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Incredible trip overall, this was my first Naturetrek holiday and intended as a way of dipping my toes in the water to see if it was my sort of thing. Safe to say it definitely is and I'm looking forward to my next trip!
C.M, Antrim, April '23
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Dorset - The Reptiles & Amphibians of Britain
Tour Code: GBR232An exciting 3-day holiday in search of the reptiles and amphibians of Britain.
3 days
from
£795 (land only)
£795 (land only)
Highlights
Tour Itinerary and Reports
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Summary
On this 3-day holiday we will base ourselves around some of the most successful reptile and amphibian conservation efforts in the south of England, making exciting excursions to seek Britain's most beautiful and elusive native reptile and amphibian species, as well as visiting established colonies of superb introduced species.
From our base, at the very comfortable and charming Mortons Manor in the picturesque town of Corfe Castle, we'll join Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Trust (ARC) experts to search beautiful habitats in search of such reptiles as the stunningly marked Adder and the splendid Sand Lizard, and amphibians such as the rare and beautiful Great Crested Newt and Natterjack Toad. ARC was established in June 2009 with the mission of conserving Britain’s amphibians and reptiles, and the habitats on which they depend. The charity manages 80 sites, owning 24 of these, and we'll have the privilege of exploring some of their most productive reserves to find and study their fascinating inhabitants.
For full details of this tour, please download the itinerary from the linked button below.
- Snakes possible include the UK’s rarest reptile, the Smooth Snake, and the beautiful Adder.
- Search for the exquisite and rare Sand Lizard and the introduced Italian Wall Lizard and Western Green Lizard.
- Rare amphibians such as a chance to see Great Crested Newt and even Natterjack Toad.
- Join experts from the Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Trust (ARC) in the field.
- Learn about the habitat restoration and conservation work.
- Stay at an award-winning Elizabethan manor house hotel, serving delicious cuisine.
This exciting tour is part of our portfolio of herpetology holidays.
Outline Itinerary
Day 1
Arrive Corfe Castle, visit Creech Heath & Hengistbury Head
Day 2
Town Common, Parley Common, Boscombe Cliffs
Day 3
Explore Lytchett Heath, Great Ovens and East Gore
What's Included?
- Accommodation:
A beautiful, recently refurbished, Grade II listed Elizabethan Manor House, sitting at the base of Corfe Castle steeped full of history, dating back to 1590.
- Food:
Breakfast and two-course evening meals are included in the holiday price. Vegans and vegetarians are easily catered for. Lunches, taken at a nearby pub or restaurant, are not included and will offer a choice between a hearty lunch or something much lighter.
Reviews
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This was our first Naturetrek holiday. We were very happy with the experience. [We most enjoyed the] knowledge and enthusiasm of the two guides, as well as other ARC Trust rangers who we met at different reserves. Almost full house of sightings of native reptiles and amphibians but also some very special bird sightings of Dartford warblers and nightjars. Truly memorable experience.
S.C & J.D. London, June 2022 -
The focus was on reptiles and amphibians and despite unfavourable weather our expert guides introduced as to all the British species except the common frog! We saw two snakes we had never seen, three lizards as well as rare natterjack toad and crested newt. While we were looking for these we also found beautiful beetles and butterflies and a gorgeous Dartford Warbler. Overall an amazing and very thrilling trip. [Naturetrek's] attention to detail, be it accommodation, guides, sites is excellent. We have complete faith in them to deliver a great wildlife experience.
J.D. Cambridgeshire, June 2022 -
Exceptionally good - learnt so much about the ARC's work and local reserves which is especially useful as I live in Dorset. Had great views of most species and there was time to appreciate the landscapes and other species. Both leaders were very enthusiastic, knowledgeable, energetic and accommodating. The additional help of other ARC members increased our chances of seeing species. The highlights were so many good views of stunning male Sand Lizards sparkling in the sun! Lots of Smooth Snakes. The comfort and good food. The good company. The knowlegeable and accessible leaders.
M.P. Dorset, April 2022 -
The trip was fantastic, and the two guides unfaultable! Really wonderful.
I.S. London, June 2021
Dates & Prices
2025
Departures
Availability
Cost
Mon 28th Apr – Wed 30th Apr
SPACES
£795
Land only cost:
The "Land Only" cost is the tour price you will pay if you choose to arrange your own flights/transport.
£795
Single Room Supplement:
Single Room Supplement.
