24th January to 29th January - The Shetland Islands

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An exciting, informative and culturally diverse winter holiday with Kate Humble and local naturalist Jon Dunn, exploring Shetland, its wildlife and unique Viking heritage, including an unforgettable night at Shetland’s world-famous Up Helly Aa fire festival.

The Shetland Islands’ unique blend of isolation, stark beauty and exotic wildlife are justly renowned, especially in summer – but the rewards for a winter visit can be just as plentiful: evocative wildlife, friendly people and a compelling island way of life, rich cultural heritage, and the wild and beautiful winter landscape.

We’ll meet local naturalists, archaeologists, musicians, historians, crofters, and more, each sharing their knowledge, expertise, and perspectives on life and work on the islands.

We’ll also search for some of Shetland’s most iconic winter wildlife, from Mountain Hare on the moorland to Otters on the coast.

And of course, we’ll watch the world-famous Up Helly Aa fire festival, a tradition that originated in the late 1800s and celebrates our Viking heritage. Since then, the festival has evolved into the main event in Shetland’s cultural calendar and the biggest fire festival in Europe.

15th April - 7:30 pm - The Kenton Theatre, 19 New Street, Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, RG9 2B

Join Kate Humble for a special fundraising evening, bringing her love of nature, travel and rural life to the Kenton stage, where she will be sharing stories from her acclaimed TV series, bestselling books and adventurous life.

This is a wonderful opportunity to see Kate up close, whilst contributing to the ongoing success of the cherished Kenton Theatre, renowned as the fourth-oldest working theatre in the UK.

Ticket Prices: All Tickets £30. Ticket prices include a £1 Restoration Levy, a £1.50 Booking Fee and a 25p Community Fund Levy

10th May to 17th May - The Shetland Islands

Join Kate and the Shetland Nature team for a truly unique Shetland experience. The islands are world famous for their wildlife and their cultural heritage – a heritage borne from the unique circumstances of the islands’ position in some of the richest fishing waters in the northern hemisphere, a place where the traditional Scottish crofting life was changed irrevocably both by the turning of the seasons and the call of the sea.

Life in Shetland evolved over the centuries to become something unique, with breeds of livestock on the croft adapted to the sub-Arctic climate. Shetland’s colourful, hardy sheep shaped the landscape and the lives of those who worked the land when they weren’t at sea. That landscape became a place where wildlife thrived on the crofts and the hills, where otters and seabirds abounded on the coastal fringes and, inland, a rich biodiversity of upland waders, wildfowl and flora was to be found.

Throughout the week Kate is joined by resident Shetlander, crofter and nature writer Jon Dunn, who will co-lead the itinerary. During the week they will also be joined for a day by native naturalist and company founder, Brydon Thomason to share an insight into the life of Shetland’s Otters. Adding a uniquely authentic insight you will meet the crofters who care for the land, the designers, knitters and lace-makers who make the finest garments from Shetland wool, and the wildlife that lives alongside them in the islands – and, of course, the Shetland sheep themselves!

We will sample the delicious local food from land and sea, hear stories of traditional life and folklore, and enjoy the company of the very best folk musicians the islands have to offer. This will be a tour unlike any other – a wild and woolly exploration of Shetland’s heart.

2nd June to 9th June - Embarkation: Oban

As the remotest part of the British Isles, St Kilda and the Western Isles form the most important seabird breeding site in northwest Europe. With cliffs, sea stacks and grassy slopes, the Islands are ideally suited to nesting birds.

Get your binoculars at the ready and join Kate Humble and wildlife guide, David Sexton, for an ornithological feast onboard the Hebridean Princess on their St Kilda and the Western Isles wildlife tour.

14th June to 22nd June - Uganda

ONLY 2 PLACES LEFT

From the forests of Kibale to the savannahs of Queen Elizabeth National Park and the steep ridges of Bwindi, this nine-day journey through Uganda is designed around the country’s most remarkable wildlife encounters — and led by two people who know how to bring them to life: broadcaster and writer Kate Humble and wildlife photographer Paul Joynson-Hicks.

This very special safari is limited to only six participants. The highlight is time with mountain gorillas in their natural habitat. As Kate related on her last visit trip to Uganda ‘only when you’ve trekked up through a forest, with the caution and decorum necessary, are you immersed in their terrain. You suddenly understand their habitat that little bit more. Only when you’re in close proximity – never less than 10 metres away and for never more than an hour – do you suddenly feel that deep sense of kinship, of a deep rooted genetic connection between you and this magnificent primate’.

Alongside the gorillas, there are chimpanzees in Kibale, elephant and hippo along the Kazinga Channel, and a rich variety of birds and smaller primates. Paul’s passion for photography and storytelling adds another dimension, whether you’re looking to sharpen your camera skills or simply learn to see the wild from a different perspective. Evenings are a chance to reflect together, swapping stories and impressions as the forest sounds build around you.

What makes this trip so memorable is not just the encounters, but the way they unfold: with time, with respect, and with the guiding voices of two people who have spent their lives exploring the bond between humans, wildlife, and wilderness.

9th July to 16th July - The Hautes Pyrénées. Tour starts and ends in Toulouse, France

The Hautes Pyrénées includes the highest peaks of the Pyrenean range. It's undoubtedly one of the most dramatic and beautiful mountain environments in Europe with breathtaking scenery and an enviable array of flora and fauna. This tour aims to find the most notable butterflies that call this environment home, with a particular emphasis on five of the Erebia mountain ringlets, hosted by wildlife champion Kate Humble, and Mariposa founders and wildlife experts David Moore and Jon Dunn.

To find out more about other Mariposa Nature butterfly tours and to receive updates on dates for next year’s tour click on the 'View Event' link below.

8th August to 14th August - Albarracin, Spain

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I wrote about Spain's new wildlife frontier in the Daily Telegraph earlier this year. You may not have heard about it before, but the Montes Universales are a hidden gem - an area of Spain spared the ravages of intensive agriculture, home to an abundance of butterflies, and counting some special species among their number. Expect to see around 100 species during the course of the tour. Amongst them, we will look for specialities including Zapater’s Ringlet, Iberian Sooty Copper, Spanish and Azure Chalkhill Blues, Mother-of-Pearl Blue, Southern Hermit, Striped Grayling, Esper’s Marbled White, and Iberian Scarce Swallowtail.

A holiday here is like stepping back in butterfly time to an era of diversity lost elsewhere in Europe. So, I'm really excited to offer this tour with the wonderful team at Mariposa Nature Tours, not least, as with a wonderful coincidence, our visit coincides with a total solar eclipse.

And to top it off, this tour will be based in the achingly beautiful medieval walled town of Albarracin. This small town alone is worth visiting the Montes Universales. It is quite simply magnificent, boasting winding, narrow cobbled streets through ancient timbered buildings, castles, and an imposing cathedral. Small wonder the entire town is officially a Spanish National Monument.