Wildlife Tour - Transylvania and Danube Delta

Day 1: Arrive at Henri Coanda Airport. You will be picked up by your Tour Guide, and driven along the Prahova Valley to Zarnesti - the northern main gate to the Piatra Craiului National Park. Throughout the tour you rguide wil be hapy to answer questions about the wildife – plants, birds and other animales.The town is well known as the base of an internationally recognised research and conservation project on wolves, bears and lynx, called the Carpathian Large Carnivore Project ( CLCP). It has been recognised as a model wild-life project at the European level and was supported by international organisations, such as WWF. The project was completed in 2003 but has left an influence for tourism in the long term. In the evening, after dinner, you will have a video presentation of a programme produced by the BBC and filmed in the area , and also the guide will give a short presentation on the CLCP. Overnight accommodation is at a guesthouse in Zarnesti.

Day 2: From Zarnesti you will take a horse and cart ride to the foothills of the Piatra Craiului mountains. We will explore the ‘Prapastiile Zarnestilor’ canyon, at the east side of Piatra Craiului. After a hike through this spectacular canyon, where you may spot wallcreepers, we continue hiking up the Curmaturii valley to visit a traditional shepherds’ camp. Here the flocks are gathered overnight for protection against wolves and bears, and are guarded by ferocious dogs. You will see the shepherds milking the sheep and making traditional cheese. When we descend to Zanoaga Meadow, there are wonderful views of the entire Piatra Craiului main ridge and also of the Bucegi Mountains. From Zanoaga Meadow we meander down along a forest path to Botorog Spring. From there, you will be transferred back to your guesthouse by horse and cart.
Overnight accommodation is at the guesthouse in Zarnesti.

Day 3: In the morning there is an optional visit to the wolf cabin, where you can meet Crai and Poiana, the two hand-raised wolves from the large Carnivore Project. We will walk along the foothills of the Piatra Craiului Mountains, this time on the western side. These hills are largely formed of limestone and are rich in alpine flora. The scenery is truly spectacular. On the walk, we will search for signs of the large carnivores – the ‘Big Five’ – and explore the typical remote ancient forests of Transylvania.
We will return to the guesthouse for overnight accommodation.

Day 4: Today we head for the Danube Delta, leaving the Carpathian Mountains behind. We cross Buzau Pass and descend through Nehoiu to the village of Berca to see “the Muddy Volcanoes”- a strange landscape, peculiar to the Buzau Mountains. These are gas emissions of “cold” boiling mud on the surface, in volcanic cones ranging between 50 and 80 cm, but sometimes as high as 5-7 metres. The bubbling brown and mud has the appearance of a lunar landscape. We continue on to Buzau for overnight accommodation at a hotel in the city centre.

Day 5: We drive across the flat eastern plains into the region of Dobrogea, heading for the town of Tulcea, where we take the ferry to the village of Crisan. The journey takes about two and a half hours; along the way you will have great views of the wild wetlands dotted with picturesque fishing villages. You will also get a first insight of the huge variety of birdlife in the Delta: great white and little egrets, pygmy cormorants, flights of pelicans; hoopoes, white-winged black terns and sometimes even the impressive white-tailed eagle.
We arrive at Crisan village where, after a short rest at the guesthouse, we may take a short walk alongside the country road between the villages of Crisan and Caraorman. This road goes through some typical Delta landscapes - small lakes and large reed bed areas. It is a good area for different waders: glossy ibis, black-tailed godwit, black-winged stilt, as well as rollers, marsh harrier, ferruginous duck and many more. The dust on the road can also register wild-boar footprints.

Day 6: We head off by boat, entering the Magearu channel and making way towards Letea village. These small channels are amongst the best places in the Delta for bird watching, as they cross different types of habitat: small lakes, backwaters, floating and wooded islands etc. Red-footed falcon and hobby are here as well as woodpeckers (green and black); little bittern; grey, purple, night and squacco heron; spoonbill and egrets; grasshopper, and river, great reed and many other warblers.
After about three hours we will reach Letea, a charming small village with Ukrainian inhabitants and thatched-roofed houses. We travel by tractor, specially converted for visitors to Letea forest, one of the oldest natural reservations in Dobrogea with an impressive virgin forest, including some trees more than 500 years old. After taking a walk to the best parts of this forest we make our way back by tractor to Letea and from there, exploring some other channels, back to the guesthouse in Crisan.

Day 7: We take the ferry back to Tulcea, from where we drive to Enisala. Enisala is close to one of the old Turkish villages, with an ancient fortress on top of a hill. Here there are many different habitats: forested slopes, bare limestone rock, bushy scrub, overlooking a vast area of reed beds. Close to the road side there is a large colony of bee-eaters. Exploring the different areas around you may see highlights such as: levant sparrowhawk, honey and long-legged buzzard, booted, imperial or lesser spotted eagle; calandra lark; tawny pipit; black-headed bunting plus, of course, all the other birdlife typical of the Danube Delta.
We then drive through Dobrogea and the flat plains of Wallachia to Bucharest..
Overnight accommodation is at a 3 star hotel.

Day 8: In the morning you will have a short tour of Bucharest before transfer to the airport for the flight back home.

What this tour includes
Pick up and return from Bucharest Henri Coanda (Otopeni) airport. The services of an English speaking driver and guide are included. Transportation in a modern car with air conditioning. All meals and picnic lunches; ferry tickets from Tulcea to and from Crisan, specialist guide on day 6 in the Delta and the boat trip. Price based on two sharing double or twin rooms. Reduction for larger groups.

Price Guide (£ sterling per person)
Wildlife Tour Transylvania and Danube Delta £1115
Single room supplement £105

Based on twin/double occupancy. Reductions for larger groups. Flights and ATOL coverage available

Booking
Email us at: tourism@transylvan.co.uk
phone 01628 850694