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30 Oct,23

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04 Nov,23

5 Seats Left

Location

Darjiling

Duration

6D/5N

66,999 72,000

66,999₹ 72,000

Overview

5 nights 6 days of Wildlife Photography Masterclass Expedition exploring the natural haven of Singalila being one of the last remaining refuges of this incredible animal, Red Panda.

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Entry fees

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Meals

Post Event

Stay

About The Tour

SINGALILA AND EASTERN HIMALAYAN LANDSCAPE:

Situated at the northernmost reaches of Darjeeling district of West Bengal, Singalila and the neighbouring forests of Ilam, Nepal is home to many a rare and endangered wildlife species. Thanks to the unique mix of cool climate, generous precipitation and the right mix of warmth and humidity throughout the year, the ecosystem here is shaped to house some of the most amazing flora and fauna. With vegetation classified as subtropical forests and temperate coniferous forests which exists at an altitude range of 2000 to 3500 meters has made Singalila National Park a prominent biodiversity hotspot. This sub-temperate Himalayan broadleaf ecosystem is home to a wide array of elusive Himalayan wildlife such as Red Panda, Asiatic Black Bear, Clouded leopard, Common Leopard, Melanistic Leopard, Leopard Cat, Himalayan serow, Himalayan Musk deer, Melanistic Barking deer, Himalayan Brown Goral, Yellow-throated Marten, Himalayan Palm Civet, Bhutan Giant Flying Squirrel etc.

It is also home to more than 200 species of avian beauties. Satyr Tragopan, Blood Pheasant, Fire-tailed myzornis, Red Crossbill, Rose finches, Bullfinches, Grosbeaks, Parrotbills, Yuhinas, Laughing thrushes are among the most notable ones.

The highest peak of the park is Sandakphu, situated at a height of 3636m which is the highest peak of West Bengal as well. Sandakphu is the only place in the world which offers the breathtaking panoramic view of the majestic Himalayan mountain range. There is no other place in the world where one can witness Mt. Everest and Mt. Khangchendzonga in a single frame on a clear day, Which makes this a one of a kind location. With a sprawling forest around it, Sandakphu also happens to be a very popular destination for high altitude birding.

The incredibly rare Red Panda is the crown jewel of this natural haven with Singalila being one of the last remaining refuges of this incredible animal which we all have come to adore as master Shifu from the movie Kung-fu Panda.

Quick Information

Route:

Bagdogra - Singalila - Bagdogra

Start Point:

Bagdogra

Duration:

5 nights 6 days

End Point:

Bagdogra

Inclusions

  • 5 nights 6 days of Wildlife Photography Masterclass Expedition
  • Opportunity to explore one of the last remaining refuges of Red Panda.
  • 4x4 customized vhicle capable of off roading full time available at the field
  • Homestay accommodation for 5 nights and 6 days on twin sharing basis.
  • Veg and non-veg breakfast, lunch (on field if needed) and dinner during the stay
  • Packaged drinking water. tea / coffee & Snacks provided on field
  • Pick-up and drop from Bagdogra Airport.
  • All park charges, entry fee etc.
  • DCP Masterclass photography expert for all days
  • Experienced Field guides, Porters, Trackers, Drivers, Naturalists
  • Nepal Forest Permit & Singalila National Park entry permit & camera permit

Experts

How To Reach

Arrival & reception at Bagdogra airport by early morning and departure for Maneybhanjyang (Vehicle : Toyota Innova), which is the nearest town to Singalila National Park.

Please coordinate with our team if you are reaching NJP railway station. Fixed departure for Maneybhanjyang (Vehicle : Toyota Innova), which is the nearest town to Singalila National Park.

Please coordinate with our team if you are traveling by road. Fixed departure for Maneybhanjyang (Vehicle : Toyota Innova), which is the nearest town to Singalila National Park.

Getting Ready

Things to carry:

Clothing:

As we are visiting the Himalayan landscape in the month of November the weather is expected to be pleasant during days and cold at night with temperatures dropping down to -2 degree Celsius during our stay.

It is advisable to carry good winter clothing, including warm jackets/pull-overs/wind-cheaters, caps/balaclavas/mufflers, woollen socks, gloves, good quality hiking shoes. We would recommend keeping a layered attire as you would feel a little warm once the sun is up during the day and while trekking.

