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Detailed Itinerary

India is a country with so much to offer that it has become a must-visit destination. During our three-week trip we sample the best that Northern India has to offer in the way of birds, mammals, flora, scenery, culture and cuisine. From large cities we travel to tiny rural villages in areas where few Westerners ever enter; we will marvel at the Taj Mahal and other historic sites, and we enjoy friendly people and stunning colours.

Day 1 - Arrival in Delhi
Arrive in Delhi just after midnight. Transfer to Hotel Silver Ferns for overnight. During the day we may have a few hours to do some sightseeing and start on our bird list. Then we transfer to the bus or railway station for a late afternoon departure to Bharatpur. Night in Bharatpur.

Days 2 - 3 - Keoladeo Ghana National Park
Arguably the best single birding location in India, Keoladeo is one of the best wildlife reserves on earth. Our day lists should top 100 species. Our days consist of walking leisurely along the dikes between the various impoundments, where the numbers of birds are staggering and the air is rarely empty of soaring raptors and wading birds. Among the impressive birdlife are numerous ducks and geese, large numbers of Painted Storks and other herons and egrets, a variety of raptors including Indian Spotted Eagle and possibly Eastern Imperial Eagle, francolins, Sarus Crane, Pheasant-tailed and Bronze-winged Jacanas, up to 20 species of shorebirds including White-tailed Lapwing, kingfishers, Indian Roller and many more. Golden Jackal, Nilgai and Sambar are some of the larger mammals we should see, and we may find Rock Python. Photographers will find ample opportunity for getting great shots. On our third day we hire a local naturalist who can show us some of the hard-to-get species, such as roosting owls and nightjars. Nights in Bharaptur.

Day 4 - Bandh Baretha
Today we visit Bandh Baretha, a large impoundment which provides water for the city of Bharatpur as well as Keoladeo Ghana N.P. It usually harbours several species of waterfowl that are rare or absent at the National Park and we have a good chance of seeing Indian Skimmer. We enjoy great views over the water from a scenic, abandoned hunting palace on a hilltop overlooking the lake. Here whilst having a field-lunch, we watch the trees and shrubbery near the dam for prinias, Tickell’s Leaf Warbler and possibly Sulphur-bellied Warbler. On the way home we’ll stop in at a Flying Fox roost and see some decorative mud (dung) huts. Night in Bharatpur.

Day 5 - Transfer to Agra; Taj Mahal, Red Fort and transfer to Delhi
We depart by bus early in the morning for Agra. Time permitting, we may visit Fatehpur Sikri, the short-lived capital of Mughal Emperor Akbar, en route. The highlights at Agra include visits to the Red Fort and the Taj Mahal. The latter is often called the world’s greatest monument to love, built by Shah Jahan after his wife Mumtaz Mahal passed away. Jahan was later imprisoned in the Red Fort by his son Aurangzeb. The Yamuna River behind the Taj is often good for cormorants, kingfishers and several other species. We then continue by bus to Delhi. Night in Delhi.

Day 6 - Delhi - Siliguri in northeast India
We have a morning flight from Delhi to Bagdogra, and from there we transfer by vehicle to Siliguri. During the flight there will be spectacular views of the Himalayas to the north. After lunch we’ll bird at Mahananda, a wildlife area along a river with the same name. Night in Siliguri.

Day 7 - Drive to Kalimpong
We drive to Kalimpong, birding en route. The roadsides are very birdy, and we may find Bonelli’s Eagle, Streaked Spiderhunter, Spangled Drongo, Maroon Oriole, Hill Myna and Sultan Tit here, among others. Time permitting we will also make a brief visit to Sorea Park, where we hope to spot Black Ibis, Imperial Green Pigeon, Lesser Adjutant and Black-hooded Oriole. Night in Kalimpong.

Day 8 - Kalimpong - Lava
Today we travel from Kalimpong to Lava, birding en route. Again there will be much opportunity for birding, botanizing and photography en route. We should have an opportunity to do some local sightseeing and perhaps visit the market or buy some tea (after all, we are near Darjeeling!). Night in Lava.

Day 9 - Lava and Neora National Park
Today we have a full day of birding around Lava and the fringes of Neora N.P. Situated at 2000- 2400 m, we can expect some higher-altitude species including fulvettas, wren-babblers, laughing-thrushes, Cutia and with great good luck the very rare Blue-throated Robin. Night in Lava.

Day 10 – Lava - Samthar
We can expect more new species today as we drive from Lava to Samthar. Our daily list in this area may be quite low, but we should add 10 to 20 new ones each day. Samthar Farm is located at an altitude of 1400 m, in a tiny village. Our lodgings will be basic, but clean and comfortable, with a wonderful staff, and the food promises to be the best of our whole trip. Definitely one of the highlights of the tour. Night in Samthar Farm.

Day 11 - Mandir Khola Forest
We spend all day birding in the nearby Mandir Khola Forest, with lunch in the field. Possible birds include several species of eagle, Green Magpie, minivets, and numerous hard-to-identify Phylloscopus warblers. We also learn much about the local people; their livelihood, culture and customs. Westerners are few and far between here. Night at Samthar Farm.

