Your questions answered (hopefully!)
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- What makes Oenanthe different?
- What are your office opening hours?
- What can I expect on a tour?
- Who will the tours appeal to?
- How many participants are there on each tour?
- What's included in the price?
- What's not included?
- How do I book?
- When do I need to pay?
- How are costs kept so low?
- Why 'Oenanthe'?
What makes Oenanthe different?
- We consider each birding trip to be an adventure rather than merely a tour. In these days where our daily lives and surroundings are gradually being sanitised and uniformed our tours are a chance to escape for a bit, be free, do something worthwhile and inspiring.
- As well as running tours to a number of Western Palearctic hotspots we are also loyal to our Norfolk roots and delight in sharing the avifauna of our remarkable county with tour participants.
- We keep our costs as low as possible ensuring the best value for money in the field.
- We fully recognise that budget airlines run flights to many of the destinations covered by our tours and with some shopping around some great deals are to be had. With that in mind we do not include the flight costs within our packages. For each tour we will provide recommendations and travel possibilities but then leave the booking (and savings!) with you. Our tours are sensibly based around the arrival and departure times of flights. Choosing your own flights also gives you any flexibility should you wish to add extra days onto the beginning or end of a tour to do your own thing.
- Meals are generally not included except breakfast on some dates on some tours. The reasons for this are twofold. Firstly, due to the nature of birding conventional mealtimes are often the precise times we will want to be out in the field! Secondly, from experience we know that many of our tour participants prefer to choose where and what they eat rather than being provided with a set meal at a set location. After all this is one of the pleasures of travel. In some of our overnight locations there may not be much choice but in others the choice is wide. In either case transport to local restaurants/cafes/shops will be provided. Very often we all end up dining together in any case!
- There are a great many companies offering birding tours to all corners of the globe these days and one of the things that has always struck us is the high costs that most charge. One of our aims is to challenge this and provide tours which are genuinely affordable to more people. Especially important in the current economic climate where many are needing to cut outgoings whilst striving to maintain a standard of living. And that means not giving up on birding trips!
- As well as our published tours we also offer custom-made tours for groups.
- We will communicate with you at every stage of the booking process and keep you up to date on tour developments and news as it happens.
What are your office opening hours?
We are available to answer any of your queries between 08.00 and 22.00 seven days a week. If you do have to leave us a message we will respond very promptly. Outside of normal 09.00 – 17.00 hours the best number to contact us on is our mobile: 0044 (0)7979 823800.
What can I expect on a tour?
On every tour we will do our utmost to connect with as many species as possible with the emphasis being firmly on seeing the specialities of the area being visited. Often this will involve a fair bit of travel including early starts and late finishes. Birding is the main purpose of the trips but we frequently stop for other items of natural history interest such as mammals, butterflies, dragonflies etc where this doesn't alter the published itinerary of the tour.
The very nature of trying to see as much as possible means we try to allow time for flexibility wherever possible. The published itinerary may therefore be tweaked but all sites we say we will visit will be visited. After all the aim is to see every species available if we possibly can!
The tours are conducted at a pace that all participants are comfortable with. They do not require any special fitness or stamina other than the ability to spend a fair bit of time on your feet.
Who will the tours appeal to?
Our tours will appeal to birders of all abilities and experience who have a sense of adventure and a desire to see some wonderful birds in truly inspiring locations.
Please see our Types of Tour page for more details.
How many participants are there on each tour?
Group sizes are deliberately kept small because we believe this enhances the experience for everyone.
Overseas tours will typically have between 6 and 12 participants plus leaders. Norfolk tours are generally restricted to 6 participants.
What's included in the price?
- Transport whilst on the tour (this will usually be in either a minibus, people carrier or 4-wheel drive vehicle depending on the nature of the tour and the number of participants)
- Accommodation in twin-bedded rooms (supplement payable for single occupancy if available) – overseas tours only.
- Breakfast if included in the accommodation package (see individual tours itineraries for details) – overseas tours only.
- All guiding and driving
- Trip checklists – overseas tours only.
- Background information on the tour destination plus useful travel, health and reading suggestions – overseas tours only.
What's not included?
- Return flights and taxes
- Meals (except breakfast on some tours)
- Personal insurance
- Items of a purely personal nature (e.g. spending money)
- Visa costs (if applicable)
How do I book?
Please see the booking a tour section on this website.
When do I need to pay?
The deposit is required at the time of booking with the balance due 10 weeks before the departure date.
How are costs kept so low?
Although we cut no corners on tour quality we are able to keep our costs low by not producing expensive glossy literature or brochures. Our overheads are such that we can genuinely offer great value tours. Meals are generally not included in our prices which not only allows us to keep costs down but also allows individuals the choice of where and what they want to eat.
As explained above we do not include the booking and cost of flights in our tours. This not only enables us to keep our costs down but also gives our customers the opportunity to shop around for flights, be more flexible and save money. It also negates the need for us to be ATOL bonded which cuts our costs and enables us to keep tour prices as low as possible.
Why 'Oenanthe'?
Our name is inspired by the Latin name for the Wheatear family, a personal favourite of ours!
