THE BROWN BEAR EXPERIENCE
BEARS + Romania
Something DIFFERENT. Somewhere DIFFERENT.
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THE BROWN BEAR EXPERIENCE > WHAT
✷ WHAT – Experience / 05-‐06 ✷ WHY – Highlights / 11-‐12 ✷ WHERE – Location / 07-‐08 ✷ WHO – Type / 13-‐14 ✷ WHEN – Season / 09-‐10 ✷ HOW – Process / 15-‐16
SOMETHING DIFFERENT
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Somewhere Different What’s different about this experience?
THE BROWN BEAR EXPERIENCE At A Glance MONTHS: May -‐ Oct PRICE: £349
COUNTRY: Romania DURATION: 4 Nights
ASSISTANCE: Hands-‐On
Something Different
Somewhere
BEARS
Different
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Searching for wild bears
ROMANIA
Romania’s Carpathian Mountains
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THE BROWN BEAR EXPERIENCE > WHAT
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THE EXPERIENCE
Morning visit to Transylvania’s wonderful Libearty Bear Sanctuary then afternoon at your leisure in Brasov or optional bear and bison tracking excursion (not included).
What happens on the experience? Read on to find out more about the itinerary.
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HOME > BUCHAREST
Arrive in Bucharest followed by a private airport transfer to your boutique accommodation in the Lipscani district. Afternoon and evening to explore and discover the plethora of restaurants and bars.
BRASOV
BRASOV > BUCHAREST
Morning in Brasov followed by a visit to Bran Castle, known to many as Dracula’s Castle. Travel back through the Transylvanian countryside to Bucharest for the final night.
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BUCHAREST > BRASOV
Morning transfer to Transylvania via Sinaia with a visit to the magnificent Peles Castle before heading on to the medieval town of Brasov. Evening transfer to the Carpathian Mountains for the Bear Hide experience.
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BUCHAREST > HOME
Time in Bucharest before private transfer to the airport for return flight.
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THE BROWN BEAR EXPERIENCE > WHERE
THE LOCATION Where does the experience take place? Read on to find out more about the locations you’ll be visiting.
Rom ania
Sighisoara, to the Danube Delta’s abundance of birds and wildlife, and the magnetic buzz of the fast-‐paced capital of Bucharest, the variation and contrast across Romania is staggering.
Ask most people what comes to mind when they think of Romania and you’re likely to hear something along the lines of Dracula, vampires and gypsies. Yes, the spooky castles pitched on rocky hilltops are certainly vampire-‐worthy but the only real fangs you’re likely to be exposed to here are those belonging to the wild bears, wolves and lynx that roam the Carpathian Mountains. Once you place the stereotypes aside for a moment, you’ll soon understand how misunderstood, overlooked and vastly underestimated this country is.
Of course, there’s far too much to see in just one visit...
The C arpathian M ountains Home to one of the largest undisturbed forests in Europe and 60% of the last strong and healthy populations of Brown bear, the Carpathian Mountains form a protective loop around Transylvania. Often nicknamed the ‘Yellowstone of Europe’, the region exhibits some of
From the untouched Transylvanian countryside and the beautiful mountain scenery in the Carpathian Mountains, the wooden churches and painted monasteries of Maramures and the medieval towns of Brasov, Sibiu and
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with its patchwork of exposed rocky peaks, lush green pastures, wildflower-‐ filled meadows, thick, virgin forests and beautiful National Parks.
backdrop scenes for Cold Mountain were shot here. ‘…every known superstition in the world is gathered into the horse-‐shoe of the Carpathians, as if it were the centre of some sort of imaginative whirlpool.’ Jonathan Harker, Dracula.
Aside from its population of Brown bears, the national park also shelters one of the largest biodiversity of wildlife in the country including chamois, wild boar, wolves and the elusive lynx as well as hundreds of species of bird, butterflies and a plethora of fauna.
