Area : 237500 sq km
Population : 22,246,865
Capital city : Bucharest
ime : GMT + 2
Currency : Romanian
Electricity : 220V
Imagine. You are in a small boat in the middle of a small lake in the middle of a vast wilderness. There is a cacophony of sound, none of it human. The chorus of frogs is deafening, but the nesting Terns almost drown it. Somehow the calls of distant cuckoos penetrate. This is the Danube Delta.
Romania was a long disputed territory, conquered by the Romans early in the 2nd century with the Tartars and then the Turks taking over, attracted by the beauty and wealth of the territory. Now independent, the landscape and its natural history remain some of the richest in Eastern Europe.
Visit the Danube Delta, the largest wetland and also the most important bird migration territory in Europe, and the Carpathian Mountains which boast the largest territory for Brown Bears on the continent.
The mighty River Danube has travelled over 2000 miles to reach its destination of the Black Sea, and in the Delta it divides into a plethora of channels and lakes, a sea of reeds and marshes interspersed with ancient deciduous forest. The only way to explore this paradise is on water and must be based on a lovely houseboat using small open motorboats to access narrow channels and remote lakes which teem with birds and other wildlife. You will see at least 130 species of birds, many exotic to the British and West European experience.
In total contrast the second section of our holiday takes us up to the magnificent and grand Carpathian Mountains where pristine forests are the stronghold of the European Brown Bear as well as Lynx and Wolf. We are almost guaranteed sightings of the bears as we go into the forest in the late evening, using old hunting hides to wait and watch. During the day we’ll be looking for different species of raptors woodland birds as we enjoy different birding from that we experienced in the Delta.
In the midst of all our wildlife experiences we will not neglect the human heritage of this fascinating country which has had its fair share of bad press and yet offers such warm hospitality and welcome.
