Travel with us

Practical information

Travel with us

We arrange tours worldwide for birdwatching and photography. We choose destinations that have a lot to offer in terms of interesting and charismatic species and rich, beautiful habitats. On some tours butterflies or mammals are in focus, like Pantanal with focus on Jaguars and Ozelot. On Varanger in Arctic Norway we photograph mainly birds, but landscapes, mammals and northern lights are natural focal points too. You don´t need any specific level of knowledge to join our tours. Our leaders and guides are here to answer and teach.

Practically all our tours are designed and performed in partnership with a local actor. (The exceptions are Alaska and Varanger where we organize the tour ourselves but use local guides where we can) We see it is a fundamental aspect of eco tourism to make sure the local economy on the destination benefits from our visit. Accomodation, transport, guiding – all we need on a tour contribute to the local society. Especially in remote nature areas far from towns or civilisation, nature tourism can be a vital aspect of local economy. In West Papua for instance, we have seen how birding tourism has made it possible for the local village to install electricity, help build a church and even a school. Fundamental is of course the fact that the birds and nature itself makes value and encourages conservation.

According to The International Ecotourism Society (TIES), ecotourism can be defined as  ”responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment,  sustains the well-being of the local people, and involves interpretation and education”.

With a local guide on the destination you will also receive a lot of local insight and added values that in the end will make the journey a better experience. Which restaurant is the best for a lunch today? What fruit is harvested on that field? What significance has that monument? Local roadworks or other factors that can be obstacles on your way can be avoided. Where do we go to see THAT particular bird this year? Water levels and other circumstances varies a lot between years and during the season. When it comes to birds, last years information is often not good enough. In short– with a local guide you always get more out of the journey. We also choose to work with native people as much as we can. Guyana is one of the best examples, where guides are natives and most lodges are run by natives. In Ecuador, Colombia, Bhutan and Costa Rica too. What could be more interesting than to learn about native peoples history and tradition?

Local knowledge kan also be crucial in emergency situations. Where is the nearest clinic? Or the best clinic? Health care in foreign countries might not always be the best in public hospitals. Without local knowledge emergency situations could easily escalate to critical with the wrong information or no information. Local partnerships is the best possible insurance you can get for a safe journey.

We usually choose an itinerary long enough to make the most of the visit to the particular destination. Examples: The diversity of Costa Rica´s avifauna is not at all possible to cover in something lika 10 days, our program in the country is 16 days with the possibility to add an extra week in the south for those who like. A region where habitats and bird species are different and interesting. Colombia is another extremely diverse country, in less than 3 weeks the risk is that you get the feeling you just get a small piece of the cake. Ecuador and Bhutan is the same. Extraweeks is a concept we often use to make the journey attractive to a wider range of people. (Ecuador and Colombia for instance). Countries like Ecuador and Peru are so diverse that it takes 2 journeys (south and north) to cover all the habitats and bird species.

In our tour packages we (mostly) include everything except beverage and tips. Bottled beverages – also non-alcoholic – are usually priced the same way nowadays. As a participant you will get informed of how much tips you are expected to give and the tour leader will keep you updated during the tour. Transports, accomodation, guiding, entrance fees, are all included in the package price. The exception is the first and last meal on the tour since they are depending on flight hours that are not settled until later and can be adjusted. Alaska is the only destination where food is not included in the price.

We generally choose accomodation close to birds and nature. To choose the right lodges and hotels is the key to a good, enjoyable journey and our partners worldwide are very capable when it comes to that aspect. On many tours the lodges are a part of the attractivity, Latin America’s many lodges have made the nature- and bird experience to a central aspect of their concept. These are the places you want to return to. 

Our aim is that our visit and presence shall make a minimal impact on/ disturbance to birds and other wildlife on the destination. We work constantly together with our local partners to achieve that.

Take a look at our trip reports!

Meet the tour guides

For us, it is a fundamental part of ecotourism that it should benefit the economy of the local community at the destination.

Local guides

We always use local guides with extensive experience and knowledge of birds, places and culture in the areas we visit.

  • Nature tourism contributes to valuing the local nature and thus protecting it!

  • The local community benefits from tourism as guides, hotel staff and others get more jobs!

  • Nature tourism not only creates wonderful encounters with birds but also knowledge about the culture and society we travel in!

More environmentally friendly way to travel!

We now offer the opportunity to make some of our journeys by train. Those journeys are marked with a train symbol.