Eastern Europe and the Ae gean - Clean Breaks: 500 New Ways to See the World - page 109

each is canoe. Staying here gives you plenty
of opportunity to learn about the locals' work
harvesting reeds and fishing. If you can, it's
worth coming for at least a few days to allow
yourself to drift into the gentle, age-old rhythm
of the river and the lives of the people here.

139 canoE thE danubE dElta,
romania

Paddling through the vast Danube delta,
almost 3000km from where the river began
in Germany's Black Forest, offers the chance
to combine some of the best birdwatching in
Europe with visits to communities little touched
by industrialization. Each spring hundreds of
species ranging from spoonbills to warblers
migrate here from the southern hemisphere,
when the area's vast silence is broken by their
songs and mating calls. In the autumn, huge
flocks again gather here to prepare for the long
journey south. On canoe trips with Barefoot
Tours through this vast maze of channels,
forests, sand dunes and reeds, you'll have the
advantage of approaching on the water almost
noiselessly, enabling you to get close to the birds
without disturbing them or their habitat.
Tours last anything from a day to a week,
with nights spent at homestays and lodges in
the villages of Tulcea, Crisan and the curiously
named Mila 23, all of which are accessible
only by water; the main mode of transport in

Need to know For details of tours, prices,
availability and getting there see W www.barefoot
-tours.com; T [phone].

140 ExPlorE borjomi-
kharagauli national Park,
gEorgia

It may be the same size as Ireland, but Georgia
has more animal and bird species than any other
country in Europe - and the best way to see
them is on guided walks through the Borjomi-
Kharagauli National Park, a vast wilderness of
coniferous forest where bears, lynx and chamois
dwell.
The family-run Marelisi guesthouse in the village
of the same name at the park's northern edge
provides an ideal base to plan walking routes,
book guides and fill up on
local food. Hikes from here
pass along rhododendron-
lined rivers and meadows
whose subalpine grasses
seem to shift colour as
they waft in the mountain
breeze. Marelisi village
itself is almost totally self-
sufficient: a place where
people still grind their corn
in communal watermills
known as tiskvili . Before
you set out, be sure to stock
up on sweet churchkela , a
snack made by boiling nuts
in grape juice and a useful
energy source while hiking.
More adventurous
trekkers can spend the

Colony of pelicans on Uzlina
Lake, Danube Delta, Dobrogea