India
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This superb new tour combines the wondrous birdlife of Darjeeling and Assam with a spectacular journey on one of the world's great little railways.Darjeeling, Assam... Browse through almost any book dealing with Himalayan wildlife and these same names keep appearing in the texts, demonstrating the rich diversity of life in the eastern Himalaya. This great chain of mountains runs from Afghanistan in the west to Burma in the east, dividing two very different faunal regions. To many, the mighty Himalaya are immense jagged peaks of snow and ice - but although such visions are of breathtaking beauty, it is the forests and jungles lower down that support ninety-five percent of their wildlife. This superb new tour combines the wondrous birdlife of Darjeeling and Assam with a spectacular journey on one of the world's great little railways.Our travels begin in Kolkata (formerly Calcutta), with an easy introduction to the birds of the Indian plains. From here we move up to Darjeeling, known locally as the 'Queen of the eastern Himalayas' and one of the most famous hill stations in India. To get there, we will travel up from the plains on the historic Darjeeling Himalayan Railway. Nick-named the 'Toy Train', this amazing narrow gauge railway has one of the few steam locomotives still in service in India and is designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Darjeeling's awe-inspiring mountains and forests harbour a wealth of Himalayan birds - from hawk-eagles, broadbills and flamebacks, to restless mixed flocks of yuhinas, babblers, laughingthrushes, warblers, parrotbills and sunbirds. In March, migrants will be heading north across the mountains and higher altitude species will still be at lower elevations where they have wintered, whilst others will be arriving from southern India to breed in the forests. And Darjeeling's resident birds will be in song. From the mountains, we fly to the lowlands of Assam and visit one of India's finest National Parks, Kaziranga - famed for its populations of the endangered Indian Rhinoceros, Wild Water Buffalo and Asian Elephant. Spot-billed Pelican, Greater Adjutant and Pallas's Fish Eagle occur, and grassland specialities to be found include the rare Jerdon's Babbler and Bengal Florican. Those who have travelled to India before will find that the great majority of the birds will be new to them. While on this tour we will also ride on elephant-back through the tall elephant-grass by the mighty Brahmaputra River, hope to view the massive peak of Kanchenjunga, relive the magic of the great Victorian age of steam, and experience the delights of staying at an old hill-station in an elegant, colonial-style hotel. |
Darjeeling Himalayan Railway
Price: £ 2,995
The price is per person, and is fully inclusive of return scheduled flights London-Kolkata with Emirates; domestic flights within India from Kolkata-Bagdogra, Bagdogra-Guwahati and Jorhat-Kolkata; all accommodation and meals; rail journey up from Siliguri to Darjeeling, and afternoon steam excursion Darjeeling-Ghoom-Darjeeling (subject to service availability), transportation by coach, jeep and elephant-back; excursions as described; entry fees to reserves; incidental tips, airport taxes, bird and mammal checklist, and services of the leader/s.
The price excludes travel insurance, Indian visa costs (approx £30. Our office will send UK residents the necessary visa application form and guidance notes), drinks & other items of a personal nature. Photographic fees and permits within parks and reserves (payable locally, where applicable). This trip will be operated in conjunction with Limosa Holidays. 
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Guide Peter Kennerley is a veteran of over twenty birding tours to the Indian Subcontinent.
Rail Trip Places on the narrow gauge Darjeeling Himalayan Railway do fill up very quickly and early booking is strongly recommended for this tour to avoid disappointment! Special note : the annual monsoon rains frequently result in line damage to the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, and can lead to closure of affected sections of the track. July is the wettest month and work on repairing the line is usually well underway by September; the line is usually fully open again come the spring, when we visit. Please note however, that we cannot guarantee the line will be operational at the time of our visit. In the event it is not possible to travel by train we will drive from Siliguri to Darjeeling instead, a journey of about 3 hours by road. Similarly, we cannot guarantee the steam engine will be in service at the time of our visit and this could alter our stated itinerary for the afternoon of Day 6. Accommodation : Comfortable hotels and lodges of a good standard throughout, with all rooms en suite. In Darjeeling, we stay at the Elgin Hotel, an attractive former mansion offering a quaint, Colonial-style. The Wild Grass Lodge at Kaziranga is comfortable but rooms are more simple and rustic in character. Meals : All included in the price. Breakfasts, dinners and some lunches will be at our hotels; there will be some picnic lunches and the occasional picnic breakfast. Walking : Easy, 1-4 kms on forest trails. At Darjeeling, we will be birding at elevations of between 2000-2600m; the trails are not steep and where possible we will drive uphill and walk back down, where our vehicle will pick us up again. At Kaziranga, please note that walking is very restricted and may not be permitted at all within the national park due to the presence of large mammals. Bring comfy walking shoes or boots with a sturdy corrugated sole for grip, plus a lightweight spare pair to change into afterwards. Weather : It will be hot and dry in Kolkata (14-31oC) and in lowland Assam at the end of March. A little cooler during the day at altitude in Darjeeling, where it can feel very cool or even cold at times at night. Rainfall is generally low at this time of year (it's the dry season), but some thundery showers are possible. Elevation : The highest points on this tour are Tiger Hill (max. 2600m), and Darjeeling itself (2500m), Ground Transport : On this tour, we travel by plane, small coach, jeep, narrow gauge railway - and elephant! Photos : Good photographic opportunities - birds, mammals and cultural. Note that camera fees are payable locally for use of cameras at Kaziranga National Park (currently, these are approx £6/day for still cameras and £12/day for video) Leaders : Peter Kennerley & local guides Numbers: Max. 12 clients
Click here for a full, printable itinerary |
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