Camera gear:

  1. Two camera bodies, one full frame and one crop sensor body is recommended for this trip. Telephoto lenses – preferably a 500mm/600mm/800mm (more the merrier in this case as you are going to be photographing the Himalayan brown bear) is going to be your primary do it all lens here. A 70-200mm and a 24-70mm or equivalent is going to be your main storytelling lenses. Please carry 1.4x and 2x TCs if your lenses take TCs well; consult with your photo-guide on what you can opt for.
  2. Carry fully charged batteries for your camera/flash.
  3. Carry battery charger.
  4. Carry extra pack of camera batteries.
  5. Carry backup memory cards / HDD storage drives, Laptop.
  6. Carrying a tripod along with a gimbal/video head is a must as long distance telephoto shots make it absolutely necessary.
  7. Carry wired/radio triggers for your cameras as it helps in getting extra stability. You may want to carry intervalometers for shooting night sky images.
  8. Carry a big towel / rain cover to protect your gear from dust/moisture. Carry a big cloth / bandanna / scarf to protect yourself from the dust. Sun screens are very important. It is advisable to carry basic first aid along with you, we would be having basic medicines and first aid with us too.
  9. Please carry mosquito repellents to keep you protected from mosquito bites.
  10. Carry a pair of good binoculars.

Itinerary

Arrival & reception at Bagdogra airport by early morning and departure for Maneybhanjyang (Vehicle : Toyota Innova), which is the nearest town to Singalila National Park. The town is located at the Indo-Nepal border. Vehicle change for off-road route (Mahindra Bolero, 4x4) and one hour drive to Tumling, a Himalayan hamlet located in Nepal and nearest to the Indian border. Tumling camp will be our stay for the next few days. Evening bird watching activity in the Tumling area.

Morning bird watching activity in and around Tumling area. Breakfast followed by a hike into the forest for Red Panda in Nepal. Meanwhile our expert trackers will be out searching for Red Panda and they will inform our team once it has been sighted. Our team has 12 experienced trackers, 5 support staff and professional guides.

Morning bird watching activity , breakfast followed by departure for Gairibas, at the heart of Singalila National Park, a paradise for birds, 6 km from Tumling. The road from Tumling to Gairibas is inside Singalila forest and is a very good trail for wildlife activities. Everyday specialised Red Panda trackers will be out looking for Red panda from early morning till afternoon in forests of Nepal and they promptly notify us if there's a sighting. We will reach the sighting spot by vehicle or on foot, depending on the nature of the terrain. This activity will be repeated for the next couple of days. Our guests can participate  in Red Panda tracking as well. Our trained naturalist will be accompanying guests on marked trails of forest to look for Red Panda and other wildlife.

Early morning departure for Sandakphu, 20 kms from Tumling, around 2 hours drive. Sandakphu is the best place to witness the Sleeping Buddha( Mt. Khangchendzonga range) from a very close distance and is the only place to witness Mt. Everest and Mt. Khangchendzonga together. Sandakphu is also very popular for birding, especially for Red Crossbills. Meanwhile the trackers will keep searching for Red Panda and promptly notify us if there's a sighting. We will reach the area as early as possible by vehicle.

It is the last day of our expedition and we will round it off with an early morning birding session followed by check-out formalities and departure for Bagdogra Airport.


Field Learnings

The sole purpose of the trip will be to create images while exploring one of the least photographed wilderness regions of India, the climate here is harsh and therefore it is breathtakingly beautiful. We will concentrate completely on utilising light to our advantage and creating atmospheric and storytelling images from the place which stand the test of time.

Apart from covering the basic techniques like exposure control, auto-focussing, lighting aspects and utilising various shutter speeds to our advantage we will also emphasise on the creative aspect of photography which is painstaking but an extremely satisfying process.

We will also be post-processing our images after shooting everyday and black & white image processing will also be covered during the trip.


Package Cost

Rs 67,000 per head inclusive of all taxes (stay on twin sharing basis)
*To know charges for foreign nationals please write to info@dcpexpeditions.com

Inclusions

  • Homestay accommodation at Tumling (Double occupancy rooms or Single Occupancy) 
  • Breakfast/ Lunch will be provided on field (if needed)
  • 4x4 Car will be full time available at the field. Car is customised specially for off-road travel. Vehicle - Mahindra Bolero/1956 Heritage Land Rover.
  • Packaged drinking water. Tea/Coffee & Snacks will be provided on field.
  • Experienced Field guides, Porters, Trackers, Drivers, Naturalists.
  • First Aid will be provided.
  • Nepal Forest Permit & Singalila National Park entry permit & Camera permit.
  • On-field photographic assistance.

Exclusions 

  • Air fare/Train fare to and from Bagdogra
  • Any drinks & beverages
  • Anything not mentioned in the itinerary
  • Any tips
  • Personal expenses
  • Any travel, medical, evacuation insurance
  • Room heating facilities
  • Wi-Fi connectivity at Tumling hotel

Map

Singalila National Park


Policies

Cancellation policy

  • All cancellations before 30 days of the event date - 100% credit
  • All cancellations between 20 - 30 days of the event date - 50% credit
  • All cancellations within 20 days of the event date - No credit possible 

FAQ's

There are very limited twin sharing accommodation available. Please mail us to know availability

Yes certainly. However, the cost will remain the same



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