When is the best time to visit Danube Delta

May 22, 2018May 22, 2018 Irina B. Leave a comment

The Danube Delta is a magical place in Europe. For those who have never been in on a river’s delta, expectations could be deceiving. However, everybody wonders when is the best time to visit Danube Delta. The Adventures of Kiara Yew have passed through this marvelous territory so that now we know which months of the year are best for wildlife watching, fishing, local celebrations and avoiding mosquitos.

The best time to visit Danube Delta and avoid mosquitos

Mosquitos are the only annoying and sometimes dangerous insects of all the creatures the Danube Delta is home to. Although biologists and zoologists are fearless in their endeavors, it is not the same for tourists or adventurous travelers. When choosing to travel to the most northern subtropical region, people usually assume summer is the best time to visit Danube Delta. Unfortunately, that is when mosquitos are the most ferocious. However, we recommend late April and the month of May, in case you wish to be able to stay outdoors in the evening and also not be cold. Avoiding mosquitos in Danube Delta during summer is a little tricky, but follow the locals and stay indoors, or use skin repellant and wear loose, long-sleeved shirts and long pants. Early autumn that is September and mid-October is also an excellent time to visit the Danube Delta and avoid mosquitos altogether.

The best time to visit Danube Delta and admire water lilies

June is the month of the year when water lilies start blooming on lakes in the Danube Delta. Because they need a lot of sunlight to fully blossom, water lilies are never found near a channel shore. Not only that they are a perfect hideaway for fish, but they are also a refuge for frogs and insects. The most famous exemplars of water lilies are the yellow ones. In contrast with the white ones, the yellow water lilies ooze a mesmerizing smell.

best time to visit Danube Delta water lilies — Danube Delta frog on water lilies | Photo by Alina Iancu via Flickr

Besides water lilies, numerous subtropical plants populate the Danube Delta. Learning about Romanian wildlife in a biosphere reservation is one of the many things that kids can do on Danube Delta holidays. Many Romanian families chose to visit the Danube Delta during summer vacations. Therefore, if you travel with your kids to these marvelous aquatic lands, they could meet Romanian children. They will have lots of fun together for sure.

best time to visit Danube Delta children — The children of Danube Delta | Photo by Alex Tomazatos

The best time to visit Danube Delta for fishing

In case you are not an amateur angler, but you still take great interest in this ancient practice, the best thing to do is ask local fishers to take you on an early morning expedition. Pikes and Scomber fish have intermittent prohibition periods starting with March until June this year. But you can find official general information about fishing and prohibition here. Either way, before accessing the Danube Delta one has to pay for a permit. Here‘s a private fishing program, we found interesting because they offer to arrange for the payment of your Danube Delta fishing permits. Its base camp is in Milla 23 village.

It should be easy to find accommodation in Danube Delta Romania, once you visit the official website of the Danube Delta Biosphere Reservation Administration. Rural tourism and floating hotel are listed, as well as boat routes and hiking trails. We wish you good luck in finding the best time to visit Danube Delta.

Fun activities for a family | Danube Delta

May 21, 2018May 23, 2018 Adriana Iovanut Leave a comment

The Danube Delta is the perfect destination for a family vacation, as it has to offer many fun activities for all ages. First of all, daily boat trips can take you almost anywhere in this charming water landscape, depending on what you choose to do. Second of all, every day there is something new to learn about or discover if you have never been on a river’s delta before: bird watching, catch and release fishing, safari tours in sandy forests and adventure travel on narrow water channels. Above all else, the food is fantastic, especially for fish connoisseurs. Amid the local recipes, some of the most delicious are Sturgeon borscht, Pike caviar, grilled Scomber and Carp in spicy brine sauce. So we went on a trip to Danube Delta and enjoyed a lot of fun activities for a family of four.

Fishing and boat trips with your kids

As a mother of two, a 7-year-old boy and a 9-year-old girl, I wondered what they would do in the Danube Delta all day long? The answer came in the morning we arrived. Having seen the fish rods of other tourists, they asked if they could try it. My kids have never gone fishing before, but in the Danube Delta, this was their most beloved activity. They stayed near the water for hours to wait for a fish. When the fish bit the hook, they were so happy!

fun activities for a family fishing — Children fishing in the Danube Delta

Another activity I strongly recommend when visiting the Danube Delta is a boat trip. Although boats travel pretty fast, on some of the water channels and when encountering other ships, the driver needs to limit the speed and break the waves. Kids can quickly fall asleep on a long trip, as my son did after just one hour of cruising the Danube Delta, so I suggest finding a route that does not take more than two or three hours. My children were so happy to spot different species of birds they have never seen before:

– Look, mom! There is a pelican! And another one there! My son wholeheartedly broke out.

