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Birding by riverboat

A flotilla of pelicans splashes down on the water, while bee-eaters and red-footed falcons hunt insects overhead, and the vast reed beds are alive with the territorial clamour of warblers and frogs.

Such wetland abundance may recall the Okavango Delta or the Pantanal, yet the Danube Delta lies at the heart of Europe, where the great river splits into a labyrinth of waterways as it approaches the Black Sea.

From a houseboat you can enjoy at leisure both the wildlife and the colourful fishing villages, whose traditional fare is served on board.