Bhutan~ Birding and Beyond March 23 April 9, 2010

Transcription

1 Bhutan~ Birding and Beyond March 23 April 9, 2010 With Mass Audubon Naturalist Bill Gette TIGERS NEST BY B. LAWLESS Bhutan is one of our planet's great hot spots of biodiversity and one of the more pristine landscapes to be found anywhere. Lying in the heart of the eastern Himalayas and spanning almost 24,000 feet of altitude, 60 percent of the country remains cloaked in primeval forest from subtropical deciduous forests to alpine krummholz. Although it is a temperate-zone country with an area about the size of Vermont and New Hampshire combined, Bhutan contains over 600 bird species (with a high number of virtual endemics) and 2,000 species of flowering plants, including 50 rhododendrons. We have planned a wonderful tour of the natural and cultural sites of this delightful country we hope that you can join us!

2 Bhutan Tour Terms and Conditions PRICE: $5,900 per person, double occupancy, Single Supplement: $ 800 Singles are limited. Price Includes: All meals and accommodations as shown in the itinerary Services of Mass Audubon naturalist and local guides Flights from Delhi Paro - Delhi All Tips and Gratuities All excursions, entrance fees Extensive trip preparation notes Medical Evacuation coverage Price Excludes: International airfare between U.S. and India Passport and visa fees; Trip cancellation insurance; Airport taxes; excess baggage charges; Items of a personal nature, including alcoholic beverages, laundry and telephone calls; other items not specifically mentioned as included. TRAVEL DOCUMENTS: A U.S. Passport valid for at least six months beyond the trip s departure date is required. Visas are required for both Bhutan and India. Details for application will be sent to registered travelers. Please attach to the registration form (and send in with the deposit) a clear copy of the first 2 pages of your passport. TERMS & CONDITIONS OF TRAVEL RESERVATIONS, APPLICATIONS, DEPOSITS: Early reservations are required to ensure your place on this trip. All reservations must be accompanied by a completed reservation form and a $1000 deposit. In the case of questionable health, we reserve the right to require a physician s certification to affirm you are capable of the activities. You will receive a final invoice prior to departure with final payment due on Dec. 18, 95 days prior to departure. Final Payment must be by check. RATES: All forms and fares are accurate at the time of publication April 2009, but are subject to change at any time prior to departure. It is our policy to only pass on the actual amount of any increases in airfares or land costs such as those increases due to the devaluation of the dollar. A price increase may be called for if the group falls below the minimum of 10. The maximum number of participants is approximately 14. FLIGHTS: Travelers are responsible for arranging their own international flights to Delhi. We will send you suggested flights, including the flight details of our Mass Audubon leader. You may book your flights on-line, with a travel agent, or directly with an airline. Please be aware that most tickets are non-refundable, therefore you should not book your flight arrangements until you have checked with us to be sure the tour has the minimum number of participants for the trip to go. CANCELLATIONS AND REFUNDS: All cancellations must be done in writing and are effective upon receipt in the Massachusetts Audubon Travel Office. Cancellations received up to 91 days prior to departure will be refunded all money less a $250 per person service fee. For cancellations between 90 and 61 days prior to departure, all deposits will not be refunded. There are no refunds for cancellations 60 days or less from departure. We strongly urge all travelers to purchase trip cancellation insurance. You will be sent information from the Massachusetts Audubon Society upon receipt of your deposit. Travel with the Massachusetts Audubon Society 2