£245
Tour Leader:
Please note that, whilst we assign leaders to particular tours well in advance, we reserve the right to make changes if necessary
James Anderson-Barr
Tour Leader: James Anderson-Barr
James Anderson-Barr is a Dorset Field Officer for Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Trust (ARC) and has been with the organisation since 2013.
His responsibilities include co-leading the habitat management winter work programme, public engagement, conducting wildlife surveys and tree assessment surveys across ARC-Trust’s suite of Dorset nature reserves.
Since graduating in 2010 he has had previous stints working for RSPB, Natural England and Dorset Wildlife Trust developing a real passion for all things heathland related and gaining sound knowledge of the flora and fauna that rely upon it.
As a keen traveller and naturalist he has ventured through South East Asia, Cuba, inter-railed Southern Europe and spent two summers working on projects in Ecuador. Some of his greatest wildlife experiences found outside of the UK have been watching Spectacled Bears in the cloud forest, seeing Lammergeier’s soaring low overhead in the Pyrenees and had a memorable experience sunbathing alongside Marine Iguanas on Galápagos islands.
Having always loved being outdoors in the countryside, it wasn’t until he moved to Dorset from the Midlands that he was surprised to be able to see such a vast array of wildlife on his doorstep, amazed to find snakes and lizards in such great numbers remaining in what are small fragmented urban wild spaces. He enjoys protecting and showcasing these extremely rare habitats to audiences.
Mon 19th May – Wed 21st May
6
£795
Land only cost:
The "Land Only" cost is the tour price you will pay if you choose to arrange your own flights/transport.
£795
Single Room Supplement:
Single Room Supplement.
£245
Tour Leader:
Please note that, whilst we assign leaders to particular tours well in advance, we reserve the right to make changes if necessary
James Anderson-Barr
Tour Leader: James Anderson-Barr
James Anderson-Barr is a Dorset Field Officer for Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Trust (ARC) and has been with the organisation since 2013.
His responsibilities include co-leading the habitat management winter work programme, public engagement, conducting wildlife surveys and tree assessment surveys across ARC-Trust’s suite of Dorset nature reserves.
Since graduating in 2010 he has had previous stints working for RSPB, Natural England and Dorset Wildlife Trust developing a real passion for all things heathland related and gaining sound knowledge of the flora and fauna that rely upon it.
As a keen traveller and naturalist he has ventured through South East Asia, Cuba, inter-railed Southern Europe and spent two summers working on projects in Ecuador. Some of his greatest wildlife experiences found outside of the UK have been watching Spectacled Bears in the cloud forest, seeing Lammergeier’s soaring low overhead in the Pyrenees and had a memorable experience sunbathing alongside Marine Iguanas on Galápagos islands.
Having always loved being outdoors in the countryside, it wasn’t until he moved to Dorset from the Midlands that he was surprised to be able to see such a vast array of wildlife on his doorstep, amazed to find snakes and lizards in such great numbers remaining in what are small fragmented urban wild spaces. He enjoys protecting and showcasing these extremely rare habitats to audiences.
2026
Departures
Availability
Cost
Mon 27th Apr – Wed 29th Apr
SPACES
£795
Land only cost:
The "Land Only" cost is the tour price you will pay if you choose to arrange your own flights/transport.
£795
Single Room Supplement:
Single Room Supplement.
£245
Mon 18th May – Wed 20th May
SPACES
£795
Land only cost:
The "Land Only" cost is the tour price you will pay if you choose to arrange your own flights/transport.
£795
Single Room Supplement:
Single Room Supplement.
£245
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Among our programme is a significant range of short breaks, designed specially for those wishing to enjoy some of Europe’s top natural history highlights at the best time of year. All of these holidays have the bonus of being short-haul and supported by like-minded wildlife enthusiasts.
Naturetrek Short Break Wildlife Tours
Short breaks are becoming increasingly popular and in response to the high demand for this type of holiday we are continuing to increase our programme both within the UK and abroad. Most of our short breaks are within Europe, for convenience of travel.
For some of our mini-breaks there is an option to travel by plane or train, and we offer a choice of duration and type of break, from a weekend’s birdwatching in the Somerset Levels to a 6-day whale watching tour in the Azores.
