Bird and wildlife safari in Assam with extension to Darjeeling and Lava
Northeast India - 15 to 21 days

Assam offers an unbelievable abundance of wildlife that is relatively easy to discover. The vast grasslands of Kaziranga National Park harbour the world’s largest population of Indian Rhinoceros, Eastern Swamp Deer, Asiatic Water Buffalo and a significant population of Asian Elephant as well. The park is also home to more than 450 species of birds and one of the best places in the world to observe such rare and endangered species as Swamp Francolin, Bengal Florican, Greater Adjutant, Spot-billed Pelican, Grey-headed Lapwing, Slender-billed Babbler, Black-throated Parrotbill, and Finn’s Weaver. Kaziranga is also home to thousands of migrating wildfowl and waders, hornbills and a variety of forest birds in the nearby broadleaved evergreen forest of Panbari.
Relatively few people visit Nameri National Park, home of the secretive White-winged Duck. Taking a boat ride on the river Jia-Bhoroli is an easy way of seeing fabulous species such as the sought-after Ibisbill, River Lapwing, Small Pratincole, Great Thick-Knee, Crested Kingfisher, and Sand Lark while raptors soar in the sky and flocks of Great and Wreathed Hornbills fly above the broadleaved forest.
Manas National Park at the Bhutanese border, home of the rare Golden Langur, Pygmy Hog and Hispid Hare, reopened only 3 years ago. The variety of scenic landscapes and habitats offers fascinating birding with a nice array of grassland, forest and riverine species.
Darjeeling is a beautiful hill station in the Eastern Himalayas with tea plantations and unique views of the world’s highest peaks. It is also home to an array of fascinating Himalayan species that can be observed relatively easily in and around town. The mature evergreen forests of Lava and Neora Valley National Park harbour such rarities as Satyr Tragopan, Rusty-bellied Shortwing, Blue-fronted Robin, Rufous-throated Wren Babbler, Cutia and Fire-tailed Myzornis though luck is needed to spot any of them.

Day 1
We start from home to Delhi and spend the night on the plane.

Day 2
We spend a day in Delhi and check out locations in the area to look for Grey Francolin, Indian Grey Hornbill, Brown-headed Barbet, Brown Rock-Chat, Dusky Crag Martin, and Large Grey Babbler.
Accommodation: Delhi

Days 3-6
We fly East to Guwahati, capital of Assam. We board our jeeps and reach Manas National Park where we travel by jeep through grassland and forest. We look for the rare Bengal Florican, Pygmy Hog and Hispid Hare. We also take a half-day boat ride on the river to see mammals such as Indian Elephant, Water Buffalo and deer as well as birds like Ibisbill, Crested Kingfisher, Small Pratincole and Great Thick-knee. Optionally we can take a ferry across the river to Bhutan to look for the rare Golden Langur that is more easily encountered there.
Accommodation: Bansbari Lodge, Manas National Park

Days 7-8
We leave for Nameri stopping en route to see Lesser Adjutants, Openbill Storks and egrets feeding on rice fields and if we are lucky we might spot Slender-billed and White-rumped Vulture as well. In Nameri National Park we take a boat ride on the river with stops on the sand banks to look for Ruddy Shelduck, Crested Kingfisher, River Lapwing, Ibisbill, Small Pratincole, Great Thick-knee, Pallas’s Fish Eagle and Sand Lark.
Accommodation: Eco Camp, Nameri National Park

Days 9-13
We take a ferry to the other side of the river to look for the rare White-winged Duck. While walking in the forest we might encounter flocks of hornbills and Spot-winged Starlings. In the afternoon we leave for Kaziranga by jeep and we will have time to get acquainted with birds and butterflies in the lush garden of Wild Grass Resort.
We will spend 4 days in Kaziranga exploring the Central, Western and Eastern Ranges of the park by jeep, stopping at watchtowers to observe the abundance of wildlife on the grasslands, in the pools and rivers. Optionally we can have an early morning elephant ride in the Central Range to see Rhinos and deer grazing close to us and the rare Bengal Florican if we are lucky. We also explore the Tea Garden at Wild Grass, home to many bird species not found elsewhere in the park such as Siberian Rubythroat, Greater and Lesser Necklaced Laughingthrush, White-browed Scimitar-Babbler among others. We also visit Panbari Forest near Kaziranga, home of Hoolock Gibbons, Capped Langurs and woodland birds such as Red-headed Trogon, Kalij Pheasant, Blue-bearded Bee-eater, Spangled Drongo and Hill Myna.
As an option we can organise a 1-day tour to Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary, the only place in India where 7 species of primates: Hoolock Gibbon, Assamese Macaque, Pig-tailed Macaque, Stump-tailed Macaque, Rhesus Macaque, Capped Langur, and Slow Loris can be seen.
Accommodation: Wild Grass Resort, Kaziranga National Park

Day 14
After breakfast we travel to Guwahati Airport by jeep from where we fly back to Delhi.
Accommodation: Delhi

Day 15
We depart home in the morning and arrive there in the evening.

Extension to Darjeeling and West Bengal

Days 14-15
We fly from Guwahati to Bagdogra Airport and travel in jeeps to Darjeeling. In the city we visit the Zoo and the Botanical Garden to get familiar with the bird species of the Eastern Himalayas such as Scaly Thrush, Large and Rufous-bellied Niltava, Black-throated Tit, White-tailed Nuthatch, Red-billed Leiothrix, 3 species of Minla, Rufous-winged Fulvetta, Whiskered Yuhina, Rufous Sibia, and Green-tailed Sunbird among others.
Accommodation: hotel in Darjeeling

Days 16-18
We get up early to see the sun rise over Kanchenjunga, the second highest peak in the Himalayas. On Tiger Hill we will be looking for bird species such as Yellow-billed Blue Magpie, Yellowish-bellied and Aberrant Bush Warbler, Broad-billed Warbler, Slender-billed Scimitar Babbler, Golden-breasted Fulvetta, and Black-throated Parrotbill. In the afternoon we leave for Lava by jeep stopping en route to enjoy scenic views and to observe the occasional Indian Peafowl, Himalayan Bulbul and other species.
In Lava we visit several trails looking for such specialties as Ferruginous, White-gorgeted and Sapphyre Flycatcher, Black-faced, Striated and Scaly Laughingthrush, Brown Bullfinch, Gold-naped Finch and Plain Mountain Finch among others.
We also make a day trip to Neora Valley National Park, one of the last remaining pristine ecosystems in the Eastern Himalayas. It is home to many rare and endangered plant and animal species among them the exquisite Red Panda and birds such as Satyr Tragopan, Gould’s Shortwing, Blue-fronted Robin and Spotted Laughingthrush.
Accommodation: lodge in Lava

Day 19
We explore one more trail in Lava to search for Large Hawk, Oriental and Grey-bellied Cuckoo, Chestnut-bellied Rock Thrush, Dark-throated Thrush, Grey-winged Blackbird, Ashy-throated, Buff-barred, Chestnut-crowned and Whistler’s Warbler. After lunch we head back to Darjeeling.
Accommodation: hotel in Darjeeling

Day 20
We board our jeeps for the last time to go to Bagdogra Airport from where we fly to Delhi.
Accommodation: Delhi

Day 21
We depart home in the morning and arrive there in the evening.