The rooftop of the world

Itinerary ...

You will be met at Delhi International airport and transferred to the Ashok Country Resort, a 20 minute drive away. This is a comfortable place to relax a day or two after long flights and the grounds will introduce you to some of the more common birds of NW India such as Indian Gray Hornbill, Rufous Treepie, Rose-ringed Parakeet and the ever present Black Kites circling overhead.

New Delhi is a large, modern city with more than 24 million people. Since the 13th Century it has been the capital of two major empires and so abounds with historical sites, spice markets and souks. It would be easy to organize a day visiting the key areas before the official tour starts.

Day 1

The official start of the tour and we start early to miss the traffic. We leave Delhi and head south through the northern plains and have breakfast en route. Of course there is coffee and Chai. We will eat local food that is safe … Mansala dosas from South India; chola masala with puri; or western food.

We pass alongside the ancient Aravalli hills and small farms and arrive at our hotel (Ranthambore heritage Haveli) prior to lunch with ample time to settle in and relax before the first of three safaris in Ranthambore National Park.

Birding is fun around the hotel as there is open scrub and small wetlands. If you are patient, we will see the cryptic Painted Snipe and close by we have chances for Painted Sandgrouse.  

In the afternoon we take a 4-hour safari through Ranthambore National Park, returning in the evening to relax.

Day 2

Ranthambore National Park, located in the state of Rajasthan, is world famous for its Royal Bengal Tigers. Its 10th Century fort stands guard over the hilly terrain, open dry forests and lakes. Initially a royal hunting forest, it came under the protection of Project Tiger in the early 70's when Tigers were rapidly going extinct. Machli is perhaps the most famous tiger in the world and although past now, she is related to more than fifty percent of the 80 tigers currently living in the protected area. She was made famous by the numerous films and her ability to hunt and catch mugger crocodiles.

We leave early in the morning for our second safari. Accompanied by a local guide and a sharp eyed driver, they have the local knowledge of where the animals are likely to be found and are full of stories and information. We are in open topped safari vehicles, but don't worry. We are not allowed to get down (except for a bathroom break stop) and Tigers have become accustomed to the safari vehicles so it is possible to see one up close … so close you can hear them breathe.

Each driving route is a little different and we will see Spotted and Sambar Deer, Gazelle, wild pigs, Mugger crocodile, various monkeys… maybe an Indian mongoose … maybe a monitor lizard. Nothing is guaranteed but this is the best place in India to encounter a Tiger and on my last visit the group saw 7 individuals. Sloth Bears and leopards are also possible but rarer.

But it's not all about the Tigers. There are plenty of birds too. Typically we see more than 80 species with Gray Francolins common and the rare and colorful Painted Francolin a great find. Black-rumped Flamebacks will introduce us to the large assortment of Indian Woodpeckers and we need to keep eyes peeled to the sky for Crested Serpent Eagles and vultures such as Egyptian and Indian. Spot-breasted Fantails are common and are fun to watch as they dance along branches and flash white in their tail.

We retreat to the hotel for lunch as the temperatures climb and return for our third and last safari in the afternoon, leaving in the evening

Day 3

After a leisurely breakfast we leave by our bus to head to Bharatpur, to the north. The travel time is about 4-hours and we arrive for lunch at the historic Birders Inn Resort. After lunch we leave our bus behind and are picked up by rickshaws. It's only a five minute drive to the Keoladeo National Park entrance and from here we will drive slowly up the central track, jumping off to bird whenever we want… and this will be frequent, as there are a lot of birds.

This is one of the most famous birding sites in India and comprises scrub, small areas of gallery forest and extensive wetlands. There are no Tigers here, so it's safe to walk: Mammals are seen frequently including Spotted Deer, Nilgai, Jackal, Wild Pigs, macaques ..and occasionally wild cats. It's also a good place to see giant boas and a colony of fruit bats. But really, the birds rule. 