3 Daily Itinerary Tuesday, March 23, through Wednesday, March 24 In Transit from the United States to Delhi, India: We will arrive in Delhi in the late evening. After passing through Immigration and Customs, we will be met by a representative from Exotic Journeys, our India operator. The representative will accompany us to either the Hotel Radisson or Taj Palace Hotel. Thursday, March 25 Delhi, India In the morning, we will leave the hotel for birding at the Sultanpur Jheel National Park. This wetland reserve is a great place to see a variety of waders including Eurasian Spoonbill, Painted Stork, and Black-winged Stilt, as well as woodland species such as Green Bee-eater, Red-vented Bulbul, and Black Kite. With luck, we could also see a Nilgai, a member of the antelope family. We will return to the hotel for lunch and a rest period and then enjoy a welcome dinner and overnight at the Hotel Radisson or Taj Palace Hotel, Delhi. (B,L,D) By B. Lawless Friday, March 26 Delhi, India to Paro, Bhutan We will take a morning flight to Paro, Bhutan, clear Immigration and Customs, and do some birding in the Paro Chhu (river) valley. If time allows after lunch, we will visit the National Museum and complete some practical chores in Paro: exchange money, buy postcards and stamps, etc. Overnight at Kichu or Olathang Hotel (B,L,D) Saturday, March 27 Paro to Thimphu We will start our Bhutan adventure with a full morning at the Paro Festival which is performed in the courtyard of the famed Paro Dzong (fortress/monastery). The performers and musicians in their magnificent, traditional costumes and masks are an amazing sight. The experience of watching this festival in the 17 th Century dzong setting will be one that you will remember for many years. After lunch, we will make a quick tour of the Paro Dzong and then drive through two river valleys to Thimpu, the administrative capital of Bhutan. En route, we will make several stops to photograph the beautiful scenery and look for birds and other wildlife. Roadside birds include Oriental Turtle Dove, Common Hoopoe, Grey-backed Shrike, and Large-billed Crow. Overnight at the Riverview or similar hotel in Thimphu for two nights (B,L,D) Sunday, March 28 Thimphu This morning, we will explore the temperate, broadleaf forests along the Thimphu Chhu north of the city and at the entrance to Jigme Dorji National Park. The variety of habitats along the river provides excellent birding opportunities. We have good chances of seeing Rufous-bellied Woodpecker, Long-tailed Minivet, Blue Whistling Thrush, Plumbeous Water Redstart, Green-backed Tit, Black Bulbul, White-throated Laughingthrush, Verditer Flycatcher, and several species of leaf-warblers. One of the most beautiful sights along our route will be the cliff painting of the Guru Rimpoche, the saint who brought Buddhism to Bhutan. After lunch we will made a brief visit to the city s water reclamation facility along the Thimphu Chhu to look for Ruddy Shelduck and Eurasian Wigeon. We will also scan the riverbed in hopes of finding River Lapwing and Ibisbill. If time permits, we will visit a farm house museum that depicts a typical Bhutanese dwelling. Overnight Riverview or similar hotel (B,L,D) Monday, March 29 Thimphu to Punakha Fortified with tea/coffee, we will leave Thimphu in the dark and drive east in order to reach Dochu La (over 10,000 feet in elevation) for sunrise and a picnic breakfast. In the Dzongkha language that is spoken in Bhutan, La is the word for a high pass. Here, rising above the dry, pine-dominated forests of western Bhutan, we will enter lush and Travel with the Massachusetts Audubon Society 3

