Reviews & Testimonials

We recently returned from a fabulous trip to the Pantanal led by Pete Oxford. Pete is extremely knowledgeable about the area and the flora and fauna found there. We saw Jaguars daily, over 160 species of bird as well as a wide range of reptiles and mammals, many especially sought out by him. Pete is an amazing tour leader, incredibly enthusiastic, boundlessly energetic, and keen to ensure that everyone has the best experience possible. He even called us after we had retired one night as he remembered that my husband was disappointed to have missed a sighting of a giant anteater, and another one was around. This was my second trip with Pete and I can't recommend Pete Oxford Expeditions highly enough.

My first trip to the Pantanal, and what a breath taking array of mammals, birds and reptiles awaited us! Quite fabulous! Pete made sure we saw all the numerous species possible, and gave us time to observe their behaviour. This included a jaguar cajoling her cub to swim across the river (took 45 tantalising minutes), a jaguar kill (of the cutest capybara), a potoo pretending to be a branch, a giant anteater with coat and tail flying, chasing off pesky coatis, and a caiman with head well extended out of the water eyeing the unbelievably beautiful agami heron. As well as being a super enthusiastic leader, Pete gives generous help to the photographers in the group, with the result I have come home with some wonderful pictures (for me, anyway!) which recall a marvelous, unforgettable trip. Many thanks, Pete.

It’s been 3 months already but the Land of Genghis Khan is still VERY alive and planted in our hearts for good. An unforgettable mother-daughter splurge just to drop everything and go to the other side of the world, to an independent nation full of some of the warmest and most generous human beings we have ever met!! This kind of trip has no price . It has left its mark forever.
From Ger to Ger, campsites in the Gobi, to Ulgii, Hoyd Bardam Valley, Hovd, and Mt Jargalant and everything in between. It all filled our senses and gave us such a special feeling and appreciation for peoples that have lived in their present territory since prehistoric times. Everyday we were rewarded with unbelievable landscapes from sunrise to sunset during which we seemed to be on the move continuously catching views of yet a new species we had never seen before winged, furry, toed or hooved. It was truly amazing.
Pete and Renee knew exactly what a great fit our group would be together sharing in the enthusiasm and agreeing to go off on many tangents as they presented themselves. Every opportunity was maximized pooling everyone’s talents and intuitions as we explored and discovered together. At times it really felt like our trip did not have an itinerary and that everything was just happening spontaneously as we went. Somehow we were always at the right place at the right time and we were certain it could not have been planned that way.
Thank you Pete and Renee and your team in Ulaanbaatar!!

Pete Oxford always seems to be able to deliver superb trips, however difficult the target seems. This was my third trip with Pete (previously to the Galapagos and Svalbard) - who would have thought we could have such superb views of so many wild Jaguars (14 individuals), while enjoying 175 bird species, tapirs, river otters, giant anteaters, capybaras and snakes! The Jaguar Suites accommodation was simply luxurious and a wonderful place to unwind and cool down after an exciting day on the river. Pete is a wonderful guide, naturalist and photographer - nothing is too much trouble, and his own genuine excitement at each sighting is truly infectious. If you haven't yet done a Pete Oxford Expedition trip - do get on with it, Pete and Renee will take very good care of you.

I knew Borneo would be a fascinating destination for its unique island ecology but I never could have imagined how amazing a wildlife extravaganza it would be, so adeptly choreographed by Pete every step of the way across Sabah's rivers and forests. From day #1, Pete's high-spirited enthusiasm launched our small group into a fun-filled quest to discover and appreciate an astounding number of creatures of all shapes and sizes in their diverse and wondrous habitats. His passionate approach to sighting wildlife was highly ambitious, keenly focused and skillfully strategic as he effectively spurred the local guides to do their best work. Consequently, we found ourselves ready in the right place, at the right time, under the right circumstances to optimize our chances of sighting target species such as Leopard Cat and Sunda Clouded Leopard (success on our first night drive! WOW!!!!) and Pygmy Elephants (success on our first river cruise!). I also savored the time we took to linger and observe animals when serendipity presented such a privilege, particularly the hours spent following a male Orangutan at Danum from when he first emerged from his nest in the tree above our cottage (!!!!) to amble around the branches and go about his daily business of feeding and wandering and contemplating. Such a rare and special encounter with one of our nearest relatives! Actually, seeing as many of the primate species as possible was one of my priorities on the tour and Pete was attentive to that wish. Several prolonged occasions watching the behaviors and interactions among groups of proboscis monkeys and red leaf monkeys were wildly satisfying --- plus added to that were 3 remarkable sightings of tarsier. All of our time in the field was enhanced by the depth and breath of Pete's knowledge of natural history that he easily and generously shared. That, coupled with his genuine warmth towards everyone, quirky humor and unabashed delight that matched or exceeded our own --- whether it involved snakes, Bearded Pigs, pitcher plants, Hornbills, Orangutans, insects or frogs --- rewarded us with a thoroughly mind-boggling delightful experience from beginning to end. We've been fortunate to have had some excellent guides in other wild places around the globe but Pete easily ranks at the top for delivering this trip that approaches near-mythical status! I also need to credit Renee behind the scenes for her warmth and caring, flawless planning with logistics, prompt communication and valuable information. I could definitely feel her present with us in spirit and eagerly look forward to traveling with her on a future trip. Bottom line: I would leap on any opportunity to go anywhere in the world with Pete and Renee and you should too --- it simply doesn't get any better than this! Mil gracias, amigos!