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Pandas & Sloth Bears Pandas & Sloth Bears India is full of wonderful species waiting to be seen and appreciated, one amongst these and undoubtedly one of the cutest creatures of them all is the Red Panda. It is also the only “panda” species in the world. The Giant Panda is actually a bear. The eastern Himalayas is the only place where one can find the red pandas. This program here is a great combination of unique along with the more easily seen wildlife in the Indian subcontinent. Our program take you to two states in India – West Bengal in eastern India to Singalila National Park and to Madhya Pradesh in Central India to Satpura Tiger Reserve. The regions differ vastly in the terrain, birdlife as well as mammalian life forms. Singalila National Park is one of the most exotic Himalayan forests in India. It is a wilderness located on the Singalila Ridge at an altitude of 7000 feet to 12000 feet above sea level with an area of 78.6 square kilometers. This is a Birding Paradise as well. More than 300 species of birds have been recorded here. It has a huge list of exotic birds, like- Blood Pheasant, Satyr Tragopan, Kalij Pheasant, Brown and Fulvous Parrotbills, Rufous-vented Tit, and Old World babblers like the Fire-tailed Myzornis and the Golden-breasted Fulvetta, Rosefinchs, bull finches, Wren Babblers, Laughingthrushes, Nuthatchs, Treecreepers, Yuhinas, Minivets, Partridges and many more. There are an estimated 32 Red Pandas within the limits of Singalila. Apart from the Red Panda, other mammals found here are- Himalayan Black bear, Clouded Leopard, Leopard, Leopard Cat, Himalayan Serow, Barking Deer, Yellow-throated Marten, Wild Boar, Pangolin, Pika and many other Eastern Himalayan exotics. Satpura on the other hand is excellent for exploring the central Indian Departure jungles in canoes, on foot and even allows one to do dusk drives. Known 4th to 15th April for a high density of sloth bears, leopards and bison, it also is home to interesting lesser known species such as the Indian Giant Squirrel, rusty spotted cat and the small Indian civet. Satpura is home to about 350 species including the much sought after Indian Skimmer. Day 1 Day 4 Arrive in Delhi. No activities are We continue exploring Singalila. planned for this day as participants The park offers you various of this group arrive from different opportunities to photograph destinations. Overnight at Holiday beautiful landscapes, birds and Inn, Aerocity. even the flora. The park is home to over 600 species of orchids and is the largest concentration orchid Day 2 blooms in a single geographical We check out after an early area. Overnight will be at Habre’s breakfast and transfer to the Nest. airport to catch our flight to Bagdogra (1020/1225). Our team Day 5, 6 & 7 will receive you at the airport. Your search for the red panda Break for lunch before starting a along with the diversity of birds long journey to Majua, which lies and the wildcats in the region at the edge of Singalila National continues. Sandakhphu top is Park. Today we spend the night in situated within Singalila National Majua as entry into Singalila after Park and is the highest peak in 1300 is not allowed. Majua again West Bengal. Sandakhphu offers is a homestay and is an excellent the best view of Kangchenjunga location for birding as well as for also known as Sleeping Buddha or finding Bhutan Flying Squirrel. Sleeping Shiva. Overnight will be Overnight in Majua. at Habre’s Nest. Day 3 This morning we make our way Day 8 into Singalila National Park and to Much of today will be spent Habre’s Nest – our home for the traveling back to Delhi. After next few days. After lunch we begin breakfast take the road transfer to our search for the red panda and Bagdogra from where you catch the other denizens of Singalila is your flight to Delhi (1630/1850). all on foot exploring various trails Overnight will be at Holiday Inn through the park. Overnight will be Aerocity. Itinerary Program at Habre’s Nest. Day 9 Day 10 We unfortunately have a very early Continued from below…. start this morning. We fly from For those interested in rock art Delhi to Bhopal (0555/0720). Our there is an option to hike up to team will receive you at the airport some caves not too far away to see and transfer you by road to the same. But please note we are Satpura Tiger Reserve (4hr). You in the middle of the park so do should arrive at the lodge by follow the naturalist’s lead as 1200/1230. Lunch will be at the wildlife can be about. Overnight lodge. After some rest we begin