4 majestic stands of hemlock, fir, rhododendrons and evergreen oak. We will pause at the pass where, on a (rare!) clear day, there is a spectacular, panoramic vista of the snowy massifs of the high Himalayas to the north. Birding here will be an appealing introduction to the ornithological delights of the eastern Himalayas. We will look for Maroon Oriole, Chestnut-crowned and Whitethroated laughingthrushs, Wedge-tailed Green Pigeon, and Spotted Nutcracker. We will listen for the braying calls of the male Satyr Tragopans. Tragopans are typically very secretive, but with persistence, we may be rewarded with views of the spectacular red male. After whetting our birding appetites here, we will spend the rest of the day birding our way down through excellent forest habitat to Punakha for a two-night stay at either Zangtho Pelri or Meri Puensum Resort. (B,L,D) By B. Lawless Tuesday, March 30 Punakha and the Mo Chhu Valley Punakha was the former winter capital of Bhutan. Its low altitude (4,000 feet!) allows for two rice crops each year. We will explore the braided channels of the Mo Chhu looking for specialty birds such as Ibisbill and Crested Kingfisher. In the surrounding, sub-tropical forests and agricultural areas, we will look for Common Hoopoe, Long-tailed Shrike, Small Niltava, Oriental White-eye, and with luck, a variety of babblers. On the return, we will visit the Punakha Dzong, built in 1637 by Shabdung Nawang Namgyal at the confluence of the Phu Chhu and Mo Chhu rivers. The dzong is the headquarters of the Head Abbot during the winter and is arguably one of the most beautiful buildings on the planet. We will stay at either Zangtho Pelri or Meri Puensum Resort. (B,L,D) Wednesday, March 31 Punakha to Trongsa Leaving Punakha early, we will continue eastward, passing Wangdi Phodrang Dzong which sits above the Puna Tsang Chhu. We will cross the river at this point and ascend through a spectacular series of valleys to Pele La (11,400 ft.). We will stop occasionally to sample the various habitats we will traverse en route. Pele La marks the western boundary of the Black Mountain National Park. We will make our way down to Trongsa, stopping as wildlife, the beautiful landscapes, and Bhutanese culture demand. Overnight stay either at Yangkhill hotel or Puenzhi Lodge (B,L,D) Thursday, April 1 Trongsa to Tingtibi Today begins early (as usual) as we head downhill from Trongsa along another picturesque road toward the village of Shemgang. Soon, we will come to a gorge armored in tall cliffs on which hang the waxen combs of the Asian Rock Bee. The bee hives are usually attended by one of more Yellow-rumped Honeyguides. We will have breakfast near this excellent birding site where we should see Fork-tailed and House swifts, Grey Treepie, Long-tailed Minivet, Oriental Magpie Robin, and Whiskered Yuhina. During the rest of the day, we will bird down through several life zones each with its own bird specialties until we reach the warm, subtropical foothills at Tingtibi. In addition to many birds, we will keep a sharp lookout today for the exceeding beautiful Golden Langur, a rare primate that is largely restricted to Bhutan. (photo above by B. Lawless). We will be traveling from elevations of around 8,000 to 6,000 feet and will overnight in a tented camp in the Tingtibi area. (B,L,D) Travel with the Massachusetts Audubon Society 4

