Bird Watching in Kumaon Himalayas

Experience full-day birding at the adjoining forest area in this exciting 12-day bird watching tour at Kumaon. For the avid birder, or the enthusiastic naturalist, this tour offers a rich diversity of flora and fauna. With terrain which varies from the Sal Forests and Lantana of the Bhabar region to the beautiful Oak, Rhododendron to Pine of the high hills, this tour consists an immense variety of birdlife.

Duration : 11 nights & 12 days
Destinations : Kaladhungi - Pangot - Padampuri - Abbott Mount - Munsyari - Vijaypur & Ranikhet

Day 0: Departure from U.K

Day 01 : Delhi- Kaladhungi

Early morning drive to Kaladungi. Arrive at the time of lunch. After lunch birding with a guide near the Camp. Overnight stay.

Day 02 : Kaladhungi

Full day birding at the adjoining forest area. For the avid birder, or the enthusiastic naturalist, Kaladunghi offers a rich diversity of flora and fauna. With terrain which varies from the Sal Forests and Lantana of the Bhabar region (1500 -2000 feet) to the beautiful Oak, Rhododendron and Pine of the high hills (4500-8000 feet), there is an immense variety of birdlife. In the jungles at the edge of the hills dwell flocks of Bulbuls, Finches, Flycatchers and White Eyes. Scarlet Minivets compete with Raquet Tailed Drongos in the tree tops, while Great Pied Hornbills whoosh overhead. Along the streams and riverbeds Pied Kingfishers ply the waterways with their cousins the Whitebreasted and Little Blue Kingfishers. White Capped Redstarts mix with Herons, and occasionally one comes across the elusive Forktail. In the bushes and Lantana live the Himalayan Rubythroat and Rufous Fronted Niltava. Up in the hills, the cliffs and rock faces are the domain of the great Raptors.Here the Himalayan Golden Eagle, Himalayan Griffon and magnificent Lammergeier reign supreme. In the Oak and Pine forests Cheer, Koklas, and Kaleeje Pheasants make their presence known, and in the Rhododendron, clouds of White Capped and White Throated Laughing Thrushes chatter away.The Maroon Oriole sings its melodious tune from the tree tops, while Red Billed Magpies scavenge in the bushes along with Sibias, Jays, Finches and many others. Overnight stay at the camp.

Day 03 : Kaladhungi - Pangot

Early in the morning drive to Pangot. Pangot is a small village which lies in the north-western range of Nainital. After lunch Bird watching at Pangot to see a wide range of Himalayan bird species Overnight at Pangot.

Day 04 : Pangot

Full day birding at Pangot, Baggar, Naina Peak, Kilbury & Timla Pani. Overnight at Birding Lodge.

Day 05 : Pangot - Padampuri

Early morning after having breakfast drive to Padampuri through the Hill roads. After lunch birding near the Camp. Overnight stay at the camp.

Day 06 : Padampuri

Full day birding at Padampuri, Saattal & the nearby forest area. Overnight stay at the camp. This location has spectacular avifauna diversity. Great hornbill, Pallas's fish eagle, grey-headed & lesser fish eagle, red-collared falconet etc. are some of the rare birds that are found in Corbett. More birds include tawny fish owl, scaly-bellied woodpecker, red-breasted parakeet, Himalayan swiftlet, stork-billed & crested kingfisher etc.

Day 07 : Padampuri - Abbott Mount

Morning drive to Abbott Mount through the Dhanachuli & Devidhura. En route few stopovers for bird watching. One can see green-tailed sunbird, scaly-breasted wren-babbler, black bulbul, black eagle, red-headed & Egyptian vulture, black-throated sunbird, blue-throated barbet, Himalayan woodpecker etc. Overnight stay at the resort.

Day 08 : Abbott Mount - Munsyari

Morning drive to Munsyari. En route few stopovers for bird watching. One can spot white capped water redstart, Pallas's fish eagle, grey-headed & lesser fish eagle etc. Overnight stay at Munsyari.

Day 09 : Munsyari

Full day Birding near around Munsyari. Overnight stay.

Day 10 : Munsyari-Vijaypur

Drive early morning to Vijaypur, stopping en route to check out the thick oak forest. Birding in Ramganga river at can be rewarding for water birds such as river lapwings, waders & mergansers. On the way to Vijaypur we will stop at alpine meadows to spot Eurasian jay, upland pipit, grey winged blackbird, Indian cuckoo etc. Overnight stay at the resort.

