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Thailand                                           other Thailand tours

 

North & Central National Parks

 

Sorry, no scheduled departures set for this tour. Check out our guided trips instead.

 

First Thailand tour to go; 13 - 26 March 2011 "Thailand Special" -14 days - 400 birds - guaranteed!-

 

Tour leaders ; Tom Bex in cooperation with your TAT-licensed local guide.

 

Group size; max. 6

 

Imagine a country with beautiful National Parks, a rich culture, great food, friendly

people, comfortable accommodation and good roads in addition to some of the most

rewarding birding in Asia.  Thailand’s colourful resident birds and the many winterers

from Siberia invariably make for the biggest trip lists for any Asian country.  Our

most comprehensive itinerary will indeed get us close to –if not- 400 bird species!

A visit to this most popular Asian birding destination is a ‘must’ and our tour will

simply get you more than just a taste from it.

 

      

Green-tailed Sunbird on Doi Inthanon                         and Wreathed Hornbill, common in Kaeng Krachan.

Scroll down for more photos.

 

Tour itinerary

 

Day 1

Arrival in Bangkok and transfer to our hotel in Petchaburi in time for dinner.

 

Day 2

A full day birding the saltpans and coastal habitats at Pak Thale and Laem Pak Bia.

Our main targets are some of the rarest waders on earth.  Spoon-billed Sandpiper

and Nordmann’s Greenshank have proved to be reliable here in recent years so

we’ll have the best of chances to see them today.

A boat trip out to the Laem Pak Bia sand-spit will normally get us Malaysian Plover

together with several Gull and Tern species.

Some nearby marshes will certainly add extra species to make for a huge birdlist

on our first day.

 

Day 3+4

Two full days will be spend in what is probably the most bird-rich national park of

Thailand, Kaeng Krachan.  Exploring the different parts of the park will reveal

such strikingly attractive birds as Banded Kingfisher, Silver-breasted Broadbill,

Green Magpie, Orange-breasted Trogon and Great Hornbills.

Of course we’ll search for the specialties of the area ; Ratchet-tailed Treepie,

Grey-Peacock Pheasant, Ferruginous Partridge, Blue Pitta…

 

Day 5

After a final morning birding in Kaeng Krachan we’ll use the hot mid-day hours to

drive to Bung Boraphet in air-conditioned comfort. 

There’s time before dinner for a brief visit to the marshes of Bung Boraphet.  On

our return journey from Chiang Mai towards Khao Yai another part of these

excellent marshes shall be visited more extensively.

 

Day 6

Depending on the participants interests we give the marshes another go or we

might visit the superb temples of Sukothai historical park. 

In the afternoon, we visit the little known Taksin Maharat national park.  Besides

the giant Krabah tree, the biggest tree in Thailand and a mighty sight indeed,

the park supports such quality species as Rusty-naped and Blue Pitta’s, Spot-necked

Babbler, White-browed Piculet, Bamboo Woodpecker and Rufous-browed Flycatcher.

Furthermore there’s 2 species few birders ever go to look for in Thailand as their

distribution only reaches the areas close to Myanmar in the north-west but they

occur at Taksin Maharat and we make a good chance to see them, both White-

throated and Olive Bulbul.  Night in Tak.

 

Day 7

As we have been staying in ‘the’ hotel that serves the very best -all you can eat-

buffet breakfast available in Thailand, this is going to make for a great start of

another excellent birding day.

The dry dipterocarp forests of Mae Ping national park are seldom visited by

over-seas birders.  They’ve been missing out because such highly-prized species

as White-bellied and Black-headed Woodpecker can hardly be missed here.  The

birding is easy at this site and besides 7 species of Woodpecker other highlights

might include Collared Falconet, Yellow-footed Green Pigeon, Chinese Francolin,

Rufous-winged Buzzard and both Grey-headed and Blossom-headed Parakeets.

 

Day 8+9

After having visited 2 superb sites which you won’t visit with any other tour

company it’s time again for something on the more regular birding circuit, the

famous Doi Inthanon national park.

We don’t have to bother much with the dry forests at the low altitude km 13 as

we’ve seen already most of the species which occur there at Mae Ping.  Well,

excellent, this gives us plenty of time to explore the different sites at higher

altitude.  A list of targets and specialties would make this a long page indeed.

May I name a few of our favourites?  Silver Pheasant, Dark-sided Thrush,

Slaty-bellied Tesia, White-capped Water Redstart, White-necked Laughingthrush.

 

Day 10

A final morning birding on Doi Inthanon before traveling to Chiang Mai and up

Doi Suthep – Doi Pui.  Here we spend the afternoon in search of those few

species missed at DI.  Long-tailed Broadbill in particular is easier to find here

and Hume’s Pheasants have been seen more regularly again in recent years.

The real reason however for our Doi Pui visit is our stakeout Hodgon’s

Frogmouth!  Mountain Scops Owls are all over the place, but trying to see one

is another matter, fun guaranteed!

Night in Chiang Mai.

 

Day 11

This early morning we visit the Huai Hong Krai Royal Project to see the Green

Peafowl leaving their roost at the site.

It will still be early in the day when we return to our hotel for breakfast, then

visit a nice lowland area close to Chiang Mai with plenty woodland and marsh

birds.

Lunch we will have in one of the best restaurants in town, famous for it’s

delicious and very fresh food.

Then it is time to travel to Nakon Sawan for the night.

 

Day 12

Bung Boraphet will be visited again, and this time a very birdy spot on

the south side of the lake will be targeted. 

During the hot hours we drive to Wat Phra Phutthabat Noi, the best site

to see Limestone Wren Babbler in Thailand nowadays, a site first described

and made public by Stijn De Win.

We move on towards Khao Yai where we arrive in time to see half a million

Wrinkle-lipped Bats emerge from their cave, a truly amazing sight.

Night in a resort near the Khao Yai national park gates.

 

Day 13+14

Two full days we have to explore Khao Yai national park.  Little introduction

is needed for this park ; Great Hornbills, Coral-billed Ground Cuckoo, Blue

and Eared Pitta, Dusky Broadbill… The park is still rich in mammals and

good facilities and plenty trails to explore always make for a memorable

stay.

 

Day 15

Our final morning is used to go twitch Siamese Fireback which is almost

guaranteed at little known Sakaerat Biosphere Reserve.  Other interesting

stuff which has been seen here include White-throated Rock Thrush,

Scaly-breasted Partridge, Red-breasted Parakeet and Siberian Blue Robin.

Return to Bangkok for our flights.

 

General info : Comfortable accommodation in good standard hotels with private

facilities. Transport by air-conditioned minibus or 4WD.  Walking is easy and

most birding is done on level roadside/tracks/trails, but the occasional

steeper trail might get us to the best birds.  Weather is mostly pleasant

at this time of the year, but it can get fairly hot at noon in the lowlands and

cold early morning on the summit of Doi Inthanon.  The dry season has

started but an occasional shower can be expected.

 

   

White-handed Gibbon,                    the Khao Yai bat caves                   and Blue-throated Barbet.

 

  

Khao Yai national park entrance and                        early morning fog in Kaeng Krachan's forests.

 

  

Asian Openbill, Petchaburi                                      Red Muntjac in Khao Yai national park.

 

  

Sukhothai historical park                                         Green Bee-eater at Bung Boraphet.

 

  

Malaysian Plover breeds at Laem Pak Bia.                Beautiful fungus in Kaeng Krachan national park.

Tigers still survive in Kaeng Krachan national park but to see one a great deal of luck is

needed.  This male was photograped in Kanha NP, India, were sightings are more regular.

          All photos copyright Birding2asia.com