Most of the ducks have left for northern breeding grounds but we are still in the migration window for Asian shorebirds. Indian Pittas and cuckoo have arrived and Common Hawk Cuckoos will be singing their insistent “brain fever” calls. Common Coucals are all over, different bulbuls and mynas. Huge Dusky Eagle Owls will be found nesting as well as smaller Spotted Owlets and Indian Scops Owls. There are two species of Jacanas. Swamp hens, Egrets, kingfishers, herons and storks ..and many raptors. It is a bird fes! 

Day 4

We are back at Keoladeo National Park all day today to slowly work through the preserve. We will look for the giant Sarus Cranes and probably compile more than a hundred species today. It's always fun to come across the secretive Indian thick knees sheltering the daylight hours under a bush or an Indian Nightjar lying flat on a tree branch. We are introduced to the endemic White-checked Barbet and the more abundant and tiny Coppersmith Barbet. You will quickly realize that many of these birds are range restricted to the Indian Subcontinent. It's nice relaxed birding, and a great chance for bird photography.  

Typically we take lunch in the park close to a small Shiva temple, but if too hot we will retreat to the hotel before an afternoon session.

Day 5

It's hard to escape the birds but today we focus on travel and culture. After breakfast we drive an hour and a half to the historic city of Agra and visit one of the seven wonders of the world; the iconic Taj Mahal. We will take on a local guide to accompany us and explain the history and cultural relevance. Time permitting we wander the back streets along the Yamuna River where funeral pyres and ghats are found way off the beaten track. By the afternoon we head back to Delhi via a market for souvenirs to the Ashok Country Resort.

Day 6

There is no need to spend long in Delhi and its heat. Today we take an early morning flight north to the Kashmir Valley and the city of Srinagar. We are in a totally different part of the country and you will see mosques alongside the Hindu and Seik temples. Part of the city “floats” on Dahl Lake. We check into the Alhamra Resort and then enjoy the cooler temperatures as we bird in the afternoon around the lake and the Shankaracharya Hill forest area. We are surrounded in the distance by the Pirpanjal mountains to the west and south and the massive Himalayas to the north and east. It's spectacular. 

Day 7 

We depart early for Daksum and have breakfast en route. Here we climb up into the Himalayas and the roads become twisty as we rise in elevation. We check into the Paradise Hotel and after lunch head up into the higher mountains and pine forests of Sinthan top at 12,000ft.  

At the higher elevations we are likely to see Monal, mountain Finches, Rose Finches, Kashmir Nutcracker, choughs, accentors, tits and a whole variety of warblers…. At lower elevations, in the Pine Forests we find the strange Koklas pheasant, many Woodpecker species, white cheeked Nuthatch, Spotted forktail .. the list just goes on. We can find Himalayan Blue-tails and rubythroats … It really is fantastic birding.

For those super keep birders there will be a chance to look for Owls in the early evening where Tawny Owl and Collared Owlet are possible. 

Day 8

In the morning we bird in similar areas across the elevational gradient looking for species we missed earlier. Difficult to see bush robins and thrushes, Kashmir Nuthatch, laughing thrushes, and redstarts, and brown dippers along the mountain streams … lots of raptors too including the bearded and Himalayan griffon vultures.

After lunch we head back to Srinagar and then Alhamra hotel. Depending on the reports from the guides we may stay here for an additional day instead of the scheduled day 9 below.

Day 9

We make a day excursion to Gulmarg into the pine forests to the west of Srinagar. Expect similar species, but we will always be finding new birds. We are hoping for the rare Orange bullfinch, endemic to this small part of the Himalayas. Birds often join feeding flocks and after finding one, we stay with it to identify as many as 15 or 20 accompanying species!

Day 10

Hold on .. today we drive to Kargil, stopping for birding en route. The scenery is spectacular as we climb in elevation to almost 9,000ft and the Chutuk Heights hotel. In the sub alpine scrub we look for one of the rarest birds in the world: the long billed bush warbler. It would have been possible to fly directly from Srinagar to Leh but we want to experience the spectacular scenery, small mountain villages and have a chance to bird along the way in this remote region.  Very few birders cone here!