Day 11 : Vijaypur- Ranikhet

Morning Drive to Ranikhet. Rest of the birding around Ranikhet. Overnight stay at the resort.

Day 12 : Ranikhet - Delhi

Morning after breakfast departure for Delhi. On arrival in Delhi transfer to the airport to board the flight for onwards destination.

Tour and Services Ends.

Price

Below mentioned are the details; dates and prices per person (in GBP); for "Bird Watching in Kumaon Himalayas ". We have classified these rates in three categories (deluxe, standard, and luxury) depending upon the type of services provided by these hotels. You can select your trip as per your choice of hotel. In order to get a better idea about the accommodation that we are offering, you can see the respective hotel details by clicking on the official link of the hotels.

Rates Valid From 1st Oct 11 to 31st March 2012

The Above Quote Includes:

• Accommodation as per the itinerary on twin sharing basis
• All meals
• All the ground transport by exclusive vehicle
• All the arrival / departure transfer by company representative
• All jungle activities as per the itinerary
• Naturalist fee
• Driver allowance
• Toll tax
• Parking

The Above Quote does not include :

• Any expenses of personal nature
• Camera fee
• Alcoholic beverages
• Any Air Fare
• Anything which is not mention above.

Remarks :- A Supplementary costs would be applicable for festival periods such as Diwali, Christmas and New Year.

Hotel Used Or Similar

Images

Highlights

Reviews

Hi Tanmay,

Just writing a long overdue thank you for a wonderful (but too short!) holiday in India. We were very impressed with your service and all the trouble you went to in order to accommodate our ever changing itinery and had a fantastic holiday as a result. Also myself and Natalia got engaged in Ranthambore Park so some very fond memories.
I also wanted to thank you in particular for the service given by our driver Surendhar (I hope I have the spelling correct). He has a lovely, courteous and relaxed manner and we had fun on even the longest journeys! He was helpful in every little detail and I couldn't praise him highly enough.
We hope to return to India very soon and if we are arranging any tours yours is the first number we will call,
Cheers, Austin (U.K)

Dear Anil

Apologies for not replying to your earlier email.
My wife and I had a superb holiday in India. The sights and sounds will remain in our minds for many years to come (or at least until we return for another visit). I didn't appreciate how bespoke a tour you provide until actually arriving in India which was very reassuring.
The organisation was excellent and if permitted I would compliment the following people;
Sanjay the driver - superb ambassader really caring and friendly.
Bhim Singh Rana (Bharatpur bird park) & Surya Kant Paliwal (Jaipur) both guides were so passionate and informative on their part of the tour.
Hopefully when I revisit your country if I include Jaipur & Bharatpur in that visit then they would be my choice if guide.

The selection of hotels was good. My only critism would be the first hotel we stayed at on arrival in New Delhi - The Parkland. Being dropped off at a hotel which had only limited facilities, in a part of a city which had not "tourist" facilities - restaurants / shops etc (in fact we had no idea of what part of Delhi we staying in). Possibly the issue of a short introduction to the local area, local map or suggestions on local places of interest. Other than this the accommodation was OK.

I would recommend your agency to anybody interested in visiting India and will certainly be using your organisation again.
Thank you and your colleagues for all your assistance.

Best regards
Graham (U.k)

Dear Tanmay,

I would like to thank you for having arranged our one week Corbett trip and 2 night Delhi stay, you understood my requirement perfectly and provided a perfect holiday. The Traveller Van helped us not feel the strain of a 300 Km Journey from Delhi to Corbett, Infinity resort was comfortable at the same time rustic and not overly luxurious helping us get the perfect Jungle feel, the Jeep Safaris were always on time (05:45 AM!!) and very professional, the fishing safari was an experience in itself though the 2.5 Km mountain trek to reach the fishing beats was not anticipated and hence caused some worry to my elderly parents but in all fairness they enjoyed the experience. I would suggest though that you suggest a stay in Bijrani Forest rest house for the serious wildlife enthusiasts as they get an extra 15-20 minutes before park closes increasing chances of a tiger sighting, we did see the Tiger and enjoyed the experience.

I would definitely recommend your services.
Regards,
Naveed Naqshbandi Dubai, UAE.

