the region, and learn firsthand about their lifestyle and customs and how they live in harmony with the snow leopard.

Accommodation: Groups stay in relatively luxurious camps with two people in each traditional Mongolian yurt. A privacy tent and hot-water mobile camp showers will also be on camp.

Recommended for… Those with a thirst for real, expedition-style adventure, and a love of wildlife

Be aware that… They really do mean it when they recommend this for those in good physical condition only!

‘Good’ credentials:

Partnered with and led by WWF to ensure conservation and sensitivity to the local environment, wildlife and community are at the forefront of the trip
Parent company, Natural Habitat Adventures, is the world’s first 100% carbon-neutral travel company
Guaranteed small groups ensure minimal impact on the local environment

For more information, including departure dates, intinieries and prices, visit www.nathab.com/expeditions

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Natural Habitat Adventures named world’s best outfitter

US magazine ‘Outside‘ has named wildlife tour specialists Natural Habitat Adventures the ‘World’s Best Outfitter’ in its annual travel awards.

Natural Habitat Adventures (NHA) has been a leader in responsible tourism since 1984, organising world-class tours to some of the most adventurous and wildlife-rich places on earth. Whether it be small-group tours to the Galapogas, trips to view polar bears in Churchill, or secluded safaris in Botswana, NHA ensure their tours are sensitive to the local wildlife and environment (they’re also the world’s first 100% carbon neutral travel company!).

We’re impressed with their partnership with WWF – by sharing the same conservation and education values, the charity’s support ensures that NHA continues to offer the best holidays for tourists while respecting the local wildlife.

On awarding the accolade, Outside magazine explained, “Natural Habitat Adventures rose above the rest…Much of the world’s wildlife is going the way of the brontosaurus, and NHA is making valiant efforts to do something about it: it’s the official travel partner of the World Wildlife Fund, and since 2003 it has donated more than $1.4 million to the non-profit. In 2006, NHA started paying to offset its trips’ carbon emissions.”

Reacting to the win, Ben Bressler, Founder and President of NHA, said, “I am so proud of this award! It means we have been successful in our mission: to share the wild wonders of our planet with travellers who are as passionate about nature as we are, and to do it in the very best way possible — in small groups, led by the world’s best naturalist expedition leaders, in a low-impact manner that helps to protect the planet we all care so much about.

“I believe deeply in the value of travel. And when people travel to see wildlife — whether it’s the polar bears of Churchill, the whales of Baja or India’s threatened tigers — their lives are changed and so too may be the welfare of those animals.”

Worthy winners – congratulations NHA!

To find out more about Natural Habitat Adventures, and the trips on offer, visit www.nathab.com