Wildlife holiday in Poland

country:	Poland
departures:	2008: 19 Jan
price:	From £1150 (9 days) including flights from the UK. This trip can also be booked without flights

Wolf holidays

Poland holidays

the amazing things you'll be doing

For a winter holiday with a difference, join us on our expert-escorted tour, a 9-day small group adventure each January that will take you to the snow-covered marshes and primeval forests of eastern Poland in search of European Bison, Elk, Wild Boar, Red Deer and, for the fortunate, perhaps Wolf or Lynx.

European Bison, Wolf, and Lynx are three of the many mammals, formerly widespread in Europe but now extinct or rare in the more densely populated west, that flourish in Poland. A number of these animals are easily observed, but some only with difficulty. The object of this unusual winter holiday is to search for some of these mammals, especially the Wisent and Wolf, and to study their tracks and signs.

The advantage of travelling in winter is not only the snow cover which makes tracking so much easier, but also the cold weather at this season, which forces many creatures to shun their natural fear of man, and to appear less shy.

On our travels, we will also be able to enjoy the winter birdlife of Poland. It is true, of course, that many birds desert Poland during this season; but, like the mammals, those that do stay can be more easily found in the vicinity of man, where food is more readily available. Amongst those that we may see are such dramatic and attractive species as White-tailed Eagle, Rough-legged Buzzard, Three-toed Woodpecker, Hazel hen, Black Grouse, Waxwing, Hawfinch and Nutcracker.

day-by-day itinerary

Day 1:	Fly Warsaw and drive Biebrza Marshes.
Day 2:	Biebrza Marshes.
Day 3-7:	Puszcza Romincka
Day 8:	Warsaw.
Day 9:	Fly to London.

this holiday is operated by a wildlife specialist

Typically trips are expertly guided by a leading specialist with a good knowledge of the area to be visited. Inevitably, birds, plants and mammals are the main focus of attention however, the aim will be to incorporate all other aspects of the natural world in an attempt to be as broad-minded as possible. A local guide may often accompany trips.

how this holiday makes a difference

In a region of Europe where hunting is commonplace and predators are still routinely trapped and killed, such tours illustrate to farmers and foresters that these larger mammals can be valued and protected as tourist attractions and that there are people willing to travel many miles to enjoy watching the animals rather than hunting them. The highlight of this tour is the opportunity to stay with one such forester and explore the snowy forests of the Puszcza Romincka in search of the mammals outlined above.

For the hardy there will also be the chance to spend part of a night watching for Wolves and other nocturnal wildlife from a high seat/hide. Whilst the weather will no doubt be cold, indeed the colder the better for winter mammal watching, the chilly outdoor excursions will be more than countered by the warmth of our hosts’ hospitality, the friendliness of the local people, the enchanting and peaceful snowbound (hopefully) landscape and the occasional tot of Polish vodka!

As a company we have achieved AITO’s top level, 3-star Responsible Tourism accreditation and we have always tried to operate our holidays in an environmentally responsible manner, striving to contribute to wildlife conservation and habitat preservation at all times.

Our policy includes:

To focus, particularly, on visiting areas which do not benefit from the rewards of mass market tourism.

To minimise environmental damage by exploring in small groups and, as much as possible, on foot.

To use, wherever possible, local guides.

To involve local communities and to ensure that they receive a fair share of the benefits of wildlife tourism.

To use, wherever possible, small, locally owned accommodations & specialist local agents/ground operators.

To purchase, where possible, local produce.

To develop and commit to long-term plans to visit rural areas and support the local communities.

To contribute financially to projects local to the areas that we visit (ie. schools, hospitals, etc.)

To educate the local people on the importance and long-term benefits of wildlife tourism.

To keep our clients well-informed on aspects of wildlife management and conservation.

To work with British and overseas conservation organisations to develop new wildlife tourism destinations.

To run our UK office in as energy-efficient a manner as possible.

We also encourage our clients to offset their carbon dioxide emissions.

Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people.

We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel.

'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left).

We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays.

We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism.

This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards.