The Holbrook Explorer
Where we travel
Photo of the Month: July 2024
Above: A Galápagos sea lion swims close to the camera in the shallows at Concha de Perla on Isabela Island. Below: A group of leaders from Holbrook's January 2023 FAM trip onboard the Galápagos Legend departs the ship on a Zodiac for an excursion on Santa Cruz Island. Photos and story by Jay...
Photo of the Month: June 2024
After several trips to Africa, I had still never seen a leopard. Being the hardest of the big cats to find, it was not very surprising but was still a goal for this trip to Kenya. My group I was leading told our guide that we wanted to see all of the big cats on this trip, and as we arrived in the...
Photo of the Month: May 2024
Above: A fantastic hike up and behind the waterfalls at Seljalandsfoss, Iceland. Below: Walking atop the cliffs at Dyrhólaey, Iceland, we were lucky to see puffins preparing for their migration back out over the Atlantic. Photos and story by Kathy Sylvester Iceland | Dramatic Landscapes and...
Photo of the Month: April 2024
This female motmot was waiting to access her nest, which was in the earthen wall of the trail at Místico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park, as visitors passed by. Our guide spotted her and we made a few images before we realized that she was waiting to feed her young. We then moved along to clear the...
Photo of the Month: March 2024
While on our first game drive in Samburu National Reserve, Kenya searching for elephants, we spotted a troop of giraffes. They were not bothered by our presence, and we enjoyed watching them munch on their acacia dinner. We were struck by their height and amazed by how they still managed to blend...
Photo of the Month: February 2024
Nothing in nature is guaranteed. I was prepared to be disappointed. But, suddenly, swirlingly surrounded by the magical magnitude of the massing monarchs, the emotion welled up inside and burst forth with a flood of tears. As the flapping wings of the delicate, determined butterflies caressed and...
Photo of the Month: January 2024
Above: I like to add two or three new-to-me places on each of my Holbrook tours. These gems are often small, mom-and-pop family operations that have recently opened, and depending on location, have certain species of birds that show up regularly to their feeders. Some of the star attractions at...
Holbrook's 2024 Calendar
Each year, we ask our travelers to submit their favorite photos from their journeys with us for a chance to be featured in our annual calendar. This year, as always, we had many great submissions, and it was a challenge to narrow it down. We're excited to share the finished result! Thank you to...
Photo of the Month: December 2023
To celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary, we joined Holbrook and the Tropical Audubon Society on their August 2022 Costa Rica Birding Trip. It was full of wonder and beauty. Our trip’s success owes a lot to the excellence of our guide, Gilberth “Chito” Molina. He brought a great deal of local...
Destination Spotlight: An Inside Look at Mountain Gorilla Trekking
"All I remember was being breathless. It was so magical,” recalls Pelin Karaca, Holbrook’s Vice President of Product Development, about her first encounter with the mountain gorillas. “I was together with a group of eight of us. All of a sudden, I hear this rustle from the trees and bushes around...
Photo of the Month: November 2023
Cordova, Alaska was full of adventure for three generations exploring Alaska for the first time. We hiked under massive Douglas fir and heard Bald Eagles, Pacific Wrens and Varied Thrush calling through the misty forest. The views show the picture-perfect mountains in the Chugach Wilderness, and...
Photo of the Month: October 2023
I traveled to Madagascar in May of 2022 with Holbrook, and our group was led by the great photographer and filmmaker Todd Gustafson. Early in our trip, we traveled to Morondava on the West Coast of Madagascar and then traveled by four-wheel-drive vehicle to the famous Avenue of the Baobabs. These...