Winter /Spring | 2016 THE BEST OF Canada INSIDER VIEW Ethiopia Special AWESOME AUSTRALIA Travel down under TRAVEL WITH THE EXPERTS Festival of Wildlife WRANGEL ISLAND EXCLUSIVE with Mark Carwardine ZAMBIA - SACRED COMBE SAFARI Join Simon Barnes & Chris Breen Festival of Wildlife Borneo 2017 In celebration of 25 years of Wildlife Worldwide we invite you to join our exclusive Festival of Wildlife to Borneo in June 2017. Enjoy a unique series of presentations, workshops and master classes from renowned wildlife experts in the heart of Borneo’s rainforest. Alex Hyde Nick Baker Nick Garbutt Nick Mackman Nigel Marven Award-winning macro Naturalist & wildlife TV Wildlife photographer Award-winning sculptor Naturalist & wildlife TV photography expert presenter & author & artist presenter ur expert team includes TV presenters Festival of Wildlife Borneo 2017 Nick Baker and Nigel Marven, author and wildlife photographer Nick Garbutt, macro Group departure, 2 Jun 2017 photography expert Alex Hyde, award-winning 10 days, from £5,195 Osculptor and artist Nick Mackman, wildlife artist Yee Ting Wong and Borneo’s leading naturalist Dr Arthur Chung. Outline Itinerary Day 1 Fly overnight to Kota Kinabalu Each expert has been chosen for their unique skills and will Day 2 Kota Kinabalu accompany guests on daily wildlife activities, imparting their Day 3 Fly to Lahad Datu & transfer to Danum knowledge and enhancing each experience. In addition, a team Valley from Wildlife Worldwide will accompany the festival including Days 4-8 Wildlife experiences, talks, presentations, Founder Chris Breen, Product Manager and Asia expert Brian master classes & workshops in the Wood, and co-Director and wildlife enthusiast Nick Joynes. rainforest Day 9 Overnight flight via Kota Kinabalu Wildlife abounds in the pristine 43,800-hectare conservation Day 10 Arrive UK or why not join a post-Festival area of the Danum Valley - more than 340 bird species have extension to the Kinabatangan River & been recorded here, along with 124 species of mammals, 72 Sepilok, to Indonesia to see Komodo species of reptiles, 56 species of amphibians, and there is a dragons, or to visit Sarawak’s varied staggering 200 plant species per hectare. Much of the fauna national parks and an isolated Iban is nocturnal, and is most likely to be seen during a night safari community? or jungle trek, however wild orangutans frequently nest in the Price includes flights, transfers, accommodation, vicinity of the lodge. all meals, guided activities & a full programme of Festival events. The nearby canopy walkway provides unimpeded viewing of the 130-million-year-old forest at eye level with the treetops. Based at the wonderful Borneo Rainforest Lodge in the heart of the Danum Valley, we are perfectly situated for morning, afternoon and evening walks, night-time safaris and exploring the rainforest. Don’t miss this once in a lifetime Festival! Danum Valley, Borneo Borneo Rainforest Lodge 2 24 years experience of designing the finest wildlife holidays Welcome So, the Festive Season is over and the start of another exciting new year is upon us. It’s a time to look back at the year and reflect, yet also look forward to the year ahead and the opportunities that present. In classical terms, the two-headed dog (Canis bicapitus)… The story of the year was our acquisition of The Travelling Naturalist, an independent company that specialises in small group wildlife trips. Despite its worldwide span, it has a greater focus on Europe - an area we are looking to develop - which made it a natural choice. Many trips have a greater focus on birdlife, but still have an overall wildlife dimension - although some specialise in, for example, butterflies. As we hurtle towards our 25th year of existence (2017), our celebratory Festival of Wildlife – destined for Malaysian Borneo’s Danum Valley - continues to gather momentum. It seems extraordinary that two years of planning goes into an event like this - not continuous, of course, but to put all the pieces of the jigsaw in place it really does take that length of time! The list of experts who contribute to the week is now complete - and an impressive list it is too! We also look forward to expanding our range of suggested itineraries as our comprehensive research continues to bear fruit. There has never been a year during which we’ve all covered so much ground out of the office. A couple of new photographic itineraries with Nick Garbutt are proving particularly exciting, and you can read about these and other new ideas inside. And around the country our Discover Wildlife evenings are proving both fun and successful, as we have a chance to meet you and hear your thoughts. Wishing you happy travels in 2016, Chris Breen, Founder Holiday Reviews We are always thrilled to hear feedback from your wildlife experiences - here is some we have