KAZIRANGA - NAMERI - SHILLONG - NAMDAPHA- CALCUTTA

15 days London to London

Day 1: London to India
Depart for Calcutta flying direct with British Airways (daily departures).

Day 2: London - Calcutta - Kaziranga
Arrive Calcutta early morning. Met on arrival at the visitor's lounge and transferred to your hotel Hyatt Regency near airport for freshening up. Later in the day you will be transferred to the airport to connect to your flight to Guwahati. Met on arrival and transferred to Wild Grass Lodge in Kaziranga National Park (5 hrs). Prior to the departure you will stop near Ulubari Bazaar to try for the Greater Adjutant Stork.

Day 3: Kaziranga
Early this morning we will go for an Elephant Ride to the Central Range of Kaziranga National Park. There have been reports of good tiger sightings from this area. There are some great perches on this trail for raptor sightings, as well as lakes with otters and groups of wild elephants moving through the park.
Afternoon we will be in the Eastern Range where the largest lake is full of migratory waterfowl. It is also the place to see the One Horned Rhinoceros and the wild water buffalo cooling from the Indian Sun. With luck you can go all the way to the mighty Brahmaputra to see the Gangetic Dolphin.

Day 4: Kaziranga
Early this morning we will move to Panbari Forest Reserve to search for rare Hoolock Gibbon (only ape in India) and Hornbills. This area is also good for woodland birds such as Yellow-vented Warbler, Great Hornbill, and Redheaded Trogon.
Afternoon we will head for the Western Range where we probably get the best chance to see raptors.

Day 5: Kaziranga - Nameri

This morning we will proceed by road to Nameri National Park (85 kms 2hrs) for a full day bird-watching tour. We will arrange accommodation at Nameri in tented camps for overnight stay.

Situated in an excellent forest on the northern edge of the Brahmaputra River flood plain it is a very rich birding area (370 species recorded so far), perhaps rivalling Manas National Park, which has been closed to visitors for about 12 years. The White-bellied Heron and White-winged Duck are both found here but will take some luck to see. Other species that are on the park list that you may encounter are: Jerdon's Baza, Oriental Honey-Buzzard, Pallas's, Lesser, and Grey-headed Fish-Eagles, Rufous-bellied Eagle, Changeable Hawk-Eagle, Swamp Francolin, White-cheeked Partridge, Kalij Pheasant, Grey Peacock-Pheasant, Masked Finfoot (rare), Pale-capped and Pin-tailed Pigeons, Common Hawk-Cuckoo, Asian Emerald Cuckoo, Blue-eared Kingfisher, Blue-bearded Bee-eater, Wreathed and Great Hornbills, Spot-bellied Eagle-Owl, Brown and Tawny Fish-Owls, Streak-throated Woodpecker, Long-tailed Broadbill, White-throated Bulbul, Black-backed and Spotted Forktails, Large Scimitar-Babbler, Rufous- necked Laughingthrush, and Green Magpie.

Day 6: Nameri to Shillong

Early this morning we will be going by road to Shillong (80 kms 2hrs) in the state of Meghalaya (Literally meaning Land of Clouds).
Hidden below the state of Assam in the state of Meghalaya Shillong is a popular hill station. Home to the Dark Rumped Swift and Mausynram - the wettest place on Earth- it also has some beautiful waterfalls and orchids to offer.
On arrival you will check in to your hotel The Polo Towers for 02 nights.
The hotel has 50 rooms with telephone, television and attached private facilities. Other amenities include swimming pool, shopping arcade, table tennis, golf and multi-cuisine restaurant.
Location: Guwahati Airport - 120 kilometers: Shillong Airport - 31 kilometers: Guwahati Railway Station - 100 kilometers: City Centre - 1 kilometer
Government grading: Four-star hotel
Our comments: a budget property with poor maintenance. The location is however very good After freshening up you will proceed to the Shillong Peak (1965 meters; 10 kms from town) to look for Tawny-breasted Wren Babbler and other Northeast Indian hills state species such as Crested Finchbill, Rustycapped Fulvetta, Striated Bulbul, etc.

Day 7: Shillong

This morning we will be birding at Mawphlang to try for Golden Babbler, Chestnut-crowned Laughingthrush, White-browed Shrike Babbler, Rufous-winged Fulvetta, Grey Sibia, Ashy Bush Robins etc.
Later we will proceed to Cherrapunjee (2 hrs) to look for Dark-rumped Swift an endemic species.
Evening will be free to explore this hilly station wrapped in myths and cloud.

