Activity level:

easy/moderate walks, some longer drives

Asia / Burma

Endemic birds and pagodas
Burma, 14 birding days
 
Myanmar, formerly known as Burma is one of the most diverse countries in Southeast Asia in terms of birds. Stretching from the Himalayas to the tropical jungles of Tenasserim it hosts over 1,000 bird species. It offers a wide variety of habitats from unspoilt forests to spectacular lakes and scenic mountains. The country has presently 6 endemic species, Hooded Treepie, Jerdon’s Minivet, Burmese Bushlark, White-throated Babbler, Chin Hills Wren-Babbler and White-browed Nuthatch and many regional endemics.
Our tour takes you to the capital Yangon (Ragoon) with its rich architecture of golden pagodas and colonial buildings, and with its lush city parks. Bagan, a cultural heritage site dotted with more than 4,000 pagodas offers easy birding in a spectacular setting. Mount Victoria is a fabulous place with premier birding in different type of habitats offering Blyth’s Tragopan, Hume’s Pheasant, laughingthrushes, barwings, yuhinas, wren-babblers and many other sought-after species. In the Shan Hills lies Kalaw, a former British Hill Station with broadleaved evergreen and montane forests home to the near endemic Burmese Yuhina. Lake Inle in the East of the country is famous for its unique setting among high mountains and for the leg-rowing technique of local fisherman. The lake is excellent for birdwatching and for taking boat tours to marvel at the locals living on the lake.

Fact File
- 14 days in Burma visiting national parks and reserves for endemic and rare birds
- start and finish in Yangon
- using 5 accommodations close to the sites
- using 3 internal flights from Yangon to Bagan, from Bagan to Heho and from Heho to Yangon

Highlights
- visiting the fabulous Mt. Victoria with unique birds and isolated tribes
- exploring Bagan with its thousands of pagodas and endemic birds
- visiting Inle Lake famous for its setting and the leg-rowing fishermen
- 5 endemic species: Hooded Treepie, Jerdon’s Minivet, Burmese Bushlark, White-throated Babbler and White-browed Nuthatch
- regional endemics and wintering Himalayan bird species
- beautiful scenery, friendly people

Accommodation
1 night in Yangon
3 nights in Bagan
6 nights on Mt. Victoria
2 nights in Kalaw
1 night at Lake Inle

Departure Dates
TBA

Price
Ask for the actual price.

Our price includes:
- all travel within the country as noted in the itinerary;
- all accommodation based on shared rooms (most rooms are twin bedded), at most locations there are single rooms as well for extra charge (Please ask for a single room at the time of booking!);
- 3 meals per day, generally breakfast at the accommodation, packed lunch, dinner (consists of at least two courses);
- services of the leader(s);
- trip materials.

Not included:
- flight to and from Yangon;
- optional programmes to places of interest and its entrance fees,
- passports and visas,
- airport and other departure taxes, tips,
- food beyond generally 3 meals/day mentioned in the itineraries,
- camera charges in national parks,
- immunizations,
- excess baggage charges,
- telephone calls,
- alcoholic beverages,
- compulsory personal insurance.
If you have questions about the inclusion of any cost item, please contact us.

Activity level
Generally easy walks
Longer drives on some days
During the day hot and sunny, cooler temperatures during the night and early morning

Optional programmes
Boat trip on the Irrawaddy River at Bagan
Boat trip on Lake Inle

Itinerary

1 2	We depart to Yangon spending the night on the plane. We arrive to Yangon (Rangoon) in the morning and spend the rest of the day in the city visiting Shwedagon Paya and the city park for some birding.

3	We fly to Bagan and spend the afternoon taking a boat trip on the Irrawaddy River looking for Great Thick-Knee, Small Pratincole, River Lapwing and Black-bellied Tern.

4	We spend a day in Bagan birding among the pagodas in dry open country looking for White-throated Babbler, Jerdon’s Minivet, Burmese Bushlark and Burmese Shrike.

5	After a morning birding we leave for Mt. Victoria birding en route.

6-10	We spend 5 full days at Mt. Victoria exploring various zones of the park looking for White-browed Nuthatch, Mount Victoria Babax, Chin Hills Wren-Babbler, Hume’s Pheasant, Brown-capped Laughingthrush, Red-faced Liocichla, Himalayan Cutia, Broad-billed Warbler and Black-bibbed Tit.

11	We leave the Chin Hills and drive to Bagan birding on the way.

12	After a short morning birding in Bagan we fly east to Heho to reach the colonial hill station of Kalaw.

13	We spend a day birding around Yay-aye-kan Reservoir near Kalaw to look for such enigmatic species as Burmese Yuhina and Giant Nuthatch among others in the evergreen forest.

14	We drive to Lake Inle to take a boat tour on the lake looking for Jerdon’s Bushchat, White-tailed Stonechat and Collared Myna.

15 15

After a final morning birding at the lake we drive to Heho to fly back to Yangon. There we catch our flight back home spending the night on the plane. We arrive back home after an overnight flight.