Gourmet Birds Destinations, Dates and Details, 2009

BULGARIA in May 6 to 13 May - £925.
There's still good value to be had in Bulgaria as it's not in the euro zone, while the Black Sea coast offers lots of really good birdwatching in attractive surroundings. We will fly with BA from Gatwick to Varna, and use just two different bases during our seven-night stay, involving little internal travel. The dates have been moved slightly to fit in with the BA flights.

The birds we can expect include a host of warblers and a fine selection of water birds. The Black Sea is certain to give a few surprises, too, such as eider and Yelkouan shearwater. The food is often surprisingly good in Bulgaria, as is the wine. Bulgaria remains an easy country to travel in, with good roads and light traffic, while the standard of the hotels is surprisingly high.

Notes

Booking flights
None of these holidays include flights: where possible, the best thing is to book them yourself over the Internet. (Check with me beforehand to get the precise details you need). When to book is debatable. Many flights get more expensive as the departure date gets closer, but sometimes (if the flight is still quite empty) the price drops. British Airways invariably has a sale in January, so this can be a good time to book BA flights; while I'm sure that next year's market will be very competitive, with some good deals available, even at the last minute.

Single rooms
No one hates single-room supplements more than me. In recent years I have tried to absorb them into the price of the holiday and not charged extra for them, but the flexibility to do this does depend on the destination. I always charge the minimum amount possible for the SRS; for Cyprus there is no SRS.

What the price does include
As is usual with GB trips, wine is included with both lunch and dinner. Lunch is usually a picnic with local produce.

Travel
We normally travel in self-drive minibuses that give us the flexibility needed for a good birdwatching holiday. In Cyprus it's impossible to hire minibuses, so we use two large 4x4s.

Insurance
Is not included: we expect you to have your own.

If you would like a detailed programme for any of these holidays, plus a more extensive species list, then please ask.