Day 8: Shillong - Guwahati - Dibrugarh - Namdapha

This morning we will proceed by road to Guwahati (103 kms; 3hrs) to connect to our flight to Dibrugarh to proceed to our next destination - Namdapha National Park for 05 nights. En-route we will be birding along Old Shillong - Guwahati Road mainly trying for the endemic Grey Sibia. Also we may see the Stripe Breasted Woodpeckers, Maroon Orioles and Rufescent Prinia. Met on arrival at Mohanbari (Dibrugarh) airport and transferred to Deban Rest house via the checkpost at Miao (215 kms 5hrs) to Namdapha.
Namdapha, located in Arunachal Pradesh one of the remotest states of India in the Northeastern corner is one of the most biogeographically diverse area in India. Its avifauna is a unique blend of Himalayan, Sino-Tibetan and Indo-Burmese form. The mammals found here include the Clouded and Snow Leopard along with the Tiger and the leopard. It is the place form where recently the two new species of deer to India was discovered. In short it is the 'The Last Wilderness'. The forest here is primitive with only restricted areas open for foreigners and Indians alike.
N.B. You will require a Restricted Area Permit, which we will organise for you to visit Arunachal Pradesh.
Overnight we will be at the rustic Deban Resthouse.
Deban rest house is at 390 meters altitude inside Namdapha National Park. It is a basic rest house with clean sheets and beds and lodging facilities with five rooms and excellent location.
The rest house is located above the confluence of Deban and Noa-dihing Rivers and is surrounded by forests rich in woodpeckers, babblers and thrushes.

Day 9: Namdapha (Deban - Firmbase)

Early in the morning we will explore the Gibbon's Land area and the adjoining Moti jheel. Here we will try to see the Little Heron, Black Stork, Sand Lark, Striated Grassbird, Snowy Throated Babbler, Rufous-necked Laughingthrush, Pale Blue Flycatcher and Blyth's Kingfisher.
Later trek to Firmbase (13 kms/ 5hrs). Overnight stay will be at the basic forest guesthouse.

Day 10: Namdapha (Firmbase - Hornbill)

Early morning we will trek to Hornbill Camp (8kms/4h). This area is good for Great, Rufous-necked and Wreathed Hornbill. Other species include the Jerdon's Baza, Crested Goshawk, Rufous Bellied Eagle, White Tailed Eagle, White Cheeked Partridge, Kalij Pheasant, Pallas's Gull, Pompadour, Thick-billed and Pin-tailed Pigeons, Green and Mountain Imperial Pigeons, Green Billed Malkoha, Mountain and Collared Scops Owl, Speckled and White Browed Spiculets, Chestnut Headed Tesias, Rufous Gorgetted, Little Pied, Ultramarine, Snowy-browed, Sapphire, Hill Blue and Pygmy Blue Flycatchers, yellow Bellied, Broad-billed, Chestnut-headed, Grey Cheeked, Golden-spectacled and Blyth's Leaf Warbler. Overnight we will be camping at the Hornbill Jungle Camp.

Day 11: Namdapha (Hornbill - Bulbulia)

Early morning we will proceed for a day trek to Ranijheel (800 meters; 7kms each way). Here and along the way up you will try for Pale-headed Woodpecker, Red-billed Scimitar Babbler, Lesser and Greater Rufous-headed Parrotbills. Later we will return to Hornbill for overnight stay at Hornbill Jungle Camp.
Hornbill Jungle camp is a basic camp with clean lodging and dining facilities and four rooms. It is located inside the park with some open area to move about overlooking the forest.

Day 12: Namdapha (Bulbulia- Haldibari - Deban)

Early this morning we proceed for a trek to Haldibari and explore the area for the. Later we trek back to Deban (25 kms/7 hrs). Overnight you will be at Forest lodge in Deban.

Day 13: Deban - Dibrugarh

Early morning we will try the area around Deban forest rest house for Black-breasted Thrush, the river area for Ibisbill, Crested Kingfisher, White Bellied Heron and the Lesser Fish Eagle. Later we will return to Dibrugarh via Miao. On arrival you will check in to the Chang Bungalow for overnight stay.
Tea is grown in India for almost 200 years now and the Assam Tea known for its colour and strong body. The seeds of the tea that we see today go through a lot of research and experiment before they are carefully nurtured by the women to finally land up as an invigorating cup of tea before us. In the process of tea-making the Planter plays a key role and lives in the two tier bungalows known as Chang Bungalows where the tea is dried after plucking in the lower tier and the Manager lives upstairs always keeping an eye on the tea below.

Day 14: Dibrugarh - Calcutta

Early morning we will take a tour through the tea plantation to have a feel of the Assam tea and the story behind it. Later today you will be transferred to the airport in time to board our flight to Calcutta. On arrival you will check-in to The Park for overnight stay.
The Park Hotel is equivalent to our 4 star hotels, in an excellent location offering very good service and wonderful restaurants. Rooms here very comfortable, with all those facilities usually offered by a hotel of this standard. This evening you will go for a guided tour through the city of Calcutta.
Calcutta is a city of glaring contrasts: a curious blend of the old and the new, partly feudal, partly born out of growing urbanisation, partly un-definable. It is a medley of the east and the west, a graft of a European city imposed on the Asian landscape that gives Calcutta its bewildering charm, confusion and excitement. Being just about 300 years old, Calcutta hardly has many great historical monuments. Perhaps, the oldest remembered is the site where the Kalighat Temple now stands. Today Calcutta is the largest city in India with a population over 10 million and boasts of India's first ever Metro rail system. It is a city that shocks on first impression but eventually the visitor falls in love with it.

