We have been extremely lucky over the years spending time with one of the world’s most charismatic species of bird – the Atlantic Puffin. This charming little seabird spends half of the year (the autumn and winter months) bobbing around in the wild waters of the North Atlantic. They return to the coastlines of north-eastern America and the north-western coasts of Europe each spring to breed. One of our favourite destinations to get up close and personal with puffins is Skomer Island, situated just off the south-west Wales coast and a part of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. Owned by the South & West Wales Wildlife Trust, the island provides the opportunity to enjoy large colonies of breeding puffins, and a wealth of other wildlife, to day-trippers and even offers limited opportunities to stay on the island overnight. When anyone suggests they are interested in staying overnight, we always recommend becoming a member of the Wildlife Trust and securing a two-night stay on the island. The peak breeding season is June through to the start of July, which is when we recommend you try and plan your visit. There are few places where it is possible to enjoy such close encounters with wild animals (particularly in the UK) and we have no doubt that you will want to return over and over again. Although the accommodation is a simple catering offering, it works perfectly and provides you with all the necessary facilities for a short stay on the island. Be warned though, this is west Wales and even in mid-summer the weather is incredibly unpredictable (read on to see our suggested packing list). All of the images in this blog have been taken by our team (on numerous visits) and between the months of April and July. What do I need to take? We highly recommend you take the following where possible, it is important to be well prepared for any eventuality and plenty of warm clothing is a must.
What will I see?
This is a little harder to be specific about as it depends on what time of year you visit. However, the highlights include the following: Atlantic puffin Chough Razorbill Guillemot Short-eared owl Skomer Island vole Harbour porpoise There is of course so much more on offer and it is important to enjoy whatever wildlife shows itself. It really is one of the finest wildlife destinations in the British Isles and we recommend you visit on an overnight stay – become a member and book your place with the Wildlife Trust today.
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Right at the top of many wildlife travellers’ lists are the mountain gorillas of Uganda and Rwanda, and rightly so for this is truly a once in a lifetime experience. Well if you have been thinking about coming face-to-face this is an essential read for you … Where should I go to see mountain gorillas? This seems like the best place to start. There are only really two countries you can visit right now and they are Uganda and Rwanda. Both countries are home to healthy populations of mountain gorillas and provide the perfect opportunity for life-changing encounters with these great apes. There is one main difference between the two countries and that is the cost of a gorilla trekking permit; in Uganda the permits currently cost $600 for an hour with the gorillas (from the moment you first meet the group), while in Rwanda the permits cost $1500 per person for an hour. There may also be the opportunity to join a gorilla habituation (up to 4 hours with the family group), but the costs can be prohibitively expensive and the encounters can often be less reliable. There are a few different parks where you can see the gorillas and these include Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda or Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda. What time of year should I visit? Well it used to be you would get a discount to trek in the rainy season, but that offer seems to have dried up and so for that reason we recommend avoiding the rainy seasons altogether. Try and visit from June through to the end of September and then from December through to February. What do I need to take?
Now this is an extremely important part of planning any gorilla trek and here we have a handy list of things to take with you on your trek:
For more information on gorilla safaris we highly recommend you visit our dedicated gorilla guide on the Top Ten page of our website. |