Day 11

Mostly a travel day with birding stops along the way. We cross the Zogi La Pass at 11,500ft and cross over the Himalayan mountains and onto the Tibetan Plateau. Things change. We are in the domain of Buddhist and monasteries .. prayer flags draped over trees and bridges. We end up in the city of Leh at the Tsokar Resort. At a similar elevation to the previous pass we are surrounded by massive mountains that rise up above us.

Day 12

We stay in the Indus Valley close to Leh and bird at some close locations such as the Chushot Marshes and Shey and the afternoon around the Spituk marshes. The habitat is very open and wild so it's easy to break off and visit a couple of ancient monasteries.

One of the most sought after birds of the trip will be quickly found, the stunning Ibisbill .. the odd shorebird that breeds on gravel bars in the fast flowing rivers here. Fire fronted serins are common in the weedy fields .. and we will see Mountain chiffchaff, Eurasian Magpies, Hobby and the beautiful hill pigeons. This is a very under-birded area and many rare migrants have turned up. Who knows what we will find!

Day 13

Another exciting day surrounded by mountains. We travel across Khardung La (5,377 m) to Nubra Valley and visit the Diskit Monastery and Hunder Sand Dunes. Continue to Agyam village for birding and stay at the Sand Dune resort in Nubra.

The rocky pass is great for Himalayan and Tibetan Snowcocks, Brown and Robin accentor, and snowfinches. We will get good views of white winged redstarts. This area is famous for the Eurasian Lynx and we will have two local spotters with us to give us up to date information.

Perhaps the most sought after species in Ladakh is not a bird; the Snow Leopard. The best time to see them is during the frigid winter months. In the summer, they go up in elevation to rocky regions away from road access. Occasionally an older animal is found lower down. We will activate trackers in several villages who will notify us if an animal is found. Obviously, we will adapt the schedule to accommodate a sighting and up to date information. It's a slim chance but we will use our connections in the local villages to give us the best opportunity of a slim chance!

Many of the birds here are similar to other locations in Ladakh which gives us the best opportunity to catch up with them. Here we look for the pastel colored white-browed tit warbler, the twite and two owls: the giant Eurasian eagle owl and the much smaller Little Owl. We are always on the look out for the Wallcreeper!

Day 14

Drive to Sakti via Wari La Pass (5,330 m), known for its rich high-altitude biodiversity. We stay at the Fani Resort in Sakti.

At the higher elevations close to the pass we can find our second species of Dipper; the white throated Dipper. We should find western house martins and Eurasian skylarks and if we are lucky Red fronted Rosefinch. Bearded vultures and Upland buzzards are seen in the area hunting over this barren landscape. We will also look out for Eurasian Crag Martin.

Day 15

Travel to Pangong Lake via Chang La, passing through Durbook, Tangtse, Lukung, Spangmik, and Maan villages. We stay at the Rangjun retreat.

Amongst the backdrop of the huge mountains and the crystal clear blue lake we find some key species that nest in this high elevation desert: Tibetan Sand plover, bar headed goose, and desert Wheatear. We should find Rosy pipits in their rosy summer plumage, always a treat. We should also be on the lookout for Tibetan Partridge and Black- necked Cranes.

Day 16

We keep heading SE to the small village on Hanle and stay at the Padma homestay.

We will spend two nights in this important wetlands and explore the neighboring Plateau. The mammals here are amazing and we have good chances to see Tibetan wolf, Tibetan Gazelle, sand fox, and pallas's cat.

Here we find some of the very unique and special birds of the area: Tibetan Sandgrouse and Tibetan Partridge, Mongolian and humes finches .. and the ground tit which is a real character. In the marshy wetlands we will find breeding Solitary Snipe and black necked cranes.

Day 17

We stay the full day in the Hanle Basin checking out the unique area..

Day 18

We travel to Tso Kar Lake and stay at the Tso Kar Eco resort. 

This is another famous lake and wetlands. In the surrounding areas we will look for great and Blandford's rosefinch.

Day 19

Morning birding at Tso Kar, followed by return to Leh via Tanglang La and Rumtse Valley. Stay at the Tsokar retreat.

Day 20

Unfortunately the tour is over. We fly out of Leh in the morning to Delhi. We transfer to the hotel Ashok Country Resort close to the airport, or stay at the airport for our flight home.