To Tanmay Sharma

Just back home after 3 weeks in India. We want to tell you, that we had a wonderfull trip. Everything in your arrangement worked perferctly. Our driver, Kundan Singh, was great. We allways felt safe in his car, and he was allways there for us. On top of this he was good company, important when you spend so much time together. If you want to do something for him, let him learn a little more english. We could easily communicate, but often he needed more words. The birding guide, Nirankar Singh Yadav, was also very good. Qualified and nice to spend 10 days with. If other birdwatchers ask for a guide in that area, use him again. Thanks for your flexibility when we had bad weather in Pangoot. Camp River Wild is a great place, beautiful surroundings and a very good staff.
Birdwatchers often make a report of their trips. Others read it on the internet when planning their trips. We will definitely recommend your company and the driver as well as the birding guide in our report.

Best wishes and many thanks
Tina and Mads Elley

Hi Anil

We are now home from our trip to India and I thought I would give you a little feedback on our time at Corbett National Park.

Firstly, we loved the park and we managed to get a tiger sighting which was amazing so we felt really lucky to be fortunate enough to see one. Our driver was great and Dikhala was definitely the best place to stay to get the most from the wildlife. We thoroughly enjoyed our time there and would definitely return.

Thank you for all of your help in arranging the tour and like I say we did thoroughly enjoy our time there.

Many Thanks,
Alex Fredrickson

Hi Anil

I don't even know how to begin this mail.

Planning such a trip was a dream that I have been dreaming for more than 10 years, since I last traveled in India.

It took time and lots of effort, and finally it took form and shape, and I did it!!!

My enjoyment and satisfaction had exceeded my expectations, and I left India with a wonderful taste and a desire to do it again!!

It would not have been so successful without your skillful trip production. Every place you booked for us was excellent. From

Bandhavgarh, to Kanha, from Pench to Agra, it was all super good. Accommodation, food, transport, guides, you have chosen the best for me, and I am thankful.

The first thing I told my wife when I came back was that we are going to do it again soon, the two of us.

Let me promise you this, if you are still with "Wildlife Tours India" when I paln my second round, I would like you to organize it again for me.

It was perfect!!

Sincerely
Aviad Horev

Hi Anil

Thank you very much for everything during our recent trip to India. You did a terrific job making all of our arrangements and making adjustments whenever they were required. It could have been extremely stressful on our end, dealing with numerous flight delays and unexpected weather conditions, but it wasn't at all, because you took care of everything. weI have already had someone ask me about traveling to India, and we are planning on giving him your information. we can recommend your company highly enough.

Thanks once again for everything. Should we find ourselves in India once again, we will definitely turn to you.

All the best ,
Fred, Robert and Charles

Hi Anil

Thank you for the services, i will certainly pass on and recommend your services.

Lee Smith

Hi

Toni and I just wanted to pass on our thanks for the organization of the trip. We had a great time.

Best regards,
Debi Brunning & Toni Fleming

Hi Anil,

I just want to give some feedback on the service that you provided.

I would like to say a huge thank you for everything that you arranged for us. The two tours were also excellent. We really enjoyed our day. we will have to come back.

We will be recommending your company to our friends and colleagues.

Best regards,
Janet Newman-Carty

Hello Anil

How are you doing? I had a great time visiting your country these past few weeks!

Best regards,
David Lee-Sue

Hi Anil

And thanks again of the great work you did as a successful photo safari!

We will be looking for the new dates and forms now for the future.

I will come back when I do have better idea about further programs and dates. Kanha and Bandhavgarh are very good, but we will need to find then some hopefully little different place to be included.

Best regards,
Jouni Klinga

Essential Information

Visa

You Need to have Indian Visa for entry to India on your holiday. To apply for Indian Visa you have to contact your nearest Indian consulate or you can call on 09057570045 or visit http://in.vfsglobal.co.uk/ for more information.

Indian Embassy in London
Address : Indian Embassy
India House, Aldwych,
London WC2B 4NA.
Tel: 020 7836 8484
Site URL : http://www.hcilondon.net/

Money

There is no limit to the amount of foreign currency that visitors can bring.

Banks

Banks are open in the major cities & the nearest towns of the sanctuaries for transaction from 10.00 to 14.00 hrs on all days except Sunday.

Best time to visit

High season: October to April.

Travel wear

Cotton outfits, hats, sunglasses, sunscreen lotion etc. Some woolen clothes require, during winter.

Round the year temperature chart for the Cities & wildlife parks covered in during the Itinerary.

Credit cards

Main hotels, restaurants and shopping centers honor major credit cards.

Currency

Indian Rupee (INR)

Drugs

Heavy punishments including imprisonment are imposed for possession of narcotic drugs.

Food

All standard restaurants offer a variety of cuisines including Continental, Chinese, Indian & local.

Water

It is always better to drink bottled drinking water or drinking water from restaurants. It is not advisable to drink water from slow moving streams, lakes or dams. Mineral water is available in sealed bottles.

