The Carpathians and Danube Delta
One of the very few holidays to include a stay on a floating hotel, exploring the spectacular wildlife of the Romanian Danube Delta, and the stunning Carpathian Mountains.
The Danube Delta is one of the last remaining wilderness areas of Europe, where, at the end of a 1,700 mile long journey across Europe, the great Danube River empties its water into the Black Sea. Here, the river splits into numerous channels and canals, creating the second largest delta on the continent.
Vast expanses of swamps, forests and lakes surrounded by thick reedbeds, provide a sanctuary for over 300 species of birds. We will also discover the local culture – many of the people of the Delta live in remote fishing villages, preserving a fascinating history that is an integral part of the wetland ecosystem. Our home in the Delta, we stay on a very comfortable ‘travelling’ houseboat, which has a lovely open deck for bird-watching and relaxing. A taste of the local cuisine may (optionally) include fish and wild boar, accompanied by the local wine. Our excursions are either short walks or by small boat. We should see huge numbers of herons, pelicans and terns as well as Roller, Golden Oriole and White-tailed Eagle.
In the Carpathians, we stay in an area of Transylvania full of hay meadows that are still farmed in a traditional way, ancient forests and stunning limestone gorges. Here, we will look out for Wallcreeper, Black Woodpecker and other mountain birds. There are also exciting plants to see, both in the Delta and in the mountains, along with butterflies, dragonflies, frogs and bats!
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Please note that holidays change, although sometimes only slightly, from year to year and previous trip reports may not reflect the planned itinerary, or other holiday details, for the current trip. Please ask us if you would like to know of any significant differences.