Tours

BIRDING NEPAL with Clive Hopcroft

US$3480
16th November - 4th December, 2009

We finish off the year with a birding tour with Clive our bird expert, highly experienced and well loved, where we will seek out the abundance of birds in Nepal. Our earlier bird trip of 2006 netted well over 240 new bird species, and our 2007 tour was highly successful and great fun, while 2008 included a wonderful reserve, new to us,  which will be the four day highlight of this year's tour and give us a good chance to see the winter migrants. We will also include visiting another highly rated reserve, where we can ride elephants in the jungle as we seek out the elusive tiger and the Asian rhino.  One of the reserves is home to the ganganetic dolphin, all a bonus to the incredible variety of bird species.

Tour Detail

For anyone living in South Africa who is interested in birds, being either a serious or casual birder, the thought of visiting foreign parts to enjoy that country’s wildlife and the different culture of the people often remains just a dream.  Although the world is now regarded as ‘a global village’, it is still very large and those far away countries may seem unreachable.  Many people would love to visit some exotic land at least once in their lifetime.  The thought of sipping tea in the afternoon with views of the mighty Himalayas, with the sound of Buddhist Temple bells accompanying some of the most exotic birds in the world passing by, may be dismissed as being just a dream. 

Well, dream no more.  We have planned a great adventure birding in Nepal.  The tour is designed to give us maximum pleasure as we seek out new species in a variety of scenery and a backdrop of the Himalayas.  By the end of this trip we will have experienced how the Nepalese live, some of their history and culture and the incredible beauty of their country

We begin our trip in Kathmandu, famous for its fascinating history. And we will be combining our birding with sightseeing. We will stay in several country hotels situated in various beautiful spots of diverse terrain to maximise seeing the different bird species.

Clive, our expert, with his extensive knowledge and great sense of humour, will share the bird’s habits with us to broaden our knowledge and understanding. On this tour after Kathmandu, we will be heading North East to a mighty gorge where we cross to our hotel by suspension bridge.  Here there is the optional extra of bungi jumping or river rafting and some great birding.

For the South African birder, the following attractions in game reserves may be all you need to help you make the decision to join us.  Without going into too much detail as space is restricted, how would you like to hear the cockerel crowing in its natural jungle instead of a farmyard?  We may watch the peacock flaunting his tail to impress his mate before striding off across the forest floor. 

One of the reserves where we will be spending a few days boasts 457 species, nearly all of which have been seen from the camp!  How are these for some mind-boggling numbers – 26 species of Waterfowl, 52 Birds of Prey, 10 Woodpeckers and Barbets, 11 Kingfishers and Bee-eaters, 14 Cuckoos and Coucals.  I know we have species here in South Africa that belong to these families and perhaps you would like to see birds belonging to more exotic genera, so we will be looking for Swiftlets, Tree Swifts, Hawk-owls, Floricans, Leafbirds, Treepies, Minivets, Flycatcher-shrikes, Fantails, Ioras, Woodshrikes, Nuthatch, Flowerpeckers, Silverbill and Munias.  The birds are as exotic as their names and many are common in this area. As we visit the game reserve we will also have the opportunity to ride elephants as we seek out the elusive tiger and Asian rhino.  The last reserve we visit, known as one of the best birding spots in Asia, will give an excellent opportunity to see the winter migrants and possibly even the freshwater ganganetic dolphins.

Each of our tours is unique in what is offered and this will be a very memorable one.

Bookings and information

All tours start and end in Kathmandu. Prices are ex. Kathmandu and based on twin sharing, single supplement available. Please email us for full itineraries and details of price inclusions and exclusions.

An indemnity form needs to be signed by all participants. Every effort is made to keep to the itinerary, however no responsibility or liability is accepted by Himalayan Adventures for any itinerary changes that may become necessary for any reason whatsoever, including political unrest, or for your safety or best interest, e.g. strikes or rerouting due to landslides.  Signing up for this tour indicates your acceptance to this.

Travel insurance such as Europ Assistance (www.europ-assistance.com) is recommended in case of emergency and is compulsory on certain tours.  Flexibility and a sense of humour are vital due to the nature of adventure travel!

Should you wish to join us on any tours please book early to avoid disappointment.  This is high season and flights book up early.

To book or receive more information please contact us:

Phone:
Jill +27 79 923 2291
Mary-Jane +27 82 660 6462

Email: 
tours@himadv.com
jillpers@netactive.co.za
jillpersson@netactive.co.za