Wildlife & birdwatching in Svalbard in May

Stay in the vehicle

Every part of the safety of a game drive rests on this. An animal reads a jeep as one large object it knows; a person standing beside it is something else entirely. Do not step out for a photograph, not even briefly, not even when it looks calm.

Quiet is the whole technique

Voices carry further than people expect and nothing you want to see will stay for them. Phones on silent, and no calling out to move an animal into a better position.

Never feed anything

An animal that associates vehicles with food stops behaving like a wild animal, and the ones that do usually end up destroyed. It is illegal in Indian national parks and it is the single most damaging thing a visitor can do.

Dull colours, no scent

Greens, browns and greys. Bright clothing and strong perfume both announce you a long way off.

The gate times are not flexible

Indian parks run fixed morning and afternoon slots with hard entry and exit times, a daily cap on vehicles, and no movement inside after dark. Your permit is issued against a specific zone and slot.

No flash, and no drones

Flash photography at close range distresses animals and is banned in most reserves. Drones require written permission that is almost never given.

Who is actually running this trip?

The operator you picked on the compare screen. You book and pay MyAdventure; the operator runs the trip for us. MyAdventure handles refunds, and steps in if the batch is cancelled.

What if I cannot complete it?

Ask the operator what their turn-back protocol is — it varies by trip, and the good ones publish it.

Is the batch mixed-gender and solo-friendly?

Most departures take solo travellers and share accommodation by gender. Confirm with the operator for this batch.