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Saturday 28 February to Sunday 15 March 2009 with Paul Holt and a local leader.
Cost: £2320 plus about £900 for flights Click here for explanation of price breakdown Maximum group size: 12 with 2 leaders. |
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There are few birdwatchers who haven't dreamt of visiting the mighty Himalayas or magical Nepal. A land of stark contrasts, of ancient legends, and of superb Himalayan mountain and lowland scenery, Nepal also has a rich, vibrant and diverse culture and equally fascinating and readily accessible wildlife. It's a country dominated by the ever-growing Himalayan mountain chain that separates the icy, inhospitable Tibetan wastelands to the north from the dusty, sun-baked Indian plains to the south. Cut off from the rest of the world for centuries, Nepal remains one of Asia's most fascinating countries, where a veritable feast of spectacular scenery, cultural contrasts and rich biological resources awaits the visitor. Over 850 species have now been recorded in this tiny landlocked kingdom – more than in any other region of comparable size in Asia - and on this tour we hope to sample a variety of the country's richest natural habitats. These range from the moist, moss-covered oak-rhododendron forests surrounding the Kathmandu Valley to areas of riverine grassland, marsh and scrub at Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve in the southeast, and on to the subtropical forests in the world-renowned Chitwan National Park. Day 1: The tour begins with an evening flight from London to Kathmandu, arriving the next day. Day 2: We'll arrive in Kathmandu, Nepal's mystical capital, and transfer directly to our hotel. There may be time for a brief sightseeing excursion just before dinner. Days 3-4: The Kathmandu Valley is a circular basin in the heart of Nepal at the foot of the main mountain range. Kathmandu itself has been the Kingdom's cultural centre for centuries and although it has changed substantially since the first tourists arrived here only 40 years ago, it retains much of its traditional heritage. Few of the world's capital cities can summon up by their name alone images of the mysterious, the fabulous and the exotic in the way that Kathmandu does. The valley bottom, once a lake bed, is fairly densely populated, intensively cultivated and quite seriously deforested, so we'll begin by exploring Phulchowki Danda, which, at 2767 metres, is the highest summit on the edge of the Kathmandu Valley. We'll spend two days here exploring the luxuriant moss-encrusted remnant oak-rhododendron forest near the summit and the subtropical broad-leaved forest at lower levels, occasionally venturing off the road onto narrow tracks as we make our way back down the mountain. We'll search for a host of mountain specialities ranging from tiny tesias and skulking wren babblers to flocks of vociferous laughingthrushes that wander through the undergrowth like gangs of school children. We'll expect to see well over one hundred species and hopefully these will include Kalij Pheasant, Hill Partridge, Asian Barred Owlet, Golden-throated Barbet, Rufous Sibia, Chestnut-crowned and Black-faced Warblers, Streak-breasted Scimitar-Babbler, Rufous-chinned Laughingthrush, Tibetan Siskin, and Spiny Babbler, Nepal's only endemic. With luck we might even discover a stunning Cutia among one of the mixed-species feeding-flocks that we're sure to encounter. Phulchowki offers what is often frantic, sometimes frustrating, but always exciting birding, as we encounter feeding-flock after feeding-flock of arboreal sprites and attempt to pick out the more sought-after species from parties that are often moving just too quickly, or are always just one step ahead. It's great fun for novice and expert alike and we're sure to encounter a whole host of other Himalayan specialities such as yuhinas, fulvettas and barwings. If we can pull ourselves away from Phulchowki's magic, we'll also visit the bird rich botanical gardens at Godaveri. Nights in Kathmandu. Day 5: Today we'll fly from Kathmandu down to Biratnagar in the southeast, before driving the short distance to Koshi Tappu where we'll spend the next four nights in a comfortable safari-style camp. We should arrive in time for some initial exploration of this fascinating area. Days 6-8: Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve encompasses a large area of riverine grassland, marshes, swamps and small tracts of woodland and scrub along the flood plain of the Koshi river. We'll be busy here and intend to make a lengthy boat ride, take a series of walks, and thoroughly explore what the reserve has to offer. On one day we'll visit a neighbouring tract of forest in search of species such as Oriental Pied Hornbill, Orange-breasted Green Pigeon, Blue-bearded Bee-eater and Abbott's Babbler. We'll also head south from our camp to explore areas around Koshi barrage, Nepal's largest wetland and an important staging post for a host of migrant wildfowl and waders. During our stay we'd expect to see at least part of the reserve's small population of threatened Swamp Francolins as well as Lesser Adjutant, Cinnamon Bittern, Striated Grassbird, and Paddyfield and Smoky Warblers. A wide variety of raptors hunt the area, ranging from Pallas's Fishing and White-tailed Eagles to Red-headed Merlin and, with luck, we might also find a Falcated Duck, Baer's Pochard, Pied Harrier, Spotted Bush Warbler, Bristled Grassbird, Rosy Minivet or even a Gangetic Dolphin, an uncommon and declining species. Nights at Koshi Tappu. Day 9: Leaving Koshi we'll drive west through the fertile terai, stopping en route to search for Ibisbill before reaching Chitwan National Park. This park, about the size of the English Lake District, preserves a wide variety of habitats within the terai, though tropical forest and riverine grassland are the two most extensive. During our five nights in Chitwan we'll spend time at two different bases, one at either end of this fabulous park. We'll start with two nights at Machan Wildlife Lodge in the east before transferring to the Temple Tiger Jungle Lodge further west. Days 10-13: Over half of Nepal's rich avifauna has been recorded inside the park, and we'll see a representative sample of these, including Red Junglefowl, Black Francolin, Crested Serpent Eagle, Brown Crake, White-rumped Needletail, Great Hornbill, Stork-billed Kingfisher, Spot-winged Starling, Chestnut-capped Babbler, and Spotted, Pale-footed and Chestnut-crowned Bush Warblers. We should also be able to find some of the park's rarer inhabitants such as Bengal Florican, Grey-crowned Prinia, Rufous-rumped Grassbird, and Slender-billed Babbler. With luck we might even stumble across a Black Baza, Rosy Minivet or Rufous-necked Laughingthrush. Mammals abound in Chitwan and while we're practically guaranteed sightings of Indian Rhinoceros (though hopefully these will be from the safety of Elephant-back and not while we are on foot). Tigers and Sloth Bears are both much rarer and considerably more elusive. An Elephant ride is usually one of the best, safest and often also the most enjoyable way of seeing much of this wildlife. We might also find a curiously long-snouted Gharial basking on a sand bank or floating in one of the numerous river channels that bisect the park. Day 14: There's no doubt that we'll be reluctant to leave Chitwan when the time comes to head up into the foothills and back to Kathmandu. We'll spend two nights in the capital and should arrive in time to do some sightseeing before dinner. Day 15: We'll have a full day in the Kathmandu Valley, searching for any species still missing from our list, and we'll almost certainly return to Phulchowki once again. Night in Kathmandu. Day 16: We'll catch an early morning flight back to London, where the tour concludes later the same day.
E-mail or phone +44 (0)1767 262522 for availability.
Last updated June 2008.
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