The sightseeing of the city includes a visit to the Victoria Memorial, Calcutta's most imposing and monumental dream in marble opened by the Prince of Wales in 1921 and often called the "Taj" of the British Raj, St. Paul's Cathedral and the Indian Museum, the largest in India, with one of the best collections of Indian art.

Day 15: Calcutta - London

This morning we will be transferred to Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport for our flight BA 146 to London. Suggested check-in time to the airport is at Estimated time of departure from Calcutta.
Extension: Sunderban Wildlife Sanctuary:

Day 15: Calcutta - Sunderban Wildlife Sanctuary

This morning we will proceed by road to Sonakhali (2 hrs 30 mins) On arrival to Sonakhali Jetty we will move in to a semi-luxury boat for 02 nights. Cruise to Sudhanyakhali watchtower through mangrove creeks and canals of Sunderban Wildlife Sanctuary.
Sunderban Wildlife Sanctuary: The Sunderbans, extending over an area of 1,000,000 hectares, is the world's largest delta, formed by the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers. The region has extensive mangrove forests and the contours are in a constant state of flux, caused by the monsoon flooding each year. Roughly a third of the delta is water, consisting of rivers, channels and tidal creeks up to 8 kilometers wide.
The area of the Reserve is 2585 sq. km., covering land area of 1600 sq. km. and the water body occupying over 985 sq. km. Within this area, 1330.12 sq. km. is designated as core area, which was subsequently declared as Sundarbans National Park in 1984. The entire Sundarbans area was declared as Biosphere Reserve in 1989.
The main attractions of the Sunderbans are the Tiger, large reptiles like the Monitor Lizard, Estuarine Crocodile the Olive Ridley Turtle, and the Indian Python.
Here we will see the Black Capped, White Collared, Stork Billed, Brown Winged, Common and Pied Kingfisher. Other birds include the Scarlet Flowerpecker, Mangrove Whistler, Grey and Purple heron, Asian Openbill, Little Green Heron, Forest wagtail, Asian Paradise Flycatcher, Loten's and Purple Rumped Sundird. Afternoon we will visit Sajnekhali watchtower. From the watchtower we will try to catch a glimpse of the elusive Tiger. Other mammals expected are the Chital, Wild Boar and the Rhesus Macaque. After spending some time on the watch tower we will anchor for the day. Evening at leisure on the boat. Overnight you will be at the boat.

Day 16: Sunderban Widlife Sanctuary
This morning we will be birding from the boat. Our efforts will be primarily focused on seeing the Goliath Heron the largest heron in the world. Later in the morning we will cruise to Bagna and Burir Dabri watchtower to try for mammals sighting form the boat.
Evening local cultural show in village Bali. Cruise back to anchoring point. Overnight we will be at the boat.

Day 17: Sunderban Wildlife Sanctuary - Calcutta
Morning we will go for creeks cruise by manually oared country boat for about an hour. We will see the highly endemic mangrove flora from close quarters and also hope to see the Salt Water Crocodile and the Water Monitor. If we are lucky we may catch a glimpse of the Indian Rock Python or some other snake. Later in the morning cruise to Dobanki and Netidhobani watchtower to sight wildlife. Cruise back to Sonakhali. Upon arrival at Sonakhali jetty you will be transferred to the car for surface transfer to Kolkata. Met on arrival and transferred to your hotel. Overnight you will be in your hotel- The Park
The Park Hotel is equivalent to our 4 star hotels, in an excellent location offering very good service and wonderful restaurants. Rooms here very comfortable, with all those facilities usually offered by a hotel of this standard. This evening you will go for a guided tour through the city of Calcutta.
Calcutta or is a city of glaring contrasts: a curious blend of the old and the new, partly feudal, partly born out of growing urbanisation, partly un-definable. It is a medley of the east and the west, a graft of a European city imposed on the Asian landscape that gives Calcutta its bewildering charm, confusion and excitement. Being just about 300 years old, Calcutta hardly has many great historical monuments. Perhaps, the oldest remembered is the site where the Kalighat Temple now stands. Today Calcutta is the largest city in India with a population over 10 million and boasts of India's first ever Metro rail system. It is a city that shocks on first impression but eventually the visitor falls in love with it.

The sightseeing of the city includes a visit to the Victoria Memorial, Calcutta's most imposing and monumental dream in marble opened by the Prince of Wales in 1921 and often called the "Taj" of the British Raj, St. Paul's Cathedral and the Indian Museum, the largest in India, with one of the best collections of Indian art.

Day 18: Calcutta - London

This morning we will proceed to Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport for your flight to London. Suggested check-in time to the airport is at Estimated time of departure form Calcutta airport.
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