This time I went to experience bird watching in the state of Bahia. I was invited by Embratur / Visit Brazil, the country’s national tourism organisation both to enjoy some guided birding, and most importantly to understand the potential for sustainable tourism in the state. To give you an idea of the immensity of Brazil, the state of Bahia is the fourth largest and itself larger than France.

The northeast of Brazil is home to a remarkable number of endemic species, including many range-restricted birds, thanks to a diverse mix of biomes. These habitats include the dense, lush Mata Atlantica, or Atlantic rainforest, and the arid caatinga, which is a biome unique to this region of Brazil and formed mostly of thorny scrub and cactus. Together with the cerrado savannah grasslands this part of Brazil boasts exceptional biodiversity.

The results of the trip were mixed, but overall very good with really wonderful sightings, particularly of hummingbirds and some good photography. Understandably at times in a developing country, this was let down by accommodation in one location although I believe this will be addressed sooner rather than later.

In the mountains of Chapada Diamantina we found highly range restricted species such as the hooded visorbearer hummingbird and the Sincorá antwren. There are also critically endangered capuchin monkeys here as well as marmosets.

The mountains themselves were stunning and with some impressive waterfalls plus caves with tranquil blue lagoons, the whole area is well worth exploring more… The very pretty town of Lençóis itself was a joy to discover with cobbled streets, colourful houses and music seemingly coming from every doorway. A vibrant town hidden away in the forests, yet with everything you might need, a good hotel, small boutique pousadas and some great restaurants.

Chapada Diamantina would combine brilliantly with the heritage of Salvador city and the long sandy beaches of the Marau peninsula or Itacaré further south; thereby bringing together the culture of Bahia – think great food, samba and forró dance styles and capoeira, the martial art / dance form - with wildlife or adventure activities in the mountains, rounded out with some relaxation on the beach. Perhaps the perfect family holiday in Brazil.

We are thrilled to announce that we will be chartering half of the small ship Ocean Nova along with Wild Photo Travel to the Antarctic peninsula for a wildlife photography expedition with award winning photographer, Andy Rouse.

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Towards the end of March, we did a research trip through Finnish Lapland departing the day after the sub-station fire closed Heathrow airport and arriving back a day late thanks to Finnair pilot strikes, so we know how stressful things are when they do not go to plan! Experience in travel prevailed and we were overwhelmed by the generosity of Beana Laponia boutique hotel who looked after us for an additional night and gave us a dog sled trip out.

With much previous experience of driving on snow and ice Steve played chauffeur and we drove 1300km in 5 days visiting over 20 hotels & lodges. Some were a refresh for Vicki, renewing friendships with colleagues & some were new to both of us and will feature next winter in our Holiday Ideas on the website.

The big highlight of the trip were the incredible northern lights. The aurora borealis was truly spectacular and by being able to drive away from village lights meant we got some terrific images. Auroral activity is at its peak presently and so next winter is also lined up for some spectacular displays. The first aurora in the north return with the dark nights around the end of August and autumn is a wonderful time to be in Finland too with beautiful reds and oranges of the berry bushes and the yellow of the birch leaves.

Husky dog sledding

Next winter sees us presenting two new dog sledding holidays, we had a lot of enquiries last year and dog sled mushing gets booked up very quickly and so we have expanded our product. Both trips are very different and having done trips ourselves from an hour or so to multi-day adventures, we can advise on how to choose a husky sled holiday.

Birdwatching in Kenya & Uganda

We are also about to launch some tailor-made bird watching holidays in Kenya and Uganda where you will be accompanied by professional birding guides. Both are incredible countries for birding thanks to the huge range of species.

In both countries the itineraries are a little different from our standard safaris and would also be a very good option for anyone enjoys birds but wants to see some more of a country on safari, without necessarily full-on bird watching.

A final word on Uganda is that their national airline now flies direct from Gatwick to Entebbe four times weekly using Airbus A330-800neo aircraft for a fuel efficient, comfortable flight, jump on board to visit a remarkable, friendly country.

Profiles

Steve

• Biologist by training and naturalist practically all my life.
• Outdoor enthusiast, hiked & climbed all over UK & Europe and some locations in Africa, ski toured and trekked in the Himalayas and completed numerous cross-country ski races in Europe including the Nordic countries. Just stood down from 20 years of volunteering for Mountain Rescue in England & Wales.

Travel addict?    Yes, my inquisitive and innovative mind as a scientist now leads me to continually discover new parts of our world. Our family holiday last summer took us on a road trip through 13 countries in Europe driving down to Montenegro, hiking in the mountains then spending a week on the beautiful, remote island of Lastovo where we did some research on Orthoptera - grasshoppers & bush-crickets - for the University of Zagreb.

Favourite country?    Often, I say the last visited which for me would be Brazil which I love exploring, but I also think of contrasts: Namibia is incredible from the spectacular Namib desert, the wild Skeleton Coast and desert-adapted wildlife of the Damaraland; not forgetting Etosha. I contrast this with being up in the sea ice off the north of Svalbard, Norway, where the polar light can be incredible. Then how can I forget safaris in Zambia and Botswana where the wildlife is phenomenal. The tropics too, Sri Lanka for food and diverse wildlife, and India, because, well there is just nowhere like India, India explodes upon your senses!

Where to next?   Chile & Argentina definitely, I need to understand the countries and their wildlife better. Being in the tropics and with good biodiversity I’m also interested in discovering Cambodia.

Vicki:

How long been in travel?    I started in travel quite by accident around 23 years ago, after taking a temporary role following a redundancy. They must have been impressed as they offered me a permanent position and sweetened the deal with a trip to Canada. After seeing my first bear in the wild, I was hooked!

What is your favourite country?    New Zealand for the ever-changing landscapes that truly captivated me, from the rolling green hills in the north to the snow-capped mountains in the south, every turn offered a new ‘wow’ moment! I am also drawn to the rich Māori culture, fascinating geothermal activity, incredible food and award-winning wineries.  Above all, the people are the most welcoming I’ve ever met – every visit feels like coming home.

Most important aspect of your job?    Every client is different, each looking for their own unique take on a holiday. For me, the most important part of my job is understanding what makes each traveller tick and then matching them with the perfect destination, experience, or hotel. I love the challenge of creating a holiday that is tailor-made and really resonates with each client.