Fun activities for a family at the Aquarium

After taking a peek at all those new birds and plants: reed, water lilies, water willows, white locust trees, I hinted at a visit to the Aquarium or Danube Delta Nature Science Museum in Tulcea.

fun activities for a family aquarium — Kids at the Aquarium in Tulcea

It was one of the most inspired activities we had in Tulcea, and I thoroughly recommend it for a family with children. The museum has a collection of all the birds and plants we had already seen in the Danube Delta wildlife. My kids recognized them all, but they also learned more details about the Danube Delta life on and under water. In addition to a typical fish hatchery, the big surprise for them was the large Dolphin aquarium and the colorful exotic fish water tank.

Kids will be very thrilled to watch Nemo and Dolli swimming in the aquarium.

Finally, the most delicious fish soup my family and I have ever tasted had been cooked here, in Danube Delta and we love to eat fish. For some, this could be one of the most unforgettable fun activities for a family in the Danube Delta.

fun activities for a family sunset — Danube Delta sunset

Sunsets in Danube Delta are spectacular, and my children fell in love with them.

What Kids Can Do in Danube Delta

April 26, 2018May 10, 2018 Irina B. Leave a comment

On the subject of traveling with kids, if you wonder what kids can do in Danube Delta, then you will have the ease to discover there are plenty of fantastic activities for children of all ages. Here are just a few of them.

what kids can do in Danube Delta poster — Danube Delta recent vintage poster by Atelier Trebo

Visiting Attractions or What Kids Can Do in Danube Delta

One of the ancient cities of Romania, Tulcea is usually the starting point for Danube Delta holidays. Tulcea is an old city once conquered by the Romans and the Ottomans. Therefore, a visit with your kids at the history or the ethnography museums in Tulcea might be an opportunity for them to learn about the humans of the Danube Delta. Also, if your kids have never been to an Aquarium before, a trip to the Eco-touristic Museum Center would impress them for sure.

what kids can do in Danube Delta Tulcea quay — Tulcea quay on the banks of Sfantul Gheorghe branch

A couple of summer film festivals in the Danube Delta have already made history. Both of them are family friendly. One of them is based inland in Tulcea city, with open-air screenings on the shore of Lake Ciuperca. The other one is based in Sfântul Gheorghe village in a charming camping site with 4-star cabins. The former, called Pelicam, opens its eighth edition on June 21st a and closes it on June 24th this year. The later, called Anonimul (The Anonymous) stars projections from August 6th until August 12th, 2018. This international film festival provides an enchanting opportunity to bring your kids to a special beach. It is situated at the point where the Danube River starts spilling into the Black Sea in Sfântul Gheorghe. This fantastic beach is a must in Danube Delta.

what kids cand do in Danube Delta green village — Green Village photo by Calin h via Flickr Danube Delta

The Village Life with kids in Danube Delta

Located between the Sulina and Chilia Danube branches, Letea is a fairytale village, surrounded by subtropical forest. Its population is of Ukrainian origin, but the other two neighboring villages, C.A. Rosetti and Sfiștofca, have Romanians and Russian Lipovans as inhabitants. If you decide to embark on a trip to this location, you and your children will never forget the magical experience. However, there are a few precautions to take, such as a first aid kit, mosquito repellant, local Orange sim cards for unlocked phones. In case you need to communicate by phone, only one network in the area. In the village, you will not find Internet access, which is fortunate for those who wish to disconnect from the daily urban life. Luckily you will be able to easily find Romanian guides through the Danube Delta villages online or in Tulcea.

what kids can do in Danube Delta mila 23 house — Mila 23 typical Danube Delta house

What kids can do in Danube Delta is easy to find out, if you let them interact with domesticated animals, observe the village life and run around on sand-filled streets. Certainly, Romanian families often try Danube Delta with kids, and they have been writing great stories about their fabulous encounters.

