If the BBC’s celebration of David Attenborough’s 90th birthday has inspired you to book a wildlife adventure, Artisan Travel can assist.

(TRAVPR.COM) UNITED KINGDOM - May 17th, 2016 - Known for providing travellers with extraordinary experiences, with the convenience and reassurance of small group travel led by an expert, Artisan Travel creates lifelong memories to treasure, and stories to tell for years to come.

Here are four life-enriching trips that bring you close to nature à la Attenborough.

Swimming with dolphins and whale watching in The Azores (seven nights) – discover ocean wildlife, volcanic beauty, vast lagoons and lava tunnels on this active trip staying on the main island of São Miguel. Swim with dolphins in the Atlantic, watch for whales from a tour boat, and snorkel amidst a kaleidoscopic variety of fish off the islet of Vila Franca. Hop into hot springs, kayak on crater lakes, go canyoning, cycling, and take part in tours to a pineapple farm, Lake Furnas and Caldeira Velha waterfall; also enjoy time to kick-back and relax on the black sands of Santa Bárbara Beach.

Costs from £1,195 pp (two sharing, single occupancy from just £1,485 pp) including return flights, all transfers, seven nights’ B&B accommodation, some other meals, all activities, and fully-qualified guides. Departures May-September 2016.

Bears (and more) in Kuhmo (four nights) - venture to the Finnish Wild Taiga, a 'no man's land' on the Finnish-Russian border, where brown bears, wolverine, lynx, beavers and wolves roam throughout this forested wilderness. Spend two nights at the Wilderness Base Kuikka (with sauna and hot shower), situated on the edge of Lake Kuikka and, as dusk approaches on both evenings - accompanied by a wildlife guide and expert photographer - make your way to a wildlife hide, where bears often graze just a few metres away. The hide accommodates 12 people in bunk beds, with individual seats by the window and a photography hole. Spend the additional two nights at the Hotel Kalevala, and go on a beaver safari by boat, plus visit the Petola Nature Centre.

Costs from £965 pp (two sharing, single occupancy from just £1,031 pp) including domestic transfers, four nights' accommodation, four breakfasts, four dinners, wildlife hide experience, beaver safari and Petola Nature Centre visit. Departures May-August 2016. 

Beautiful Borneo encompassed (13 nights) – a magnificent journey based in the Malaysian Sabah region, including top-quality resort or lodge accommodation. Start by exploring tropical islands and the surrounding waters off the coast of Kota Kinabalu, and experience the world’s longest island-to-island zip wire (250 metres long), before flying to Sandakan to stay at the Sepilok Nature Resort. Get to know the world’s smallest bear, the sun bear, which reaches just 150 cm in height, see orangutans and proboscis monkeys in three amazing sanctuaries, and venture into the enormous Gomangtong caves, home to bats, birds and countless creepy crawlies. Back at Kota Kinabalu, visit the Danum Valley Conservation Area, home to the Sumatran Rhino, Benteng Elephant, Clouded Leopard, Bornean Gibbon and Leaf Monkey, and go on daily treks through this pristine tract of primary rainforest.

Costs from £3,445 pp (two sharing) including 11 nights’ B&B accommodation, 10 other meals, all activities* and guides, transfers.  Flights extra. Departures March-December 2016.

*Activities:Island cruise by boat, guided snorkel and jungle walk, entrance to Sun Bear Conservation Centre and Sepilok Orangutan Sanctuary. Entry to Labuk Bay Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary, entrance to Gomantong Caves, all wildlife boat trips and walks in Kinabatangan, entry to  Rainforest Discovery Centre, ethnic cooking class, Mari Mari Cultural Village, and all wildlife treks and drives whilst in Danum Valley.

Ultimate Wildlife Adventure in Canada’s Manitoba (ten nights) - this is wildlife central, from black bears, lynx and wolves, to bison, beluga whales and polar bears, Manitoba offers some of nature’s greatest sights. Spend time in Churchill, where each year thousands of beluga whales head to Hudson Bay’s Churchill River, and kayak or swim with these sociable mammals. Then take a flight to the Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge, home for four nights, from where daily trekking tours along the coastline should bring you close to polar bears. Top and tail this ultimate wildlife holiday with an exploration of colourful Winnipeg, a melting pot of Aboriginal, French Canadian and Manitoban cultures.

Costs from £6,195 pp (two sharing), including domestic flights and transfers, ten nights’ accommodation, seven breakfasts, lunches and dinners, kayaking with belugas, optional swim, local tours, and daily trips from the Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge. Departures only on 12 and 16 August 2016.

For further information, or to talk to an expert, visit www.artisantravel.co.uk, tel: 01670 785 085.

ENDS

Note to editors: Independent specialist holiday company Artisan Travel provides life-enriching holidays which marry expertise and local knowledge to deliver unforgettable experiences for adults. It is a sister company to family travel specialist Activities Abroad, and Northern Lights specialist The Aurora Zone.

Press: Formore information, quotes or to discuss a press trip, please contact Mika Bishop or Paul Bondsfield at Travel PR on 020 8891 4440 or m.bishop@travelpr.co.uk or p.bondsfield@travelpr.co.uk

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