Danube Delta, Vylkovo

Most of the Danube delta is in Romania, but a tiny, forgotten fraction of it can be found in the far SW of Ukraine. It's a bit of a bitch to get to, but if you can put up with the stressful journey then you'll be treated to an area of wildlife that has, up until now, been virtually untouched by tourism.

Our guesthouse was truly idyllic.It was perfectly secluded, being a few kilometres outside of Vylkovo, and you literally stepped out onto the river (if you count the small boat area as the river).

After breakfast, which consisted of small crepes soaked in honey, we organised a boat trip out to see some pelicans. Some bloke with leathery, tanned back drove Fiona and I out to the delta on a three seater boat. We stood, with twenty odd Russian tourists at the 0 km sign that marked the end of the Danube.

We saw dozens of birds, including pelicans. But what struck me most was the sheer volume of vegetation. Sounds odd to say, by I've never seen so much in my life. The reeds and lillies stretched to the horizon. Mile upon mile of untouched wild. Awesome.

To top the day off we later caught some fish with a cane and hook. And then slept from 7pm to 9am.