Tour Price (Per person): USD7,150 (GBP5,423 * EUR6,260 * AUD10,184)
Pricing notes : Estimate based on a minimum group size of 6 guests. Please contact our Tailor-made team on tailormade@rockjumper.com
The land of rhododendrons, mighty Mount Everest, sub-tropical jungle and incredible landscapes! Once great seas rolled across Nepal some fifteen million years ago, parts of that gigantic seabed becoming the Himalayas – the highest region in the world. Located beneath their southern slopes is the kingdom of Nepal sharing borders in the east, west and south with India and in the north with the Tibetan region of the Peoples Republic of China. At times Nepal has played the role of intermediary between these two great powers, and at other times it has faced the threat of invasion by both of them. Nepal is a beautiful and diverse land with an amazing variety of wildlife and landscapes. Its cultural mix and intriguing history have conquered the hearts and minds of visitors throughout time.
The birding in the region is no less spectacular, and our tour will explore all the key habitats to be found in this small country. The temperate forests of Shivapuri National Park hold Nepal’s only endemic bird; the Spiny Babbler, while Hoary-throated Barwing, a near endemic shared only with Bhutan is also possible. Time will be spent exploring the magnificent Chitwan National Park for a chance to connect with Bengal Florican and endangered mammals such as Tiger and Indian Rhinoceros, while the various gorges and rivers of Hetauda and the riverine grassland in Kosi Tappu Wildlife Reserve allow us to be absorbed into the natural wonder of this incredible destination.
This tour is made available through our Tailor-made tours department. To explore this offering further for pricing, precise day to day itinerary, inclusions & exclusions, or to tailor the tour to your personal requirements, please contact our Tailor-made team on tailormade@rockjumper.com
Spiny & Black-chinned Babblers; Hoary-throated Barwing; Rusty-cheeked Scimitar Babbler; Scaly Thrush; Ibisbill; Wallcreeper; Brown Dipper; Swamp Francolin; White-throated & Streaked Laughingthrushes; White-browed Fulvetta; Whistler’s Warbler; Himalayan Bulbul; White-collared Blackbird; Nepal Fulvetta; Tibetan Serin; Pink-browed Rosefinch; White-tailed Nuthatch; Rufous Sibia.
Tiger; Indian Rhinoceros; Sloth Bear; Rhesus Macaque; Northern Red Muntjac; Hog Deer; Nepal Grey Langur.
Rhododendron slopes, sal woodland, lowland scrub, temperate forest, grasslands, wetlands, lakes.
Typically warm to hot. Higher altitudes vary from cool to cold. Very low chance of rain, althoguh the skies are typically grey and overcast.
8 with 1 Rockjumper leader and local leaders
MODERATE TO CHALLENGING: This tour requires a good level of fitness, stamina, and overall health. It’s best suited for experienced birders who are comfortable with a more active itinerary. Please note that it may not be ideal for avid photographers, new birders, or those with mobility or health concerns.
Moderate to undemanding. Suitable for all birding / wildlife interest levels. Nepal can be an assault on the senses first time around, requiring a little tolerance to begin with.
Comfortable.
Undemanding. Most species provide good visuals in open conditions. Some forest edge, but true forest birding is limited.
Gurung village, Himalayan peaks, Annapurna valley, Nepalese culture & food
Good to excellent. From vehicle and in lodge gardens.
Bobby, our guide, was a solid & knowledgeable leader. His demeanor tends to be quiet & reserved, which worked for this group but may not work with all group dynamics. The lodging for this trip was a bit more rustic than I expected. The local guides used on this trip were excellent & offered additional intel into sightings or hot spots to explore. The group got all endemics possible & overall was a very good trip.
SEChina in winter was sensational thanks to Stephan Lorenz who is a superb birder and guide, as well as being quite personable. He got us such quality birds and some that were quite unexpected. He answers questions and gives information freely. Most importantly If a bird was possible he got it for us. We were all elated with the tour. Jason the local guide was also excellent. I would think this tour will become very popular or should be.
Stu is a personable, helpful, and organized guide and was a pleasure to travel with. He was ready to help not only with finding and identifying birds, but also with little problems that popped up during our trip, as they so often do. Our local guide was likewise consistently friendly and helpful. My main concern is that on this trip, as on past Rockjumper trips, there doesn't seem to be any effort to vet the physical ability of potential group members, and as a result those of us who are prepared for the experience are held back by those who are physically not ready for it. I know that trips are rated on the website in regards to the level of exertion required, but this does not seem to help -- I have been on multiple tours with people who are not physically capable of maintaining a steady level of exertion while birding. This is not fair to those of us who are.
Our trip to Madagascar was wonderful! Rockjumper did a great job with tour logistics, lodging, etc. Best of all was our guide! Lev Frid is an amazing birding/nature guide. He is incredibly good at not only hearing, identifying and finding the birds, but Lev is also able to quickly (and patiently) help all the tour participants get on the birds. In addition, he is just a really fun guy to be with. His sense of humor kept us laughing and his wealth of birding stories kept everyone interested and engaged during the trip. It was amazing to see the wildlife of Madagascar and having Lev as a guide made our experience that much better.
Thanks Stephan for a fantastic tour. The stay at the Monastery was especially memorable.