The Brown Bear Experience itself takes place in Piatra Carilului National Park which is over 24km long and almost 2,000m high. It also features the longest and highest limestone ridge in Romania and boasts some of the most breathtaking scenery in the Carpathian Mountains. In fact, the landscape is so beautiful that the www.untravelledpaths.com
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THE BROWN BEAR EXPERIENCE > WHEN
THE SEASON When does the experience take place and which is the best month to book? The Season
May: The weather is pleasant throughout Transylvania as the intense heat of the summer is yet to arrive. However there’s a higher risk of rainfall, which may decrease your chances of seeing the bears as they tend to seek shelter when it is raining. Don’t let this deter you though, we’ve not had any issues to date! June, July & August: In the full swing of summer, visiting the Carpathian Mountains in summer affords long hot sunny days and blue skies with little chance of rain and almost guaranteed sightings of the bears. While temperatures can soar to around 40 degrees in Bucharest, the Transylvanian countryside tends to be a little cooler. September: September brings slightly fresher temperatures to Transylvania and as is the case with the weather in May, the chances of rain at the beginning of autumn may affect bear sightings. However you would be unlucky not to catch a glimpse of the animals.
The season for bear tracking in Transylvania spans from April all the way through to October, before and after which the bears go into hibernation and the chances of viewing the animals is slim to none. Although it is certainly possible to get a glimpse of the bears in April and October, we consider these to be cusp months and therefore do not tend to run our brown bear experiences during these months. From May all the way through to September, the bear watching season is in full swing and you’re highly likely to see the bears in their natural habitat within the natural paradise of the Carpathian Mountains. In fact, in the ten years that our professional trackers have been running these excursions, there has only been one instance where bears were not sighted so the probability is around 90%.
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THE BROWN BEAR EXPERIENCE > WHY
THE HIGHLIGHTS Why is this experience so wonderful?
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Spotting wild and rescued bears
Of an estimated worldwide population of 200,000 brown bears, the Carpathian Mountains in Romania host a whopping 60% of Europe’s brown bears. The Ursos Actos are amongst the largest living carnivores in the world, weighing up to 350kg and living for approximately 30 years with strong hearing and an excellent sense of smell. In Romania, the record weight found here is reported as 480kg! At the bear hide, you are highly likely to catch a glimpse of the bears feeding with around a 90% chance of sightings. While the bear tracking excursion does not guarantee bear sightings, your trip to the Libearty Bear Sanctuary will provide plenty of opportunities to get up close and personal with the rescued bears.
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Transylvania’s charm and beauty
The Carpathian Mountains and Piatra Cariului National Park in particular, boast spectacular alpine views that stretch across over 15,000 hectares and feature beautiful meadows rich in wild flora and fauna as well as caves, mountain creeks and waterfalls and of course dense forests hosting an impressive number of wild bears, wolves and other mammals. Aside from the scenery in the Carpathain Mountains, we also never fail to be charmed by the medieval town of Brasov with its cobbled streets and church adorned squares.
Wildlife in the Carpathian Mountains
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The vast array of flora and fauna present in the Carpathian Mountains deserves a special mention. Sheltering one of the largest biodiversity of wildlife in Romania, Piatra Cariului National Park is home to thousands of species of plant, representing a third of all plant species in the country, around 270 butterfly species, 110 bird species, 17 bat species and a large number of large carnivores including wolf, lynx and, of course, the brown bear. This is a veritable paradise of beauty and wildlife.
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THE BROWN BEAR EXPERIENCE > WHO
THE TYPE Who is this experience perfect for? Group Type This experience is suitable for the following group types: ✓ Couples ✓ Friends ✓ Families ✓ Girls ✓ Boys ✓ Solo Travellers
Personality Type This experience is suitable for the following personality types: ✓ Animal Lovers ✓ Thrill Seekers ✓ Explorers
Motivation Type
❋ The Great Outdoors ❋ Nature & Wildlife ❋ Gifts & Occasions ❋ Get Active ❋ Walk On The Wild Side
This experience is perfect for those with the following motivations: ❋ Action & Adventure ❋ For Him ❋ Escape
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THE BROWN BEAR EXPERIENCE > HOW
THE DETAILS How to get there, enquire and book?
