I want to send out a big and warm Thank You to all the inspiring guest I had the pleasure of meeting during the
Wild Sweden safaris I managed this Summer.
This was the second season I had the honor of putting on the Wild Sweden cap and give guided tours for this high quality outdoor experience provider. Wild Sweden offer trips trough the whole year, but I mainly guide during the high season and mainly the
Beaver safari and the
Moose safari. The tours have blessed me with fantastic moments in the magic outdoors of Bergslagen, and to be able to share these moments together with curious and friendly guests from all over the world are truly a treat. I'm so happy to be able to contribute spreading knowledge about our Nature and the beautiful Wildlife.
Below I've punched in a well written review, found on
TripAdvisor, from one of our Moose safari guests this Summer. I think the text gives a good example on how nice the tours with Wild Sweden are. Thanks for the kind words, take care and hope to see you again next Summer!
Kind regards
Jonas Landolsi
"What makes Wild Sweden's Moose Safari so special are the people. Sure, the Moose are definitely cool, and the Swedish forest is undeniably beautiful. But when you travel you want to feel immersed in another entirely separate and distinct place, and in the central to northern parts of Sweden, you need a guide. Fortunately, there are special people like those at Wild Sweden who are thoughtful, expressive, and motivated to share their special place.
There were two guides, two vans, and two families, but we all shared one experience. The lead guide was Jonas, a gentle man with great integrity and strong beliefs, a man with life experience beyond his years, an ambassador for the forest. We felt lucky that Jonas was with us. It was like being with
John Muir.
The evening started when the van picked us up at our Air BnB - what service! It just so happened that our host was also the chef who prepared the evening meal. More on that later. We met the other van and drove for a bit to a fire circle at the shore of a lake. It was silent and perfectly still (except for the sprinkles of rain that came about halfway through our talk). We sat in a circle and shared a little bit about ourselves. The other family was from Holland. The evening was warm, so we didn't start a fire, but I'd imagine they'd provide a nice fire if necessary. After introductions, Jonas spoke about the forest, forest management, then wildlife and wildlife management, including moose, deer and bear. About halfway through the talk it started to sprinkle, and Jonas passed out ponchos. We continued the talk in the light rain. Jonas spoke of how quiet it was and how you could walk for days and never see anyone.
We then split into two groups and went on a hike. This was no ordinary hike. The forest was a pristine wilderness, a moss covered wonderland with no trails. We followed Jonas step by step through and over the moss and small bushes. We looked at the tree bark, spotted and tried some blueberries, and found some moose scat. Jonas picked up the scat and told us it was from yesterday. He showed us the outlines of where a moose and one or two calves slept for the night. I reveled in stepping on the soft sponginess of the moss - it was unlike anything I'd ever done, and I've hike hundreds of miles of trail in the U.S.
After the hike we gathered back at the vans. If the weather was better, we'd gather back at the fire circle for a meal. Instead, we stayed near the vans in our ponchos and ate from the back of the vans. Normally this kind of improvisation would be a setback, but in this case, we were all cheerful. The food, including some cheeses, sausages, and lamb wraps, was delicious. The adults had some local beer, and the kids had water and juice. We continued to talk all through dinner, with discussions touching on the Scandinavian and Dutch educational systems (free college!) versus the U.S. The Dutch family was very nice, and we realized that things like this Moose Safari attract folks with some common values: respect for the land and our natural resources, and a genuine interest in wildlife.
After dinner we split up into our vans again and began the safari. It was past 9pm but the sun was barely setting. The two vans each go their own way to cover as much ground as possible. Jonas drove our van over the dirt and gravel roads and scanned the forest for movement. We were all given binoculars to aid in the search. After about twenty minutes we spotted our first moose very close to the road. Jonas quietly stopped the van and peered out at the moose, who stared back at us for a minute or so before backing away.
We eventually saw 10 moose and one deer, and each time Jonas was very careful, quiet and respectful of the wildlife. He never lingered or made any sounds to startle the moose. One time we stopped the van, exited and used his high-power scope to view a moose in the distance. The scope was amazing, bringing the moose into full frame. Surprising to us, Jonas drove about until past 11pm. We were all pretty tired by about 10pm, but it was a joy every time we saw another moose.
We met up with the other van at the end of the tour to discuss our sightings and share final thoughts. We were all tired, but grateful for our time with Jonas. He passed out some photos and wrapped up the night with a short talk about the importance of protecting and preserving our wildlife and wilderness."
