About Birding in Himalaya with Tiger & Taj
Duration : 12 Days
Destinations Covered : Delhi, Corbett, Nainital, Delhi, Agra, Bharatpur, Delhi
Destinations Covered : Delhi, Corbett, Nainital, Delhi, Agra, Bharatpur, Delhi
Of the 8650 species of birds in the world, India is home to as many as 1200 (roughly 14%), out of which 141 are endemic to this region. What is even more astonishing is that ornithologists have classified birdlife into 27 Orders and 155 Families and India boasts of 20 Orders and 77 Families. Explore the northern Himalayan region and central India for birding and nature tours including elephant safari in corbett and tiger photographic tours.
DETAILED ITINERARY
1st Day: Arrive Delhi
Company representatives will receive you on arrival at the international airport in Delhi late in the night or midnight. Transfer to your hotel. Relax.
DELHI, the capital of kingdoms and empires is now a sprawling metropolis with a fascinating blend of the past and the present. It is a perfect introduction to the composite culture of an ancient land. A window to the kaleidoscope - that is India.
Overnight will be at Delhi.
2nd Day : Delhi / Corbett (birding in the lap of himalayas )
By Road 250 km in 6 hr
Breakfast will be at hotel. Drive to CORBETT National Park. On the way
we will stop at Ramnagar and look for the fabulous IBISBILL amongst the
riverside boulders. JIM CORBETT National Park - One of the greatest National
Parks of Asia. Corbett is five hundred and twenty acres of forests, hills
and grasslands, fed by a frisky river - A bio-diversity that is rich,
rare and precious. This Park is the perfect habitat for the tiger, elephant,
hog deer, birds and other wildlife species that is fast vanishing from
the earth. Today it is a luxury to be able to stay in a lap of natural
beauty of himalayasCheck in at the resort and relax. Proceed for an afternoon to KOSI riverbanks and look for CRESTED KINGFISHER, PLUMBOUS REDSTART & LITTLE FORKTAIL. The resort you will stay in is surrounded by excellent forest with many birds including the delightful VELVET FRONTED NUTHATCH.
Relax in the evening at the resort restaurant. Overnight will be at resort.
3rd Day : Corbett
Enjoy a full day birding trip along the riverbanks and in the nearby green area. Overnight will be at the resort. You can also go for elephant ride on himalayanfoothills.
4th Day : Corbett National Park
After breakfast drive inside the himalayan forest and full day BIRDING in the park. Corbett National Park protects a large tract of forest and savanna in the Himalayan foothills, and was India's first National Park. In winter is quite cold in these areas and birds descend from the higher levels of the Himalayas to add to the park's bird riches. The variety of birds in this area is fantastic and moreover the area has its own population of tigers. The lodge inside the park is BASIC but with private facilities and the location is great!!!
Overnight will be inside the forest at rest house in DHIKALA.
5th Day : Corbett National Park
Enjoy full day BIRDING in the park. Overnight willbe inside the forest at rest house in DHIKALA.
6th Day : Corbett National Park - Nainital
By Road 120 km in 6 hr
Breakfast will be at the guest house. Drive to Nainital. The road is uphill
and the scenery spectacular. Nainital lies beside a glacial lake and is
backed by a crater like ridge with snowcapped peaks beyond rising to over
2600 m .This himalayan area is a mixture of pinewoods, open country and
small lakes, and the views from some of the hills behind the town are
simply fantastic. Here LAMMERGEIERS and HIMALAYAN GRIFON VULTURES
soar overhead. Reach by late afternoon and enjoy the evening birding around
the resort. Overnight will be in Nainital. 7th Day : Nainital
Breakfast will be at the resort. Enjoy full day birding in and around Nainital. Walk among the area's forests and fields in search of resident and migrant mountain birds. Including RED FLANKED BLUETAIL, STREAKED LAUGHING THRUSH, ALTAI ACCENTOR AND GOLDEN BUSH ROBIN for some spectacular birding.
Overnight will be in Nainital.
8th Day : Nainital
Breakfast will be in the resort. Enjoy birding at the lake and around Nainital. Overnight will be in Nainital.
9th Day : Nainital - Delhi
By Road 260 km in 7 hr
Early morning birding will be around the resort. Proceed for Delhi after breakfast. This will be a long drive and you will need to relax on reaching Delhi.
Overnight will be in Delhi.
10th Day :: Delhi - Agra - Bharatpur
By Road 250 km in 6 hr Proceed to Agra in the morning after breakfast.
