With our tours to 'Italy’s Sibillini Mountains' and the 'French and Italian Alps' guaranteed to run this summer, but with a few spare places each, we asked tour leaders Philip and Sharon Thompson why they love returning each year. Here are their thoughts.

We’re pleased to announce some exciting news from our friends in Nepal – pending final certification, a new butterfly species, Lethe distans, has been identified by Nepalese naturalist Hari Bandari at Tiger Mountain Pokhara (TMP) – our congratulations to Hari! Finding a new butterfly species for your country is no mean feat, and this female Scarce Red Forester (Lethe distans), if a little tatty, emphasises what a great place for butterflies TMP truly is.

There is something magical about Scotland’s west coast and islands. One visit is rarely enough, and many people are inspired to return again and again, discovering something new each time. Regardless of the weather, the beauty and majesty of this area captures the heart, enriches the soul, and its wildlife experiences rival those found anywhere in the world. We run a number of tours throughout the year to seek out the iconic and charismatic species that live or breed here.

We are delighted that Mandina Lodges is converting one of its ‘Jungle Lodges’ to include two king size beds, allowing us to accept twin room and room share bookings on our ‘The Gambia in Style!’ holiday for the first time!

Our inaugural 'The Forest of Dean – Mammal Special’ tour in October was a great success (writes Operations Manager Tom Mabbett).