Birdwatching in Asia is a delight to the senses. It's an amazingly varied continent where one can travel from the wind-swept plains of China, through the high snow-capped Himalaya to the idyllic palm-fringed beaches of Sri Lanka and Southern India, or the majestic rain forests of Malaysia and Borneo. It is also a region of mystery, passion and intrigue, full of remote places haunted by strange, almost mythical birds that have fired the imagination of birdwatchers for centuries.
This is especially true of our Central Asia tour, and for a perfect combination of wonderful birds, evocative locations and stunning scenery you could do no better than travel the Silk Road from Samarkand and the deserts of Uzbekistan to the vast steppes and snow-capped peaks of Kazakstan with Steve Rooke.
Paul Holt has a real passion for Asia. He can take you to the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan where you may see Ward's Trogon and together with Deepal Warakagoda he will endeavour to show you all the endemics on the magical island of Sri Lanka. Paul also leads our regular tour to China as well as a new one to South Korea. And if all that was not enough, Paul still finds time to run our Sunbirder events to the Indian Ocean resort of Goa and the migration hotspot of Beidaihe in China, with its hordes of Siberian vagrants.
Our highly successful tour of northern India, which has been running annually for many years, stays at Forest Lodge in the heart of Bharatpur, a wetland jewel lying in the Gangetic Plain and one of the ornithological wonders of the world. This tour now includes a visit to Ranthambhore, where you have an excellent chance of seeing a Tiger. Those who wish to savour more of the fascinating culture that India has to offer should consider Bryan Bland's Birds and History tour of Northern India that travels from the majesty of the Taj Mahal to the ancient walled city of Jaisalmer in the Thar Desert.
There is no better leader for any tour to Thailand
than resident birder Phil Round and we are pleased that he, together with
Jon Dunn, will once again be showing Sunbird participants the avian delights
of this wonderful country. And Jon will be partnered with Mano Tharmalingam
for their extensive Malaysia and Borneo trip immediately afterwards. So
many exotic Asian destinations to choose from…
A 'must see' bird in Central Asia –
Pander's Ground Jay.
Photographed in Uzbekistan on the
Sunbird 2001 tour by Steve Chalmers.