Botanic Holiday in Bulgaria:
Orchid Mapping in the Eastern Rodopi (Rhodope) Mountains
This unique 8-day botanic holiday in Bulgaria has been organised in conjunction with the NGO 'Wild Rodopi', a specialist wildlife research and conservation organisation operating in the Rodopi (Rhodope) Mountains. During the course of this unique orchid conservation tour, you will not only visit some of the most outstanding orchid sites in Bulgaria's Eastern Rodopi (Rhodope) Mountains, but also experience the excitement of exploring and surveying potential new orchid habitats where important as yet unknown populations of rare orchids may be discovered. Unlike other standard botanic holidays, on these orchid conservation study tours you will not only enjoy the chance to find and photograph some of the rarest and most beautiful orchids in Bulgaria, but also have an opportunity to contribute directly to orchid conservation in Bulgaria by taking part in important orchid mapping and monitoring projects which will help improve knowledge about the distribution and conservation of orchid species in Bulgaria's Eastern Rodopi (Rhodope) Mountains.
Key Target Species: Spurred Helleborine (Cephalanthera epipactoides), Violet Limodore (Limodorum abortivum), Ploughshare Orchid (Serapias vomeracea), Pink Butterfly Orchid (Anacamptis papilionacea), Balkan Lizard Orchid (Himantoglossum jankae), Bee Orchid (Ophrys apifera).
| Best Months The most rewarding months for this botanic holiday are: April, May, June
Land Only Prices 1 person = 1795 Euros 2 people = 995 Euros per person 3-4 people = 795 Euros per person 5-6 people = 595 Euros per person Single supplement = 90 Euros
Inclusions * 7 nights B&B accommodation in twin rooms with en suite toilet/shower * Services of English-speaking wildlife guide and conservationist * Services of licensed private vehicle and professional driver NB: Unlike many other wildlife holiday companies who attempt to cut costs by making their guides have to double up as drivers, we employ separate dedicated drivers for all our trips as we believe this is not only safer but also allows our guides to concentrate fully on looking after you and finding you the wildlife!
Itinerary Day 1: From the airport at Sofia, we transfer to a village at the northern foot of the Rodopi (Rhodope) Mountains. Having checked in to our hotel there should be time to make our first excursion in search of orchids Day 2: Heading south-east into the heart of the Eastern Rodopi (Rhodope) Mountains, and passing through a remote and rugged landscape of volcanic rocks, we plan to make a succession of stops to look for and map orchids in a region that has had little or no previous orchid research. Day 3: Today's orchid explorations will focus on a small picturesque karst limestone area that is known to have an exceptionally rich vegetation and flora. Here we will hopefully be able to discover some new populations for some of our target orchid species. Day 4: Moving on east, we will make an excursion into beautiful valley of the Byala Reka, a remote unspoilt region that harbours an exceptionally rich biodiversity. Our research here will be very exploratory in nature, and we will hopefully discover some new populations of rare target orchid species. Later in the day we visit a hilly limestone region that holds a great variety of orchids including important populations of several rare orchid species. Day 5: Today we will start with another exploratory orchid mapping excursion along a picturesque valley that offers a great variety of habitats, and which is likely to harbour some exciting new orchid finds. During the day we will also monitor the important populations of rare orchids at a key orchid site. Day 6: A full day spent making our way on foot through wild region of volcanic outcrops and, sub-Mediterranean scrubs and pastures. As we walk through the different habitats, we will record and map the orchids that we find, and hopefully discover some new populations of our target orchid species. Day 7: Today we must make the long journey back to Sofia, but before leaving the Eastern Rodopi (Rhodope) Mountains, we will have time to stop from time to time and look for orchids at some potentially interesting sites. Day 8: The tour finishes after breakfast at the hotel in Sofia. |
Responsible Tourism Promise This botanic holiday in Bulgaria is being operated in conjunction with the wildlife research and conservation NGO 'Wild Rodopi'. Not only will the mapping and research data gathered during the course of this botanic holiday in Bulgaria contribute directly to orchid research and conservation efforts in the the Rodopi (Rhodope) Mountains, but all profits from this botanic holiday in Bulgaria will be donated to the NGO 'Wild Rodopi' to help fund their orchid research and mapping projects. | Bookings & Information If you are interested in booking this botanic holiday in Bulgaria's Eastern Rodopi (Rhodope) Mountains or would like further information, then please email us: |