5 Friday, April 2 - Tingtibi The lower slopes of Bhutan s mountains are clothed in subtropical, broad-leafed, evergreen forest. Consequently, these areas are incredibly rich in plants and birds. Here in the foothills of the Himalayas, we will experience an avifauna very different from that of the plains below or the mountains from which we ve come. Among the exciting birds we have a good chance of finding include Blue-throated and Golden-throated barbets, Yellow-billed Blue Magpie, Blue-capped Rock Thrush, Ultramarine Flycatcher, Striated Yuhina, Black-throated Sunbird, Black Bulbul, and Scarlet Minivet. The Tingtibi area is also a good spot for hornbills. During past trips, we have seen the Great Hornbill. With good luck, we could find the severely threatened Rufous-necked Hornbill. Overnight in a tented camp (B,L,D) Saturday, April 3 - Tingtibi Trongsa Bumthang Today is largely a travel day. We will retrace our route as far as Trongsa and then turn east and travel over another spectacular mountain pass (Yatung La) and then down through hills dark with conifer forests, girded by dense bamboo thickets, and lit on all sides by colorful rhododendrons in bloom. Needless to say, we will stop to explore various habitats as time allows. By late afternoon, we will enter an entirely different landscape, the broad relatively flat plain of the Choekhor Valley. We will stop to examine local craftsmanship at a weaving center and then head for our rustic yet comfortable lodge in Jakar with views of the valley and another magnificent dzong. Overnight Bumthang Gongkar Lodge (B,L,D) Sunday, April 4 - Bumthang Bumthang, as the four valleys of this region are known, is not only Bhutan s geographical heartland, but also its spiritual and historical heartland as well. There are more temples, monasteries, and shrines concentrated in these valleys than anywhere else in the Buddhist Himalayas. Today will be a day to explore some of these important cultural sites. The Jamey Lhakhang temple, for example, dates from the 7th century. It was constructed, it is said, to subdue a demoness who was threatening Buddhism. We will also see the Kurje Lhakhang complex, which consists of three exquisite temples surrounded by a wall of stone chortens. All of Bhutan s past kings were cremated here and the main temple is erected in a place where Padmasambava (Guru Rimpoche), the second Buddha, is said to have meditated in the 8th century. We will walk across the river on a suspension bridge and through the fields to Tamshing Monastery, built between 1501 and 1505 by the eminent Bhutanese lama, Pemalingpa. We will not, of course, neglect the interesting birds, butterflies, and plants that we encounter as we explore. A target bird for the bamboo thickets along the trail will be the Brown Parrotbill. Overnight Bumthang Gongkar Lodge (B,L,D) Monday, April 5 Bumthang Ura - Bumthang We will do a bit of birding in an enchanting, mossy forest at a high pass, and then drop down to the perfect Bhutanese village of Ura. We will visit the Ura Monastery and the surrounding village and bird along the way. Birds species we expect to see include Common Hoopoe, Black-billed Magpie, White-collared Blackbird, Plain Mountain Finch, and the stunning Mrs. Gould s Sunbird. (photo by B. Lawless) Bumthang Gongkar Lodge (B,L, D) Tuesday, April 6 Bumthang to Phobjikha In the morning, we will drive west to Trongsa (visiting the city s dzong, if time allows). After lunch, we will drive to Phobjikha with some birding along the way. We will search for specialties such as Great Parrotbill and Goldenbreasted Fulvetta in Pele La pass. Phobjikha is approached by driving through a beautiful forest of oaks and rhododendron. Gangtey Gonpa monastery is located in this valley, and it is the only Nyingmapa sect monastery in Western Bhutan. Overnight at Dewachen or Gakiling Lodge (B,L,D) Travel with the Massachusetts Audubon Society 5

6 Wednesday, April 7 Phobjikha to Thimphu The exquisite Phobjikha Valley is one of Bhutan's few glacial valleys and is traversed by two meandering rivers, the Chhu Naap (black water) and the Chhu Karp (white water). According to local legend, the rivers represent a snake and a boar which once raced each other to determine whether the valley could grow rice. The snake lost because of its slower meandering course, and Phobjikha has never been able to support rice production. For naturalists, the valley is most famous as the wintering grounds of the rare Black-necked Crane which nests on the Tibetan Plateau. Most of the cranes depart this area by the end of March, so we are unlikely to see any. However, on rare occasions, a few birds linger into April, so we can hope! In the afternoon, we will drive to Thimphu and overnight at Riverview or similar hotel (B,L,D) Thursday, April 8 - Thimphu Paro We will bird around Thimphu in the morning and then drive back to Paro. Here, we will have another wonderful adventure as we climb aboard some docile Bhutanese horses or walk through a beautiful stretch of the Blue Pine forest that clothes the Paro Valley. Our destination is a viewpoint facing the Tiger s Nest monastery, perched high on the cliffs above. The monastery is one of Bhutan s most famous Buddhist shrines. Those who wish can walk back to the trailhead birding along the way. The relatively open pineoak habitat is the perfect setting to review some of the country s common land birds. Overnight at Kichu or Olathang Hotel. (B, L, D) Friday, April 9 - Paro Delhi (and departure) The flight from Paro arrives in Delhi in the early afternoon. We have arranged for overnight accommodations at our Delhi hotel (likely Hotel Radisson or Taj Palace). Activities and meals are on your own. (If you wish to depart for home today, there are international flights that leave Delhi airport in the evening.) Saturday, April 10 Delhi Flights Home Mass Audubon Tour Naturalist: Bill Gette is the Sanctuary Director of Mass Audubon's Joppa Flats Education Center and Wildlife Sanctuary in Newburyport. Bill, a skilled teacher and field naturalist, has been leading domestic and international natural history expeditions for the Society since He has led very successful programs throughout the United States and to Canada, Botswana, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Belize, Costa Rica, Mexico, Panama, Brazil, Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, and Antarctica. He led a Mass Audubon group to Bhutan in April Bill has taken a leadership role in bird research and public education about birds and bird conservation. He will be joined in leading this program with skilled local naturalists and guides. Please Note: This trip is not for everyone; however, if you enjoy birding, learning about new cultures, and are generally physically fit, you will certainly enjoy this experience. There will not be long or especially strenuous hikes, but we will spend long days in the field. Daily activities may be adjusted as the realities of weather, wildlife, and unexpected opportunities dictate. We will be traveling some days at higher altitudes, and there will be some days with long drives. We will sleep in the full range of accommodations, from the elegant hotel in India to a comfortable tented camp in the mountains of Bhutan. This trip is designed for those who share the enthusiasm to discover offthe-beaten-path destinations. In order to reap the rewards of visiting a seldom-explored country, we expect that you will travel with flexibility, a willingness to accept local standards of amenities and services, and of course, a sense of humor. This is, without a doubt, one of the world s most interesting and beautiful places; and one of our most popular tours. Travel with the Massachusetts Audubon Society 6

