Bear tracking holiday in Romania
| country: | Romania |
| location: | Carpathian Mountains, Transylvania |
| departures: | 2010: 4 Sep |
| price: | From £995 (7 days) excluding flights. |
| more info: | Price includes all meals at lodge, lodge accommodation, transport, guide and a contribution to Fundatia Rowan Romania. We require a deposit of £350 per person. |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
photo gallery
1of3
1of3check out similar holiday ideas...
introduction to Bear tracking holiday in Romania
Travel to the Carpathian mountains to spend a week exploring the more remote areas of Piatra Craiului National Park in search of the Brown Bear.
Highlights include:
Tracking Bear, Wolf and Lynx in the forests of the Carpathian Mountains Accompanied by Wanderlust guide of the year, Dan Marin Experience traditional Romanian hospitality in a family owned guesthouse Insight in to the history of the Transylvanian region during a visit to Brasov Visit to one of the traditional shepherd camps in the alpine meadows
This 25km long mountain range, covered in healthy pine forests, is home to the highest concentration of wolves, bears and lynx in Europe and remains an area of interest for researchers and wildlife enthusiasts alike. We will spend days tracking mammals on foot with an award winning expert guide, as well as visiting and interacting with the traditional farming communities of the region. For those looking for a wildlife experience closer to home, Romania offers some of the most thrilling encounters against a backdrop of breathtaking and unexplored wilderness.
Transylvania is renowned for its rich history and colourful culture with medieval towns, fortified churches, fairy tale castles and traditional gypsy communities dotted over a landscape of rolling hills and mountains. The Pine and Beech forests provide a habitat for a diverse range of wildlife and this trip aims to offer you an insight in to the people and wildlife of the region. Starting from Bucharest we travel north to Zarnesti at the foot of the Carpathian Mountains, where a family run guesthouse will be the base for the program. From here we will spend five full days accompanied by an award winning expert local guide, Dan Marin, tracking and viewing the fauna and flora of the Piatra Craiului National Park and surrounding areas.
This will be primarily a walking trip so we expect to spend up to 6 hours per day exploring the stunning wilderness on foot. Our chosen routes present excellent opportunities not only for tracking mammals, but also for birdwatching. For birding enthusiasts, highlights may include Black Stork, Ural Owl, Black and Three-toed Woodpecker, Lesser spotted Eagle and Wallcreeper. As well as spectacular walking, we will cover some of the road journeys by traditional horse and cart and the longer distances by car. As well as the wildlife, there will also be an opportunity to learn about Transylvanian History during a trip in to the medieval city of Brasov, which is the largest city in Transylvania.
Your expert:
Dan Marin grew up in Zarnesti and has been leading wildlife and cultural trips in the region since 2000. Dan was involved with the Carpathian Large Carnivore Project for three years and has lectured on conservation and wildlife issues to universities from Sweden as well as at schools in Bucharest. Dan speaks fluent English and is a licensed wildlife guide. His knowledge and enthusiast earned him the Wanderlust Guide of the Year award in 2007 and articles on the work that he has been involved with have featured in the Sunday Times and the independent amongst many others
Dan has a passion for Romania, its wildlife and traditions and he hopes to continue to promote the country as an eco tourism destination. His guesthouse in Zarnesti is also his family home and he and his wife, Luminita, love to welcome guests and offer a taste Romanian traditions and delicious home cooked local dishes.
Highlights include:
This 25km long mountain range, covered in healthy pine forests, is home to the highest concentration of wolves, bears and lynx in Europe and remains an area of interest for researchers and wildlife enthusiasts alike. We will spend days tracking mammals on foot with an award winning expert guide, as well as visiting and interacting with the traditional farming communities of the region. For those looking for a wildlife experience closer to home, Romania offers some of the most thrilling encounters against a backdrop of breathtaking and unexplored wilderness.
Transylvania is renowned for its rich history and colourful culture with medieval towns, fortified churches, fairy tale castles and traditional gypsy communities dotted over a landscape of rolling hills and mountains. The Pine and Beech forests provide a habitat for a diverse range of wildlife and this trip aims to offer you an insight in to the people and wildlife of the region. Starting from Bucharest we travel north to Zarnesti at the foot of the Carpathian Mountains, where a family run guesthouse will be the base for the program. From here we will spend five full days accompanied by an award winning expert local guide, Dan Marin, tracking and viewing the fauna and flora of the Piatra Craiului National Park and surrounding areas.
This will be primarily a walking trip so we expect to spend up to 6 hours per day exploring the stunning wilderness on foot. Our chosen routes present excellent opportunities not only for tracking mammals, but also for birdwatching. For birding enthusiasts, highlights may include Black Stork, Ural Owl, Black and Three-toed Woodpecker, Lesser spotted Eagle and Wallcreeper. As well as spectacular walking, we will cover some of the road journeys by traditional horse and cart and the longer distances by car. As well as the wildlife, there will also be an opportunity to learn about Transylvanian History during a trip in to the medieval city of Brasov, which is the largest city in Transylvania.
