Birds watching in Yunnan

Itinerary

Day 1, Arrive in Kunming and transfer to Hotel

Day 2, Fly to Mangshi and drive to Ruili
Flight to Mangshi and transfer from the airport to Ruili. On the way to Ruili, we will make some good stops to watch birds in the fields and on the roadsides.

Day 3, Moli Nature Reserve and Mangke
Early morning to the Moli Nature Reserve which is a nice place to watch birds. We will drive to a Jingpo village named Mangke in the afternoon, walking into the forests for birding.

Day 4, Nangjingli
Birding in the Nanjingli Virgin Forest in the early morning. Besides, we drive to the Jiele Reservoir and the Ruilijiang Square where we can watch birds by the telescopes.

Day 5, Drive to Tengchong
Drive to Tengchong, we will stop in the rain forest and in the fields to watch more different kinds of birds on the way.

Day 6, Laifengshan Park and Mt. Yunfeng
Walk to the Laifengshan Park to watch birds for a couple of hours, continuing walking along the small path to Heshun Village where our bus can pick us up to the Yunfeng Mountain. After arriving at the ticket office of Mt.Yunfeng, we may take a cable car up to the Taoist Temple which provides accommodations for us. Overnight in this temple.

Day 7, Mt. Yunfeng
Walk into the virgin forest in the early morning, and drive back to Tengchong to stay in the late afternoon.

Day 8, Drive to Mt.Gaoligong
Drive from Tengchong to the Baihualing National Nature Reserve and it is a best place to watch birds. We will stay in a town named Gangdang near the Salween River, only 10 km away from the Nature Reserve.

Day 9, Mt. Gaoligong
Birding in the Baihualing Nature Reserve, with a picnic lunch in the mountain.

Day 10, Drive to Dali
A long drive to Dali via two big rivers: Salween and Mekong.

Day 11, Cangshan Mountain
Drive up to the Cangshan mountain along the quarry road, with some nice stops to watch all kinds of pheasants on the way. By the end of the road, we will walk into the forest and spend a couple of hours in watching birds. Stay in Dali.

Day 12, Drive to Mt. Shibaoshan
Drive from Dali to the Shibaoshan mountain and overnight in the guesthouse. If we arrive early, we may make some time to watch birds around the guesthouse.

Day 13, Drive to Lijiang
Walk into the forest by different paths to watch birds and listen to birds in the very early morning, and drive to Lijiang in the afternoon.

Day 14, Birding in Lijiang
Get up very early to the Black Dragon Pool Park and climb up the elephant hill to watch the birds there. After lunch, a short drive to Lake Lashi , and we may take a boat on the lake, which makes us get close to the birds. Stay in Lijiang.

Day 15, Drive to Shangri-La
Drive north to Shangri-La, with a visit to the Tiger Leaping Gorge. After visiting the gorge, we will take the longer road to Shangri-La for more chances to watch birds on the way.

Day 16, Napa Lake and Ringsha Temple
In the morning, a short drive to the Napa Lake where you can watch the black-necked cranes and other kinds of birds. In the afternoon, another short drive to the Ringsha Temle where there is a forest around it to watch birds.

Day 17, Fly back to Kunming and tour ends.

Seasonality: April, September & November

If you come in September, there is a chance to see the birds fly over Fenghua Mountain Nature Reserve in cloudy and windy evening. Birds are flying from north to south from here at this time of the year, and possible to see them.

List of birds you can watch.

Departure: Apr.11th – Apr.27th, 2011

Price: US$ 1850.00 Per person
US$ 360.00 Single Supplement

The price includes:
Flights: Kunming/Mangshi
Shangri-La/Kunming
Hotels with breakfasts
Sightseeing Programs & entry fees
English Speaking Guides
Transfers and transportation by private vehicles

Group Size: 06 - 12

You may prefer a different date and time frame for this tour, or wish to adjust the itinerary to suit your interests. We will do all we can to meet your preferences. Please note that tours of less than six persons may cost more per person, and other expenses may increase as a result of customization of your tour. In all cases, however, we are committed to providing the best value for your experience.