Day 12 – Samthar Farm - Siliguri
This trip by road will take all day. The distance is not great, but roads are narrow, winding and bumpy, and we’ll make many stops en route. The scenery is spectacular, with Kanchenjunga and other tall peaks in the distance. Bhutan and Sikkim are just a stones-throw away and tea, ginger and cardamom plantations dot the hillsides. The birding will be challenging, but with the help of our guide we should be able to identify most birds. We look for Whiskered Yuhina, Rufous-winged and Nepal Fulvettas, Black-throated Parrotbill and many other exotic species. Night at Siliguri.

Day 13 – Transfer to Guwahati - Kaziranga National Park
We take a flight from Bagdogra to Guwahati, flying over the mighty Brahmaputra, and then board a bus to Kaziranga National Park in Assam. En route we may see our first elephants. Night at Kaziranga.

Days 14 to 16 - Kaziranga National Park
Kaziranga is a remarkable success story of conservation of the One Horned Indian Rhinoceros and other wildlife in North East India. A UNESCO World Heritage Site and an IBA, Kaziranga National Park is 430 sq. km with an additional areas of 429 sq. km at Golaghat and Nagaon. Indian Rhinos are now found only in pockets in Assam and in Nepal. Expect to see Indian Elephant, Water Buffalo, Wild Boar, Swamp Deer and other mammals. Bengal Tiger occurs; with luck we may spot one. Almost 480 species of birds occur in the park, including 25 globally threatened and 21 near-threatened species. Waterfowl include Ferruginous Pochard and Baer's Pochard, rare riverine birds include Blyth's Kingfisher, White-bellied Heron, Dalmatian and Spot-billed Pelicans, Spotted Greenshank and Black-bellied Tern. Wintering storks include Lesser and Greater Adjutant, Black-necked Stork and Asian Openbill. A large number of raptors occur here: Eastern Imperial and Indian Spotted Eagles, Pallas's and Gray-headed Fish Eagles, vultures (Red-headed, Eurasian Black, Indian, Slender-billed, Indian White-rumped, Eurasian Griffon and Himalayan Griffon) and Pied Harrier. Other species we will attempt to find are Kalij Pheasant, Swamp Francolin, Bengal Florican, Great Indian and Wreathed Hornbills, Spot-winged Starling and White-rumped Shama. We also visit nearby Panbari Forest, where mature trees harbour Capped Langur and Hoolock Gibbon (India’s only ape), plus spectacular birds like Blue-bearded Bee-eater and Rufous Woodpecker. Nights at Kaziranga.

Day 17 - Kaziranga to Nameri
We start early and drive to Nameri, crossing the Brahmaputra via a kilometers long bridge. At Nameri a boat will take us across the Bhorelli River for birding, looking in particular for White-winged Duck, but also Black Stork, thick-knees, Abbott’s Babbler, Small Pratincole, Silver-eared Mesia and more. Night at Balipara, near Nameri.

Days 18 - Nameri to Eaglenest National Park
We continue our drive to Lama Camp in Eaglenest National Park, birding en route. Night at Eaglenest N.P.

Days 19 to 21 - Eaglenest National Park
Spectacular mountain scenery and superb old-growth montane forest characterize Eaglenest National Park in Arunachal Pradesh. The region lies at the intersection of the Palearctic, Indo-Malayan and Indian sub-regions of the Oriental Region, and ranges in altitude from 7000m peaks to 100m in the Brahmaputra Valley in neighbouring Assam. Although the park has only relatively recently been “discovered” by birders, it has quickly gained a reputation for incredible birding. Specialties of this amazing area include Snow Partridge, Blood Pheasant, Himalayan Monal, Grandala (an old world flycatcher), Long-billed Plover, the much sought-after Ibisbill, Bhutan Laughingthrush, Ludlow’s Fulvetta, Fire-tailed Myzornis, Chestnut-breasted Partridge, Blyth’s Tragopan, Ward’s Trogon, Long-billed and Rufous-throated Wren-Babblers, Sikkim Wedge-billed Babbler and Beautiful Nuthatch, and the newly-described Bugun Liocichla. Nights at Eaglenest.

Day 22 - Transfer to Guwahati from Eaglenest
Stunning scenery on our descent from the mountains to the lowlands will enliven our drive. Brief stops en route will add more species to our list. Overnight at Guwahati.

Day 23 – Guwahati - Delhi
On our way to the airport we visit Deepor Beel, a very important freshwater lake in a former channel of the Brahmaputra. We could find Spot-billed Pelican, Asian Openbill, Brown-headed Gull and Rosy Pipit. We then catch an afternoon flight to Delhi, where we transfer from the domestic airport to the international airport and our flights home.

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What to Expect

India is a vast country with a wide array of peoples and cultures. Density of people can seem overwhelming, yet wildlife thrives among the throngs of people. Our tour takes in a diversity of habitats, from wetlands where it is hot and humid to Himalayan foothills where the weather can be cool and sometimes cold. Typically it will be warm, dry and sunny. Accommodations range from comfortable and moderate to good, to fairly basic and clean. There will be internal flights to reach the Himalayan foothills. We spend the morning and the late afternoon birding and exploring, sometimes having a siesta in the early afternoon. Driving distances will vary greatly, according to distance and road conditions; most roads are quite adequate with the road between Siliguri and Samthar Farm being narrow, winding and bumpy but we take our time traveling this road and stopping frequently. Birding at all locations will be outstanding, especially Eaglenest and Kaziranga, while Keoladeo Ghana N.P. and Kaziranga N.P. are particularly good for large mammals. Each evening, the list of birds and other wildlife will be reviewed, and plans for the next day will be discussed.