Your expert:
Dan Marin grew up in Zarnesti and has been leading wildlife and cultural trips in the region since 2000. Dan was involved with the Carpathian Large Carnivore Project for three years and has lectured on conservation and wildlife issues to universities from Sweden as well as at schools in Bucharest. Dan speaks fluent English and is a licensed wildlife guide. His knowledge and enthusiast earned him the Wanderlust Guide of the Year award in 2007 and articles on the work that he has been involved with have featured in the Sunday Times and the independent amongst many others
Dan has a passion for Romania, its wildlife and traditions and he hopes to continue to promote the country as an eco tourism destination. His guesthouse in Zarnesti is also his family home and he and his wife, Luminita, love to welcome guests and offer a taste Romanian traditions and delicious home cooked local dishes.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | London to Bucharest. Board the direct BA flight to Bucharest (not included in cost). On arrival meet your guide and drive along the Prahova Valley to the south-eastern region of Transylvania. Settle in to your accommodation at the Transylvanian Wolf House in Zarnesti. |
| Day 2: | Exploring wolf research areas. In the morning there will be a training session with Dan Marin offering some background on the basic skills for recognizing and interpreting the signs and tracks of wild animals. In the afternoon we travel by horse and cart to the the Barsa Valley, which was the core area for the Carpathian Large Carnivore Project. Through the afternoon we will follow the trail alongside Plaiului ridge, through ancient forest and alpine meadows that provide a territory for a very active pack of wolves. We will look for their signs and tracks as we walk through the meadows with incredible views of the whole area. A mountain creek leads us back to the road, where the traditional horse and cart will take us back to Zarnesti. Total drive: 10km horse and cart Walk length: 6km (3-4hrs approx) |
| Day 3: | Wildlife tracking in Piatra Craiului National Park. Today we cross the Zarnesti Gorges (around 3 miles out of town), crossing an old piece of forest along one of the shepherds’ trails. We will try to spot Wallcreeper alongside the upright walls on both sides of the narrow road. The trail takes us through a beautiful alpine meadow to one of the traditional shepherd camps in the area, which is a great place to learn about the unique human/wildlife relationship here. On the way back we cross through an area that is well known for wolf, bear, lynx, Chamois and wild boar sightings and tracks. Total drive: 10km Walk length 10 km; (5-6 hrs approx) |
| Day 4: | Project work with Romanian Forest Research and Management Institute (ICAS). The Institute has developed and carried out a great variety of projects, which are essential for preserving Romania’s wildlife. These projects include relocating ‘bin-bears’ from the Brasov area and a very successful beaver reintroduction program. We will be introduced to different aspects of this work by one of the institute members, and then taken to Ciucas Mountains, where ICAS is involved in wildlife research work. Return to the lodge in the evening. |
| Day 5: | Insight into Transylvanian history. Drive to Prejmer (Sachsen name Tartlau) to visit the most impressive of the ‘fortified churches’ that the Sachsens built up in Transylvania to defend themselves against the Turks and Tatars. Drive back to Brasov, one of the best preserved medieval towns in Transylvania. The town is almost completely surrounded by forests, which proved to be very useful when defending the town against invaders. As a result, the Brasov area is also home to one of the highest densities of bears in Romania. We end the day in a Romanian restaurant, with traditional local entertainment. Total drive: 150 km |
| Day 6: | Agaras Mountain wilderness. There are huge expanses of forests between Piatra Craiului and Fagaras Mountains – with no human settlements in between and the area thrives with diversity and wildlife. We will follow one of the trails leading over to Fagaras Mountains and then take a shortcut back to Rudarita forest cabin for a final trek through the wilderness. From here we will drive back to Zarnesti. Total drive: 50 km Walk length: 13 km (5-6 hrs approx) |
| Day 7: | Zarnesti to Bucharest. Transfer to Bucharest for flight back to the UK, arriving later the same day. |
A Bear hide excursion may be arranged for one of the days of the trip but this is dependent on availability and permission from Romsilva (Romanian Forest Authority).
wildlife specialist
Typically trips are expertly guided by a leading specialist with a good knowledge of the area to be visited. Inevitably, wildlife is 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
|
Environment:
We have carefully selected our partners in Romania for their contribution to the local community and wildlife. This trip includes a £75 per person donation to Fundatia Rowan Romania, which is a legally registered community NGO, based in Zarnesti. The tour is organised in co operation with Romanian Forest Research and Management Institute, and Piatra Craiului National Park. Both organisations operate wildlife protection and conservation projects throughout Romania and members of the project teams will offer our group an insight in to the various on going projects. During the trip we will have the opportunity to view bears from one of the hides owned by the National Forest Authority (Romsilva). This not only presents the best opportunity to view bears in the wild, but the tourism revenue also provides an incentive for Romsilva to maintain a healthy population of bears and other wild animals in the Romanian forests. A booking on this trip also includes a £10 donation to rainforest concern, in order to offset the carbon emissions that are created during travel to and from Romania. We also offer the option of travel by train as an alternative to the usual air travel. Community: During the communist times, Zarnesti was home to the largest military factory in Romania with over 15,000 employees. However, the collapse of industry following the Romanian revolution in 1989 has led to economic and social problems in the region. Despite being situated in an extraordinarily beautiful area and being a core area for international research programs on wildlife, Zarnesti remains one of Romania’s ‘dead areas’, from an economical perspective. In 2003 Fundatia Rowan Romania started to develop projects in order to improve the situation for the local communities. One of the main priorities has been to improve the lacking care system for people with special needs here. Another important goal has been to help members of the Gypsy and Romanian communities promote their traditions, culture and skills on both a national and international level. The organisation is deeply involved in nature and wildlife research, education and public awareness work. We ensure that this tour supports the local community through the use of local services, guides and accommodation. We travel by local horse and cart which provides income for the local herding communities and our guide for the tour is local to Zarnesti and is a founder of Fundatia Rowan Romania. During the trip we will stay in a local village home in Zarnesti and will meet the local shepherding and gypsy communities. Through this interaction, we learn how traditional, wildlife-friendly farming activities have coexisted with the presence of large numbers of predators such as wolves and bears. |
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. |
check out similar holiday ideas...