Limosa - Birdwatching and Wildlife Hoildays Worldwide

Our type of holiday is best enjoyed in a small group. Our maximum group size is usually 12 or 14 participants (varies according to destination). While two leaders always accompany groups of 11 or more participants, we often send two guides with groups that are smaller than this. Leaders may be two from our regular team, or one Limosa guide in company with a local guide/s.

On some tours, our stated maximum group size is smaller, being limited to 6-10 participants with just a single leader. In general, cruises are not subject to the same restrictions, with details of leaders and maximum group size (i.e. the capacity of the ship) being given in the tour description.

Our stated minimum number of participants per tour is six. But we always do our utmost not to disappoint and have in the past run tours with fewer than this. The operation of all tours is subject to minimum numbers being achieved by 70 days prior to departure. Under certain circumstances (e.g. a couple wishing to join a tour when only one space remains), we may occasionally exceed our stated maximum by one.

Our ratio of guides to participants is rarely bettered, helping to ensure a degree of personal attention that we think is second to none. In short, if you enjoy seeing great birds, love travelling and get a buzz out of sharing those very special wildlife moments, you'll find our holidays could have been tailor-made for you.

Smoking

For the enjoyment of all, we operate a NO SMOKING policy in the vehicle, at meal times and when otherwise in close company of other members of the group. Note that an increasing number of countries also strictly prohibit smoking in public places.

Walking

Other than when travelling, we spend most of each day in the field. Most tours involve some walking, at an easy pace, with frequent stops to look at birds and wildlife. On a typical day, we can reckon to have walked perhaps three to five miles, sometimes less. There are some exceptions to this, with a few tours that involve half-day or full day walks, or trips of a moderate rather than easy pace. These will be indicated in the tour description. If these appeal to you, look also for the ‘walking' symbol at the top of the page. Or request a copy of the appropriate Tour Info Pack.

So long as you are able to walk a reasonable distance, age is really immaterial and participants on our tours range in age from around twenty to over eighty. If you wish to know more about the extent of walking on any given tour, please ask.

A Typical Day

Our daily programme is tailored to suit the tour destination and so naturally varies from trip to trip. As the first few hours of daylight are invariably among the best for watching birds and wildlife, we often offer an optional pre-breakfast walk or excursion. Or we may have an early breakfast to make the most of the day.

Lunches are typically picnics in the field. On some trips we also use local inns or we may return to our lodgings for a meal. Whenever possible, we endeavour to balance early starts with a reasonable return to base in the evening, allowing time to freshen up before running through the day's log-call (optional) and sitting down to enjoy dinner together.

In the tropics and desert regions especially, wildlife is generally most active first thing in the morning, and again last thing in the evening. The tropical day is also quite short, with around 12 hours of daylight, so we'll want to make the most of it! Be prepared for early starts on these trips - starting before dawn and returning after sunset. However, as things generally quieten right down during the heat of the day on these tours, our lunchtimes can be very relaxed, followed (when the opportunity presents) by a short siesta before resuming our birding again from around mid-late afternoon. Occasionally, we may offer an after-dinner ‘owling' trip or go spotlighting for mammals, for those that wish.

Transport

Travel during the day is usually by comfortable small coach or minibus (varies according to destination and final group size). Some tours feature boat trips, and a few include journeys by train. These will be indicated in the tour description - or check the activity symbols at the top right of each tour page.