As far as we know, fishing enthusiasts will be able to try their skills within the permitted areas. Acquiring a Danube Delta entrance pass is required for everyone. Fish foodies will enjoy watching all sorts of preparation methods popular to the local cuisine. Cooking fish borscht and organizing fish soup contests is one of the local fishermen’s favorite activities. While fish is a healthy food for kids, witnessing the process of transforming nature into nurture, could benefit them even more.

what kids can do in Danube Delta fish — Traditional Danube Delta cooked fish with polenta

Off-beat and Little Known Attractions for Kids in Danube Delta

One other attraction is a Danube Delta local holiday celebrated on May 6th in Sfântul Gheorghe village. The other one is The Little Ethnographer Prize Gala. The first is a celebration of Saint George in which the locals compete in horse and boat races and sailing games. And the later is a folk singing and dancing contest for children, held every year in May or June. Usually, this gala is held at The Ethnography and Popular Art Museum in Tulcea. Above all, it is an opportunity for children of different ethnic backgrounds from Dobrogea (Romanian for Dobruja) to show off their traditional folk dances. Your children could enjoy meeting Romanian children.

In the Danube Delta, Romanian wildlife is protected and conserved with care. What kids can do in Danube Delta is to approach only the domesticated animals, like horses and poneys and sheep, but to stay away from the dangerous ones.

Undoubtedly all these are fun things to do in Romania and especially in the Danube Delta. We hope you enjoy them shortly.

Danube Delta Wildlife Watching

April 24, 2018May 10, 2018 Irina B. Leave a comment

In the Danube Delta wildlife watching is the most popular thing to do. It requires little effort to come to this magnificent corner of the world. The first thing you need to do is arrive in Tulcea, Romania. One interesting fact is that the flora and fauna of Danube Delta are part of the northernmost subtropical habitat in Europe. Therefore, if you wish to admire nature’s beauty in an aquatic environment, this Romanian wildlife experience is a must.

Birdwatching in the Danube Delta

As a biosphere reservation, the Danube Delta is home to over 300 species of birds. Some of them become sedentary, and others just come to visit during summer.

Danube Delta wildlife watching pelican — The Great White Pelican in Danube Delta | Photo by Bence Máté 2016

The Great White Pelican with its yellow poached beak is probably the first bird to spot in the Danube Delta. A much more rare appearance is the one of its close relative, the Dalmatian Pelican. However, for passionate photographers, the Great White Pelican is no less of a captivating creature. On the left, you have an example of a photo taken by a nominee to the Wildlife Photographer of the Year in 2016.

Do you wonder how you can take photos like that? We have great news for those of you who want to go on private birdwatching tours on your Danube Delta holidays. This tour offers a stable boat build especially for this activity, with a quiet engine and of course an expert tour guide.

Another fairly common bird in The Amazon of Europe‘s Delta is the Glossy Ibis. Although this is a nomadic bird that winters in Africa, you will be able to watch it spread its wings in Danube Delta Romania. Luckily, the Glossy Ibis changes plumage color during the breeding season. So if you want to see the most beautiful exemplaries, late spring is the right time to do it.

Danube Delta wildlife watching glossy ibis — Glossy Ibis in the Danube Delta | Photo by Zoltán Gergely Nagy

Danube Delta Wildlife | The Animal Kingdom

Besides being a haven for exotic flyers, the Danube Delta is among the few places in Europe where one can marvel at wild horses. Letea and Caraorman forests provide the best environment for them and are easy to access with the help of local guides. Letea is also a welcoming village with fantastic scenery, almost taken out of fairytales.

Danube Delta wildlife watching horses — Horses in Letea forest Danube Delta

It goes without saying that if you ever decide to embark on a Danube Delta adventure, you must go and take a peek at wildlife in Letea forest. Wild horses are not the only animals around. Among the Danubian creatures, you could spot the wild boars, the jaw-droppingly beautiful row deer, jackals, white-tailed eagles, wild cats, and the meadow viper. They all populate both Letea and Caraorman forests.

Danube Delta wildlife watching wild boar — Wild boar in Danube Delta

Danube Delta wildlife watching row deer — Roe Deer in Danube Delta

Nonetheless, biological diversity is what makes Danube Delta wildlife watching a perfect ecotouristic activity. However, one must prepare with mosquito repellant and sometimes for mobile phone networks shortages in coverage. Life vests will always be provided on boats. Everything is worth a trip to the most exotic place in Eastern Europe. There are a lot of fun things to do in the wild for kids as well. Tulcea and the Danube Delta have been on Kiara Yew’s traveling bucket list for a while, and it is now available among other tips for traveling in Romania.