received recently… “Words cannot describe how unique and wonderful our trip was. Each day provided once in a lifetime experiences. The itinerary was perfect and action packed; proximity to the wildlife (in particular the gorillas, golden monkeys and the lions via the lion researcher) was second to none. Fantastic lodges, amazing friendly people. Our guide Charles was first class. We could not recommend this holiday more!” David M travelled to Uganda in Sep 2015 “We had an absolutely wonderful trip to Brazil. Everything was extremely well organised and ran like clockwork. All of the accommodation was superb. Our guides Tadeu, Jean & Niels were excellent, especially Tadeu who was exceptional. The Pantanal wildlife experience was superb and Rio was fabulous, and the perfect end to an amazing holiday. Thanks to everyone.” Phil & Julia W travelled to Brazil in Nov 2015 visit us We are based in the charming and historic city of Winchester and welcome you to visit us in our central offices. We are open from 9am to 6pm Monday to Friday and on Saturday morning from 9am to 1pm during January, February and March. [email protected] 01962 302 055 wildlifeworldwide.com 3 O Canada…! The Canadian national anthem tells of a beloved native land that extends beneath shining skies from East to Western sea – a land that is both glorious and free! Justifiably so… anada’s ten provinces and three territories creatures you may see. In some parts, at least, you might find stretch from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and from caribou (reindeer) or an elk grazing outside your hotel room - its southern border with the United States - the though you’d have to be exceptionally lucky to see a cougar or a world’s longest land border - north to the Arctic grey wolf in the wild! COcean. Covering almost ten million square kilometres, it is the world’s second largest country by area (the fourth Another exhilarating and unforgettable experience is watching largest if you include only terra firma). Much of it is sparsely whales - belugas in the estuary of the St Lawrence River in populated (80% of the population live near the US border), Québec, orcas off Vancouver Island in British Columbia, or dominated by extensive tracts of dense forest, bleak tundra, migrating humpbacks either along the Pacific Coast or in the flat prairie and the imposing mountains of the Rockies. North Atlantic off the Maritime Provinces of New Brunswick and Newfoundland. The thrill of seeing one of these magnificent An array of animals inhabit these wide open spaces. One of the marine mammals breaching beside your boat is a joy to behold, greatest draws is Canada’s enviable bear population - as befits and their gymnastic feats are second to none! You can even a country with such an expanse of wilderness: from the polar participate in a week-long whale study course, if you wish. bears of northern Manitoba - best seen around Churchill as they congregate at the start of winter to take to the newly-formed Most of the country suffers from cold, or even extremely cold, pack ice - to the elusive cream-coloured spirit bear of British winters, but the southern areas are warm in summer. A fine Columbia’s Great Bear Rainforest. Then, of course, there’s the highway system that is relatively free of traffic and benefits from splendid brown or grizzly bear which you can see from heart- good signage makes self-drive a realistic option in summertime, stoppingly close in its natural habitat at dedicated bear-watching and is a great way to travel at your own pace - making Canada lodges along the fjords of BC, or deep in the interior of the Yukon. excellent for a family holiday where you can mix wildlife with And, as if that wasn’t enough, you can also see black bears in other activities and attractions. The range of accommodation - various parts of the country. from historic hotels, boutique properties, wilderness lodges and characterful B&Bs to fixed tents - means there’s something for American bison, prairie dogs, seals, otters, American bald everyone, and in Québec province in particular the influence of eagles and a wealth of migratory birds (Canada has only three cuisine francaise adds yet another dimension to an enjoyable endemics), plus the ubiquitous moose, are among the other wildlife holiday. The Bear Essentials Whales & Dolphins in the Haida Gwaii Wilderness Quebec Fly by floatplane to the wilderness Cruise the Queen Charlotte Islands Enjoy Quebec’s wilderness at your own lodge of your choice for unforgettable aboard a comfortable yacht and explore pace on a fun self-drive trip, with plenty opportunities to watch grizzly bears - Gwaii Haanas National Park to see of included activities and chances to BC’s largest carnivores - by boat, by black bears, whales and other wildlife, see black bear, beluga, moose and kayak or from purpose-built hides.