will be at Forsyth Lodge exploring Satpura. Since you have already spent enough time in a Day 11 vehicle we though it will be best to We change pace again early this begin with a walking safari in the morning and embark on a canoe tiger reserve. Walking is also a safari to explore the river and great way to tune your senses to streams of Satpura. If you start the sights, sounds and smell of the early enough you also get to enjoy forest. There is also a lot of focus a spectacular sunrise on the river. on birding and lesser fauna on Canoe safaris are excellent for these walks. Overnight will be at watching and photographing Forsyth Lodge. riverine birds, crocodiles as well as land mammals coming down for a Day 10 drink. The afternoon is a leisure to Today is an exciting day, you get to rest from all the hectic travel. This spend the whole day in the forest. evening take a dusk drive into the We have planned a visit to Churna buffer forest search for nocturnal region in the park. The morning animals. Overnight will be at safari is used to get to Churna and Forsyth Lodge. the afternoon safari gets you back. You spend the time in between the Day 12 safaris at Churna Forest Rest Take two jeep drives in search of House, but honestly all our guests the tiger, leopard, Asiatic wild dogs in the past have preferred to spend and the sloth bear. Overnight will this time by a small creek that runs be at Forsyth Lodge. past the camp and is home to a diversity of birds, butterflies and dragonflies. Continued…. Day 13 This morning we take our last safari – a walking safari through the tiger reserve. Return to the lodge, freshen-up and rest a bit. After a leisurely lunch transfer by road to Bhopal. Take a evening flight to Delhi (2040/2205) and connect on to your international flight back home. END OF THE TOUR Habre’s Nest, Singalila National Park Habre’s Nest is a homestay that is located in the quaint hamlet of Kaiakata on the India and Nepal border. The home is built in Nepali design typical of this region and houses all basic amenities that guests will require. It is a research hub along with a wildlife tourism centre promoted by like minded wildlife enthusiasts. This project was ideated and executed by Shantanu who has been working in the Singalila ridge since 2011. Singalila was declared a National Park in 1992. The habitat type can be described as temperate forest of fir, deciduous hardwood and Rhododendron with thick bamboo understory. There are over 600 varieties of orchids that bloom in Singalia, the largest concentration in any single geographical area in the world. The area gets considerable seasonal monsoon rains and is located in the Eastern Himalayan Region of India in the state of West Bengal. It is well known for the trekking route to Sandakphu that runs through it. Same habitat continues in Nepal called Tinchule Forest. Tinchule-Singalila is still mostly known as a trekking route . But what is baffling is why a forest with such high wildlife diversity did not come into lime light. The more Shantanu and team explored these jungles the more they came to love it and then came the idea of starting a sustainable tourism model that would secure the future of Red Panda in one of the best known habitats. Habre’s Nest is a green initiative completely dedicated to the conservation of the Red Panda. They aim to give guests a once in a lifetime and exclusive Red Panda viewing experience and filter benefits to the local community. 20% of the profits of Habre’s Nest directly go into conservation of this hostile Red Panda habitat. The greatest threat faced by the Red Panda today is habitat loss. Singalila is not free from this threat too. An estimated 32 Red Pandas live in these forests compared to 20,000 people that are dependent on its resources. IMPORTANT NOTE: This is a 4 bedroom homestay, thus the group size can be maximum of 8 guests. If there is a traveling tour leader, he/she has the option of using a shared naturalist room or travel with lesser number of guests so that all can be accommodated in the 4 rooms. Satpura Tiger Reserve: Forsyth Lodge Nestled in the midst of 44 acres of jungle at the end of the Satpura Tiger Reserve, Forsyth Lodge is your gateway into verdant surroundings coupled with the allure of natural living. Their focus lies in being able to deliver to you, a wholesome and sustainable wildlife experience. Through constant partnership with the park administration and the local community, they have crafted a bespoke wilderness experience that suits every need.
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