AGRA: Two great Mughal monarchs, Akbar and Shah Jahan, transformed the little village of Agra into a befitting second capital of the Mughal Empire - giving it the name Dar-ul-Khilafat {seat of the Emperor}. Today a visitor to Agra is caught up in a world of contrasting edifices, of red sandstone and white marble, narrow galleys and quaint buggies, and that irresistible charm that this favorite city of the Mughals still retains. It is not surprising, that modern Agra still reflects its Mughal heritage most conspicuously. A walk down the narrow bustling streets of the city will introduce the visitor to the wafting aroma of Mughlai cuisine. Proceed to Agra in the evening.
Proceed to visit Taj on reaching Agra.
TAJ MAHAL: Little needs to be said about this architectural wonder which
is always the soul raison-de-etre for every tourist's visit to Agra. Built
by Shah Jahan, the Taj is a white marble memorial to his beautiful wife
Mumtaz Mahal. This monument took 22 years to be completed and was designed,
and planned by Persian architect Ustad Isa. Apart from its stunning design
balance and perfect symmetry, the Taj is also noted particularly for its
elegant domes, intricately carved screens and some of the best inlay work
Continue drive to Bharatpur.
The Keoladeo Ghana National Park is one of the finest water-bird sanctuaries in the world. The Maharaja of Bharatpur artificially created the lake and wetland in the 19th century. By building small dykes and dams and diverting water from an irrigation canal, he converted this low-lying area into a fine wild fowl shooting preserve. In a few years, the new wetland surrounded by marginal forests was able to support thousands of water birds.
Commonly referred to as Bharatpur, the Park is a delight for bird watchers. Over 375 species of birds are found here and raised paths, camouflaged by babul trees and undergrowth make viewing easy. A quiet ride by boat in the early hours of the morning is also unforgettable experience ( Depending on water Level). The cacophony is unbelievable as painted storks, open bills, spoonbills, egrets, cormorants, white ibis and multitudes of others, tend their young. Jacanas with their iridescent colors and elegant tail feathers and purple moorhen can be seen delicately treading over the floating vegetation.
Every year Bharatpur waits with bated breath for the arrival of the Siberian cranes. There are only two wintering places for this rare species one in Iran and the other Bharatpur and these beautiful birds with their distinctive red beaks and facial patches, fly over 6400 km from their summer retreats.
Colorful kingfishers, graceful pelicans rare Siberian cranes and Trans- continental fliers - the migratory water - fowl are amongst the 375 species of birds found in the Keoladeo National Park. The most spectacular nesting is that of the egrets, storks, herons and cormorants, which make over 10,000 nests every year. This makes outstanding bird havens of the world. The park covers an area of 28.73km.
The story of Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary is incomplete without an account of the migratory waterfowl. The most prominent waterfowl coming to this park are bareheaded and greyleg geese. Ducks also create a lot of fluttering in the lakes. The ducks usually found here are pintail, widgeon, common
Attracted by the influx of the waterfowl the predatory birds-tawny eagles, spotted eagles short-toed eagles imperial eagles and fishing eagle also arrive. They all form the apex of the biological pyramid of the sanctuary and complete the avian food chain of the ecosystem. There are large herds of the nilgai, chital, wild boar and fear cows in addition to a few herds of sambar.
Reach and check in at the hotel. Overnight will be at Bharatpur.11th Day : Bharatpur
Enjoy BIRDING in the park. Take a boatride in the park and in the afternoon
enjoy the birding from the RICKSHAW again. Overnight will be in Bharatpur.
12th Day : Bharatpur - Delhi
By Road 180 km in 4 hr
Breakfast will be at the resort. Enjoy birding in the park and then start for Delhi after lunch. Reach and check in at hotel. Move to onward journey.
About Customised itinerary of Birding Trip To Himalayas ( Himalayan Birding Trip with Central India ): It would be a pleasure to work out itineraries made specific to your requirements and desires. Simply email the exact details including activities wanted, routings and dates required and we will send back a tailor made package ASAP, to you with all the necessary details, to ensure you have a trip at exactly the pace ideal for you.
Note for Birding Trip To Himalayas ( Himalayan Birding Trip with Central India ): Let Compass India Inc. help you to design your perfect wildlife tour, and combine wildlife safaris with cultural trips to the historic cities of India, Nepal and Sri Lanka. To ensure a right mix of wildlife and care, comfort and adventure, personal likes and passion, with no surprises and no hidden costs in an exotic package called India Ask Compass Team
Want to capture many such extraordinary moments in Indian Wildlife ! Photograph a Tiger in ambush - about to make a kill of some unsuspecting prey or Rhino hidden in tall grass not liking your presence while you are enjoying your Elephant Safari.