WILDLIFE EXPEDITION INDIA
A JOURNEY TO SEE THE RED PANDA’S
Sample Itinerary
You’ve seen the adorable red panda represented in many forms (Po, Mozilla Firefox, etc), but you’ve never seen it in its habitat.
And you probably won’t unless you’re ready to explore the beautiful Singalila National park along the India Nepal Himalayan Frontier, on this incredible Red Panda Expedition to Northeastern India.
The Red Panda is classified as endangered and a shy, solitary creature that lives in the remote, high-altitude forest in Asia. It is much smaller than the better known giant panda, just larger than a domestic cat, and is arboreal, even sleeping in trees, and mainly active at dawn and dusk. All this makes the red panda hard to see, but on this wildlife tour you spend several days in Singalila National Park in northeast India, a known red panda hotspot, so your chances of spotting one among the trees are good.
Singalila is a beautiful park with a mixture of temperate and alpine vegetation including orchids, magnolias and rhododendrons. It’s a beautiful backdrop for daily treks in search of not just the red panda but other mammals such as Himalayan black bear, clouded leopard, barking deer, pangolin and wild boar, plus a wide range of birds many of which are rare. All in all, this is a nature lover’s and wildlife enthusiast’s dream destination.
At the end of your trip, visit the famous colonial Hill Station Darjeeling and visit its rolling tea gardens and Buddhist Monastery.
Highlights
STARTS AT
USD per Person
THIS IS A CUSTOMIZABLE ITINERARY FOR GROUPS OF ALL SIZES.
DATES ARE AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST.
DAY 1: ARRIVAL TO DELHI
Upon arrival at the Delhi international airport, you’ll be greeted and transferred to your hotel near the airport. Settle in and rest after your long journey.
- Overnight: JW Marriott Delhi Aerocity or similar
- Meals: none
DAY 2: FLY TO BAGDOGRA AND TRANSFER TO SILIGURI
After an early breakfast, you will be transferred to the domestic airport for a morning flight to Bagdogra in northeast India, arriving around 1 pm.
Upon arrival, you’ll be shown to the transfer vehicle for the journey to Siliguri, a drive of around half an hour, where you spend the night at a hotel in the city. The rest of the day has been left free so you can relax after the journey.
- Overnight: Courtyard by Marriott Siliguri
- Meals: breakfast
DAY 3: SILIGURI TO HABRES NEST (BASE CAMP LODGE)
This morning you will continue the journey to Singalila National Park. The first part of the drive takes you to Manebhanjan, a journey of around 3 hours. Here you transfer to a 4×4 vehicle for the 3 hours ride through rugged Himalayan scenery to Habre’s Nest in Singalila National Park, near the Nepalese border. You will be based here for the next few days as you explore the park. Lunch will be ready for your arrival.
Prior to your arrival, trackers have been searching for red pandas and noting their locations, so this afternoon you can set off for your first expedition into the national park, a good chance to adjust to your new surroundings and to get to know your naturalist guide. Return to the lodge in time for dinner
- Overnight: Habres Nest
- Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
DAY 4: SEARCHING FOR RED PANDAS
Your first day exploring Singalila National Park starts with an early breakfast so you can make the most of your time. The group is led by a naturalist guide and accompanied by porters, and you travel by 4×4 and on foot as you search for red pandas, preceded by trackers who advise the guide of sightings.
The red panda, also known as a ‘firefox’, spends most of its time among the trees feeding on bamboo and is a solitary creature most active at dawn (hence the early start) and dusk, so these are the best time to spot them.
Red pandas are slightly larger than domestic cats and have reddish-brown fur and a long tail. They are classed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and there are thought to be fewer than 10,000 in the wild, which makes seeing one all the more special.
- Overnight: Habres Nest
- Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
DAY5 : NATURE TRAILS IN SINGALILA
It’s another early start at Habre’s Nest. You will leave the lodge at around 8 am with the guide as you go in search of wildlife. Although the red panda is the star, there are plenty of other animals to look out for. Your guide will help you spot and identify different species such as Himalayan black bear, Black Panther, clouded leopard, yellow-throated marten, barking deer, pangolin and wild boar.
Bird lovers will delight at their diversity here, with tragopan, blood pheasant, red-billed Leiothrix, Chestnut-headed Tesia, nuthatches, bullfinches, tree creepers and satyr often seen. You can expect to spend all day out in the park, stopping for a picnic lunch, and arriving back to a hot dinner in the evening.
- Overnight: Habres Nest
- Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
DAYS 6-8: EXPLORING FROM HABRES NEST
Start your day watching birds from the lodge’s hide as you sip a mug of hot tea or coffee, before heading out onto the park’s nature trails.
By now you’ll be accustomed to the surroundings and can take time to admire the varied flora which includes several species of orchids, magnolias and rhododendrons. It’s a pristine environment and one where you feel at one with nature. Add to this the chance of seeing red pandas in the wild and you have a nature lover’s dream.
- Overnight: Habres Nest
- Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
DAY 9 – DRIVE TO DARJEELING
You’ll have a long day ahead of you, but one filled with gorgeous sights.
It takes about seven hours along a beautiful mountain road with magical Himalayan views, passing through, forests, villages and farms.
- Overnight: Hotel Windamere Darjeeling or similar
- Meals: Breakfast, dinner
DAY 10 – DARJEELING
Today you will explore Darjeeling and visit Tea Gardens, Tea making factory, Tibetan Buddhist Monastery and if time permits an optional Joy ride in the Himalayan Toy Train!!
Evening stroll in the Old Bazar with some architecture from the British Raj Era.
- Overnight: Hotel Windamere Darjeeling or similar
- Meals: Breakfast, dinner
DAY 11 – DEPARTURE TO DELHI
Drive about 2 hours to Bagdogra airport and fly to New Delhi, or onwards to another part of Incredible India!
- Optional: half-day sightseeing tour in Delhi
- Optional: Overnight in Delhi before departure home (depending on the time of international departure flight)
Option to extend to another part of India – Varanasi, Ranthambore (Tiger Safari), Kerala, Hampi or elsewhere.
Tour Exclusions
IMPORTANT NOTES
PLEASE NOTE: This itinerary is subject to change. Although we always do our best to stick to the itinerary, due to the ever-changing nature of Morocco, activities, hotels, and visits are subject to change due to forces beyond our control.
FLIGHTS: Please do not purchase your flights until this tour is confirmed.
PASSPORTS: Must be valid for at least 6 months upon return date to your home country. Proper documentation is the responsibility of each traveller.
VISAS: (responsibility of the traveller)
Travel Insurance
Cancellation, Travel, Flight, and Health insurance are required and are the responsibility of the participant to research and secure the appropriate coverage. Click HERE for a Travel Insurance Quote or please email nicola@finisterra.ca for a quote.
Check with your local travel agent /insurance provider/health plan for advice about traveling overseas.
Waiver Form
All participants will be required to sign a Waiver Form prior to departure.
Are you all ready for your next adventure?
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