36 METRO Thursday, February 23, 2017

EscapeEscapeEscapeEscape

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The first howl sounds. It’s low, long and piercing; both sorrowful and spine-chilling. Then comes another, lengthier and spookier still. Then another, and another,

and now there’s a cacophony of wails:overwhelming and deafening, frenzied.

Welcome to night-time in the craggy Abruzzo National Park in eastern Italy. This moonlit experi-ence – listening to packs of Apen-nine wolves perform strange social exchanges – is just one element of a new, two or

three-night Italian wolf safari trip – itself part of a fresh, thrilling batch of close-to-home nature trips. Goosebumps guaranteed.

They’ve come about thanks to Rewilding europe: a sustainable non-profit organisation that works in Portugal, Romania, Croatia, Bulgaria, a chunk of Lapland across northern Sweden and Norway, and the Oder

Delta on the Polish-German border. ‘Rewilding’

in this case means reducing human impact and letting wild nature once again flourish, so it can regain its self-sufficiency.To help travellers

contribute to their

Eye spy: Wildlife. photography at Velebit. National Park, Croatia.

Where can you find fantastic beasts? Right here!

Stays with a loch of tasteThe Isle of Skye’s cosy, upmarket Kinloch Lodge boasts some serious culinary credentials, with restaurant chef Marcello Tully (pictured) having retained a Michelin star for seven straight years. All of which makes the country pad’s new, three-night Gastronomic Tour packages, available all year, pretty exciting. Included are two workshops with Marcello, a seven-course tasting menu and self-guided foodie tours. On these, participants use a ‘gourmet map’ to access Talisker Distillery tastings and hebridean scallop lunches among the island’s lochs and mountains.

From £819pp B&B for three days, with classes, most meals and

experiences, kinloch-lodge.co.uk

much better adventures in numbers

Price of the

above Morocco jaunt, including transfers, accommodation, most meals, guiding and equipment.

Flights excluded, muchbetter

adventures.com

Height of Jebel Toubkal in Morocco – North Africa’s highest peak – which is scaled during a three-

night adventure that also stars

Marrakech.

4,167m

£259

The number of epic Weekends – active mini-breaks for groups of ‘time-poor, experience-hungry professionals’ – launched by Much Better Adventures.64

You don’t have to go to Asia or Africa to spy a bear or two up close. We’ve got exotic wildlife on our doorstep, says Richard Mellor

Number of days of annual leave required for a Northern

Lights-hunting trip to Norwegian Lapland, which involves a mere one-night stay in Tromsø.

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Thursday, February 23, 2017 METRO 37

EscapeEscapeEscapeEscape

News | Deals | Round-ups

Where can you find fantastic beasts? Right here!

For... Rob LutteRHaving pedalled around the world for four years – raising £10,000 for charity – unscathed, this writer saw his bike, laptop and camera immediately stolen from outside a Co-op upon his return to London.

For... ViktoRia odintsoVaThe Russian glamour model has been lambasted online after posing for Instagram shots – which scored 500,000 views – by hanging off Dubai’s 306-metre Cayan Tower while only holding on to a burly male’s hand. She has been asked by UAE police to sign a pledge not to endanger herself again.

Days at The sandpiper, one of the best luxury boutique hotels in Barbados, can be spent in various ways. you could float in one of two pools or snooze amid tropical gardens. you could scoff European, asian and Creole- fusion cuisine, sip rum cocktails and attend calypso concerts. you could kayak, snorkel or paddleboard – all are free, as is

tennis coaching. you might simply laze on the adjacent beach.

Or you could do all of these things, one after the heavenly other. save up to £205 per person on a seven-night stay, B&B, including flights from

Gatwick, private transfers and a foot spa. Book before

March 31. Valid for travel between May 7 and October 28.

From £2,085pp, carrier.co.uk

c l a s s i c c a r i b b e a n c h i l l s

For... Ghost-hunteRsMidwest America’s spooky Ohio State Reformatory – a former prison and Shawshank Redemption filming location – has released tickets for its next overnight Ghost Hunts. Few places promise more paranormal activity.

From £56, Apr-Sep, ohiostatereformatory.org For... seaLiFe LoVeRsVirgin Holidays has pledged to no longer sell or promote any new attractions or hotels that feature captive whales or dolphins. They have also promised to partner with animal welfare organisations to explore options for those that are currently in captivity.

GooD week

Eurasian wolf populations rapidly declined during the 1800s and 1900s, mainly due to hunting. among the italian wolves, as few as 70 were estimated to endure by 1970. now fiercely protected, this subspecies has expanded its range. up to 1,800 now prowl the country’s slopes, with seven or eight packs in the abruzzo region alone.

A not so lone wolfThe hikes are three to four hours long, so we recommend this experience only to regular walkers.’

Rewilding Europe’s heroic work will quickly become apparent. Not just its efforts with those restabilised wolves (see box), but also in supporting ultra-rare Marsican brown bears in the same park.

Among numerous initiatives, they have safeguarded vital wild corridors, illuminated roads and employed villagers as bear ambassadors, who are the ‘eyes and ears’ in the field to ensure their safety. While you may spy (and also hear) these shy Marsicans, the wolf-sighting potential is higher. Travel between November and mid-March for the finest odds – although July and August also offer good chances.

Two-nights from £310 per person for a

double room, including half board in a B&B and snowshoe and binocular

provision, flights excluded, transfers can be arranged, rewildingeurope.com

Glamp it up: Sleep under the stars after a hard day’s vulture-spotting in north Portugal

efforts, Rewilding Europe has now launched the European Safari Company (europeansafaricompany.com), which offers private guided itineraries to some of those places. Among them is this wolf-tracking adventure and its little-known – despite rugged good looks and relative proximity to Rome – Italian corner. Others include bison-tracking through Romania’s Carpathian Mountains, vulture photography in north Portugal and

wildlife photography in Velebit National Park, Croatia. More will follow and all are guaranteed to be ethical.

Travellers, in turn, get to learn. While hiking at night amid valleys and snowy peaks, guests will be taught about the hunting skills of wolves and their relationship with humans. Ricotta-making and stargazing tutorials feature, too.

‘You’ll hopefully get to see a pack,’ says guide Umberto Esposito. ‘And we might also spot red deer, lynx, golden eagles and wild boar.

BaD week