The Price
The Flights
This experience includes the following:
As a tour operator we are not able to offer flights. The listed airlines fly directly in and out of the arrival and departure airports for this experience:
✷ Transfers Private airport pick-‐up and drop-‐off All in-‐country transfers ✷ Accommodation 2 nights boutique B&B accommodation in Bucharest 2 nights boutique B&B accommodation in Brasov
London > Bucharest Gatwick (EasyJet) Heathrow (BA, Air Tarom) Luton (Wizz Air, Blue Air) Stansted (RyanAir) Other UK > Bucharest Liverpool (Blue Air) Dublin (Aer Lingus, Blue Air)
✷ Activities Visit, entry and tour of Peles Castle in Sinaia Visit and entry to Bran (aka. Dracula’s) Castle Visit, entry and tour of the Libearty Bear Sanctuary The Bear Hide Experience
The Process
The Assistance
Here’s more information on enquiring, booking and paying in 10 simple steps:
This experience is classified as ‘hands-‐on’. This means: ü
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Select experience and booking page on website 2. Choose travel dates from availability calendar 3. Fill in details on enquiry form 4. Wait up to 24 hours for a response from our team 5. If availability is confirmed, we hold your places and you book your flights 6. Booking is processed and confirmed with deposit payment of 25% (if earlier than 6 weeks before start date) 7. Receive digital materials including a personalised trip itinerary and booklet 8. Outstanding balance is paid 6 weeks prior to departure 9. Pack your bags 10. Get ready for a unique travel experience!
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Full on-‐the-‐ground support with structured itinerary and pre-‐planned logistics Allocated bi-‐lingual guide and driver Private transfers Pre-‐booked accommodation, breakfast, activities and reservations Extensive digital information and handpicked recommendations for sights, bites and highlights
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Want to stay in Transylvania longer? You might prefer swapping over to the week-‐long Transylvania Experience. As well as all of the activities listed in the Brown Bear Experience you’ll also: ✷ Spend time in Sighisoara and Sibiu ✷ Stay at the serene Inn on Balaban ✷ Experience village life in Crit and Viscri
✷ Other Bi-‐lingual guide and professional tracker The Brown Bear Experience booklet Welcome drink
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THE INSPIRATION
Somewhere else for wildlife
Like this experience? Then you’ll love these.
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Somewhere else with mountains THE EXPERIENCE 1. Home > Podgorica > Shkodra 2. Shkodra> Valbona 3+4. Valbona 5. Valbona > Thethi 6. Thethi 7. Thethi > Kolasin > Home
BASKING SHARK
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THE HIGHLIGHTS ✷ Hike through the beautiful Valbona Valley ✷ Trek over to the remote village of Thethi ✷ Enjoy genuine Albanian hospitality
ICE HOTEL
Something totally different THE EXPERIENCE 1. Home > Marrakech 2. Marrakech > Skoura Oasis 3. Skoura Oasis > Sahara Desert 4. Sahara Desert > Atlas Mountains 5. Atlas Mountains > Marrakech > Home
Something else in Romania
THE EXPERIENCE 1. Home > Bucharest 2. Bucharest > Brasov 3. Brasov > Ice Hotel 4. Ice Hotel > Sibiu > Bucharest 5. Bucharest > Home THE HIGHLIGHTS ✷ Spend the night in a remote Ice Hotel 2,000m above sea level and only accessible by cable car ✷ Sip cocktails at the Sub Zero Ice Bar ✷ Eat at one of the only Ice Restaurants in the world ✷ Visit Transylvania’s castles
SAHARA DESERT
THE HIGHLIGHTS
✷ Sleep under the stars in a traditional desert camp
✷ Ride a camel across the desert and watch the sunrise ✷ Journey through the epic Atlas Mountains ✷ Experience the magic and mayhem of Marrakech
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For more information on any of these experiences as well as our complete collection, please visit our website www.untravelledpaths.com
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At Untravelled Paths we believe our innovative approach in combining unique experiences with unusual destinations makes for a winning travel formula. We also believe buying experiences is more important than buying things. That’s why our ‘something different, somewhere different’ experiences are filled to the brim with original and memorable moments to share with the people you love. An Untravelled Paths Experience is a life-‐long purchase that gets even better with time. Unlike other tour operators, our team is tiny. Don’t let this put you off though, for what we lack in manpower, we more than make up for in enthusiasm, passion and downright dedication. We pride ourselves on being able to add a more personal touch to the way we do things. Find out more about our other experiences at www.untravelledpaths.com
CONTACT www.untravelledpaths.com 0207 101 4061 info@untravelledpaths.com 24 Ferncroft Avenue, London, NW3 7PH
Something DIFFERENT. Somewhere DIFFERENT.