A selection of our UK short breaks:
- A winter bird watching break in Norfolk
- An autumn holiday to enjoy the Red Deer rut in Ardnamurchan, Scotland
- A wildlife weekend in the New Forest
A selection of our overseas short breaks:
- In Spain we look for the world’s rarest cat, the Iberian Lynx
- Wolves on the plains in rural northern Spain
- An exploration of La Brenne’s exceptionally rich butterfly-life in northern France
Our specialist recommends...
"We offer two superb short breaks to the lovely island of Madeira in search of whales, dolphins and seabirds. It’s hard to beat our Just Brown Bears trip for families, while if you fancy something off the beaten track, try Estonia in Early Spring for some excellent spring birdwatching."
Paul Stanbury - Operations Manager
Herpetology Tours Led by Expert Naturalists
With in-house herpetology expertise connecting with passionate, expert, field herpetologists – and drawing on knowledge built up from operating bird, mammal, botany, butterfly and other wildlife tours since 1986 – we have crafted a selection of the world’s finest reptile and amphibian holidays in our herping tour portfolio.
Destinations for our herpetology holidays include: Albania, Borneo, Britain, Colombia, Ecuador, Greece, Japan, Morocco, Namibia, Panama, South Africa, Sri Lanka.
Naturetrek Reptile and Amphibian Tours
- Naturetrek have been crafting expertly-guided group tours to all seven continents for more than 36 years.
- All of our herping tours are led by an expert herpetologist guide.
- Our herpetology tours provide fantastic opportunity to find, study and photograph reptiles and amphibians.
- As with all of our tours, our reptile and amphibian tours use well-located and well-appointed accommodation.
- In addition to arranging group flights, we are delighted to help with arrangements to join our holidays from any location worldwide.
If you are interested in taking a herping holiday to a destination which is not listed in our current portfolio, please do get in touch using the quick enquiry form and we'll be very pleased to discuss options with you.
Our specialist recommends...
“Our ‘Reptiles & Amphibians of Ecuador' 17-day holiday through the spectacularly diverse habitats of Ecuador, which features an exciting exploration of the Naturetrek Reserve! On this tour we'll search for such exquisite jewels as Pinocchio Lizard, Two-striped Forest-pitviper, Mata-mata Turtle, Diablito Poison Frog, Upper Amazon Glass Frog, Linda's Treefrog and many other simply wonderful species.”
Dan Lay – Operations Manager and tour leader[params] => stdClass Object ( [category_layout] => [image_az] => https://i.assetzen.net/i/grQy1nYcgjdh/w:2000/h:937/q:70.jpg [image_alt] => ) [metakey] => Reptiles & Amphibians Herpetology Tours Herping Tours [note] => 12 [parent] => stdClass Object ( [id] => 165 [parent_id] => 1 [level] => 1 [path] => tour-focus [title] => Tour Focus [alias] => tour-focus [description] => [params] => stdClass Object ( [category_layout] => [image_az] => [image_alt] => ) [metakey] => [note] => ) ) [192] => stdClass Object ( [id] => 192 [parent_id] => 165 [level] => 2 [path] => tour-focus/general-natural-history [title] => General natural history [alias] => general-natural-history [description] => [params] => stdClass Object ( [category_layout] => [image_az] => https://i.assetzen.net/i/grQy1nYcgjdh/w:2000/h:937/q:70.jpg [image_alt] => ) [metakey] => General natural history [note] => 26 [parent] => stdClass Object ( [id] => 165 [parent_id] => 1 [level] => 1 [path] => tour-focus [title] => Tour Focus [alias] => tour-focus [description] => [params] => stdClass Object ( [category_layout] => [image_az] => [image_alt] => ) [metakey] => [note] => ) ) )
Prefer to Travel in a Private Group?
For any interested natural history club or society, we can arrange for a private departure of this tour.
Enquire
Why Naturetrek?
At Naturetrek we craft expertly-guided group and tailor-made wildlife holidays and cruises to all seven continents. On one of our holidays, you can be assured that our passionate team will enable you to experience and enjoy the best of the world's wildlife and natural spectacles in as comfortable and rewarding a manner as possible, caring as best we can for the environment in the process. We are proud to provide:
- The widest choice of wildlife holidays worldwide
- Tours managed and led by naturalists, for naturalists
- Outstanding value and exceptional customer service
Furthermore, as a Naturetrek client, our office team are always to on hand to help you – so if you have any queries about your holiday, whether before or after you have booked, we will be delighted to answer them on the phone. Please just give our team a call!
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