Culture, cruising and wildlife for 2008

For 2008, Reef and Rainforest Tours has added three new itineraries to its extensive programme of upmarket natural history-themed tours to exciting and exotic long haul destinations.

PANAMA: ‘JOURNEY BETWEEN THE SEAS’ - a seven-night cruise from £2,795.
It is now possible, for the first time, to explore the Pacific and Caribbean coasts of Panama whilst experiencing the full Panama Canal transit aboard a fully crewed 108-foot motor catamaran (just 24 passengers in 12 spacious cabins).

Tour highlights:
•Pearl Islands of the Pacific
•Embera tribe of the wild Darien
•Smithsonian’s Barra Colorado Island
•Colonial architecture of Portobelo on the Caribbean shore

Price includes international flights, accommodation in double/twin rooms, most meals, all transfers, guiding services, reserve entrance fees and government taxes.

MADAGASCAR: LUXURY SAFARI-STYLE CAMPING - seven days from £2,176.
With luxury African safari-style tented camps and full guiding services, this is a completely new way to explore the culture and wildlife of Madagascar while being very eco-friendly, with donations to local NGOs for social and environmental projects.

Tour highlights:
•Visit to Ifotaka, an area previously unavailable to visitors, located near the south eastern town of Fort Dauphin
•Plentiful wildlife including three of the most famous lemurs: ring tailed, ‘dancing’ verreaux’s sifakas and the tiny mouse lemurs
•Exciting encounters with the local Antandroy tribe, attending their market and cultural events
•Spiny forest
•Gallery dry tropical deciduous forest

Price includes international flights, accommodation in double/twin rooms, most meals, all transfers, guiding services, domestic flights, reserve entrance fees and government taxes.

BRAZIL: JAGUAR SPOTTING – eight nights from £3,380.
This jaguar-spotting tour features the world’s first lodge to virtually guarantee jaguar sightings, the Jaguar Research Centre – to date, an amazing 125 jaguar sightings have been recorded in one period of 81 days since the lodge opened in 2007.

Guests also have an excellent chance to see giant river otters and tapirs, making this undoubtedly the best place in the world to observe South America’s most elusive mammals.

The best Jaguar sightings are during the dry season months of July, August, September and October.

Price, based on two people sharing, includes direct international flights with TAM, local flights, transfers, meals, two nights in a comfortable Pantanal lodge, four nights at a tented jaguar lodge, all meals and private naturalist guides.

For further information visit Reefandrainforest.co.uk.