7 Reservation Form for Bhutan Birding and Beyond: March 23 April 10, 2010 Mr./Mrs./Ms. Passenger Name (1) as shown as passport Nationality: Date of Birth: Occupation (if retired, please tell us what it was before retirement: (the above information is needed for processing the Bhutan visa) Mr./Mrs./Ms. Passenger Name (2) as shown as passport Nationality: Date of Birth: Occupation (if retired, please tell us what it was before retirement: (the above information is needed for processing the Bhutan visa) Address City State Zip Phone: Day Evening address Please attach to this reservation form a clear, color copy of the cover pages of your passport. Please indication accommodation preferences: I/We are non-smoker(s) smoker(s) (smoking is limited to outdoors in non-group spaces) I request single accommodations where available and will pay the single supplement. I would like to be assigned a roommate. If one is not available, I will pay the single supplement. I am sharing with Deposit: Please find my enclosed check or please charge my credit card for the deposit ( $1000 per person) VISA MC Card # Exp. Checks should be made payable to Massachusetts Audubon Society Signature Travel with the Massachusetts Audubon Society 7

8 Your Responsibility: Although every precaution is taken to safeguard you and your belongings, group travel trips by their nature involve a certain amount of risk. Trip participants should understand that the domestic and international trips sponsored/operated by Massachusetts Audubon Society (Mass Audubon Tours) - hereafter collectively M.A.S. - involve known and unknown risks. M.A.S. assumes no responsibility for injuries, death, financial losses or damage to clients property caused by or occurring during participation in any of the travel trips sponsored/operated by M.A.S. Trip participants must assume responsibility for having sufficient skill and fitness to participate in the trips and activities offered or sponsored by M.A.S. Trip participants must also certify that they have no medical, mental or physical conditions which could interfere with their abilities to participate in the activities and/or trips they are participating in and they must assume and bear the cost of all risks that may be created, directly or indirectly, by any such condition. It is the responsibility of trip participants to have in place adequate insurance to cover any injury, damage or emergency transportation costs related to their travel and/or participation in trip activities and/or to bear the costs of such injury, damage or emergency transportation costs. Because of the risks associated with the travel trips sponsored by M.A.S. we urge all trip participants to supplement their own insurance with travel or vacation or emergency response types of insurance. M.A.S. requires that all trip participants acknowledge and assume these risks by reading and signing an M.A.S. Release and Waiver and Assumption of Risk contract prior to departure. Travelers will be provided an itinerary and trip preparation information. It is expected that travelers will read this information prior to trip departure. Travelers will be responsible for completing a reservation form, a personal information form, and a release of liability form. Travel with the Massachusetts Audubon Society 8