FAQs

May I ask for tailor-made itinerary?

Yes, you can ask for it.

What is Indian Time zone?

t is + 0530 GMT

Can I use British pound there in India?

No, you can't use British pound in India directly, you need to change it through bank or authorize money changer into Indian Rupees (INR).

What type of plug sockets use in India?

Please look at the photograph for better idea.
Voltage: 230-240V Frequency (Hz): 50Hz

Who will meet us at the Airport?

Our company representative will be there at the airport arrival lounge carrying a company placard mentioning your name on it.

Does entry fees to the national parks are included in the cost?

Yes, entry fee to all the national parks is included with the cost.

Does monument fees for cities included in the cost?

No, it's not included in the package cost it will as per actual if there are any in the itinerary.

What is the maximum weight allowed on domestic flights?

The normal weight limit is 15 -25 kilogram's.

Is communication to home possible while on wildlife tour?

Yes almost all the wildlife resorts will have the dialing facilities except the few, like in north east India.

What is the weather & temperature like?

Weather in the Indian jungle will be very much pleasant during winter time as the Sun is gradually up, but generally it will quite cold in the morning while you are on your jungle safari.

Which Vaccination is required before visiting India?

The citizens and travelers coming from the United Kingdom, Canada & United States, do not require any vaccination certificate or inoculations. It is highly recommended to get a precautionary measure vaccination against Hepatitis B & carry mosquito repellents, nets or take a course of anti Malaria tablets to avoid Malaria.

What should I carry?

Cool cottons for daywear, Light woolens for the morning & evenings (a warm jacket is required for morning safari as it will be chilling), a couple of pairs of shoes, shorts, sunglasses, anti sun tanning lotion, good Binocular & Camera with a couple of batteries.

What are the major wildlife species, inhabiting in Indian wildlife?

India is well known for a large extent of its tigers, elephants and rhinoceroses, but these are just three giant of the more than 500 species of mammals living in the country. India is blessed with over 2000's species and sub-species of birds. India offers a number of National parks and sanctuaries where you can watch the magnificent tigers, the stately elephants, leopards, the one horned rhinos, a myriad of exotic birds and countless reptiles and insects.

Can we have an Elephant safari during our wildlife tour?

Elephants are the most preferred and convenient way of watching wildlife species in their natural habitat. It is very much possible in most of the tropical wildlife sanctuaries of India like, Corbett, Raja ji, Bandhavgarh, Kanha, Panna, Pench & Kaziranga National Park.

What is the present status of tigers in India?

India has twenty seven Tiger Reserves which comes under the organization of Project Tiger, a joint effort of the Government of India and World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). As per the current census there are tiger population will as per below table.

Bird Watching Tips

1. Choice of Location :It is very important in bird watching to choose the location, many birders spend the majority of their bird watching time and energy on poor locations.

2. Knowledge of Species: There are approximately 1250 species of birds in India and recognizing each of them is nearly impossible. So when you visit any area for bird watching, do a little research first. You may find that perhaps only a few species actually inhabit that particular area. With a little preparation, you will be able to more readily identify bird species from each other.

3. Practice before you go for bird watching: It is always better to learn to put your binocular on target, it is key to viewing wildlife, and especially birds, after only a few attempts, you'll get good at quickly acquiring your target. Quite often, birds are visible for only a few seconds, practice to become proficient.

4. Listing to Call and songs : Listening helps you hear rustling leaves, wings flapping, and the birds calling.
It is pretty amazing what you can hear once you really start listening. Besides, if you spend the whole day just using your eyes to look for birds, you probably won't see very many. So instead of just looking, relax your eyes, don't look so hard; let the birds find you. You will start to notice movement in your periferal vision, and then you will have an area to look in.

5. Get a pair of Binocular : Spending time and money to get to the right place can be totally wasted when your binoculars are inadequate. If you have an inexpensive pair of binoculars you are not getting the most out of your viewing. Today's technologies come at a price and they provide Crucial benefits in wildlife viewing. For instance, image stabilization will keep your view from shaking-very important when watching from a long Distance. Other cool features include anti-fogging, low-light viewing and wide-view characteristics. Additionally, binoculars with built-in digital cameras enable you to identify birds once you get home. These benefits will definitely enhance your bird watching. A great pair of binoculars will turn a mediocre experience into a great one. You can count on it!

6. Take someone with you : It is always better if you take someone with you, who knows the area well and have experience of bird watching, it will help you to remember the sightings.