11 independent reviews for Romania wildlife holiday stay in wildlife hides
Reviews for Romania wildlife holiday stay in wildlife hides
Martin Harrison review 13 Jun 2026
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
All of it. Our guide Oana looked after us, was knowledgeable, caring. And to see the countryside and wildlife, especially bears.2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Book it and get decent outdoor clothing.3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes. Very eco and ethically led. Supporting farmers and local producers.4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
Amazing, the best.David Friswell review 4 Jun 2026
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
Seeing the bears so close up at the hide - amazing!2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Might be useful to get some more of the basic information from the host company at the time of inquiry and before actually booking trip and flights -etc. We found out (too late for us) that we could leave luggage at the base and that we didn't need to carry provisions as we had previously been led to believe. Walking poles were supplied which was great if you take the opportunity to go on a daytime guided walk.3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
It felt like the trip itself had a relatively low environmental impact - we had chosen to fly from UK and then travelled by car and bus in Romania. The trip starts at the host company's office, followed by a car journey and then an electric boat across the reservoir. It was interesting to visit the new beaver info center and see the tree nursery on the journey to the mountains. We did have some locally sourced food whilst in the hide and our guide (who was brilliant - as a guide and a chef!) was locally based. Hopefully the area will get National Park status as soon as possible to further help protect the environment.4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
Great! We had a wonderful experience. We saw nine different bears (13 sightings overall) and two bison. Great photos as memories - and I still don't know how our guide 'conjured up' a bottle of champagne out of nowhere when he found out it was my birthday!Sarah May review 22 May 2025
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
Seeing bears!2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Pack layers, it's cold up the mountains. You'll be well fed and watered. You'll feel safe.3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
It was amazing!Pat Brincat review 15 May 2025
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
Seeing bears at 6am in the morning.2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
To enjoy every moment.3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes.4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
9/10Claire Preston review 18 Sep 2024
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
Seeing the bears and other wild animals and hearing all about them from our wonderful guide2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
You need to be reasonably fit to walk between the two hides3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes. Our guide was local and the NGO he worked for clearly support Conservation of the forests and wildlife4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
It was a fabulous experienceAndrea Powell review 15 Sep 2024
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
Seeing a bear emerge from the woods by our hide!2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
You must be very patient; our only bear sighting came in the final 2 hours of our trip!3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes, definitely. We learned a lot about the national park project and our guide was very knowledgeable.4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
Superb! Very enjoyable and interesting.Ken Edwards review 4 Jun 2024
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
The first Bear!2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Be prepared to yomp but its worth it.3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes.4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
10 out of 10.Graham Swain review 25 Sep 2023
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
Naturally it was seeing the amazing wildlife - a bear, lots of wild boars and a red deer stag.2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Make sure you are fit enough and not likely to require any outside assistance.,3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes - environmental impact was at the heart of everything they did. All people involved were local and even the food was local (fantastic blueberry jam!).4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
We loved the whole experience and our guide was hard working, knowledgeable and engaging.Maeve Sheridan review 8 Sep 2023
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
The scenery, the isolation the wildlife especially seeing bears in the wild2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Go got it3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Local people working and volunteering with the Carpathian projects4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
Super a great vacationGill Harvey review 14 Aug 2023
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
This whole trip surpassed our expectations. For a start, the hides are so much nicer than we thought they’d be - so well constructed, cosy and beautifully thought out. We stayed in Bunea and Comisu 1 hides and they’re both stunning and set in gorgeous scenery. Then, the bears! We saw a total of ten different ones over our four days, some briefly but some for much longer. This may have been due to the weather, as it was cool and overcast/sometimes wet, so they didn’t have to retreat from the sun. An amazing experience - different characters emerging among those we saw... we were especially taken with a lone young bear who was clearly having its first summer away from its mother... jumping at shadows and playing it safe. Our guide Andrei was fabulous - so knowledgable, friendly and fun. Also worked incredibly hard, serving us all our (delicious) meals as well as guiding us. As well as bears we saw a fox, capercaillies, red-backed shrike, honey buzzard, crossbills, heard and saw lots of evidence of black woodpeckers... All in all I couldn’t recommend this trip highly enough!2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
We were three friends in our fifties, moderately fit, and the hikes up to the hides were steeper/more strenuous than we’d imagined, especially as we were carrying our packs. Perfectly manageable though, as Andrei paced it really well.3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Absolutely. The work of the foundation (FCC) is having a massive impact on the forests, and they are working really hard on helping local villagers benefit from tourism and improve their relationship with wildlife (especially the bears).4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
Brilliant.Nick Howell review 19 Jul 2022
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
Seeing brown bears at Bunea hide and wild boar at Comisu.2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Travel light and enjoy the expertise of the wildlife guides. And take a face cloth to Comisu to wash with.3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes. The buildings are made of local timber. The guide was local and cooked with locally produced food. The hides were off grid. The money for the vacation helps to fund the protection of ancient woodland and the restoration of clear fell. Many local people are employed in the tree growing required for this. And, finally the organisation, Foundation Conservation Carpathia, supports local action with communities.4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
Brilliant.Holiday Reviews
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