Register Interest: Nepal’s Birds & Wildflowers – Trekking the Annapurna Sanctuary

In keeping with Naturetrek’s long-standing passion for Nepal, we are delighted to announce a new 20-day trekking and wildlife holiday to the Annapurna Sanctuary. In order to maximise our enjoyment of the superb wildlife on offer, we will be accompanied throughout by a local expert birder and also by well-known British botanist, David Tattersfield. 

The Annapurna range is equally famous to climbers and wildlife lovers alike; not only are there eight peaks over 7,000m (including Annapurna 1 at 8,091m), but it is also home to over 1,226 species of flowering plants, 100+ orchid species and more than 480 species of bird, making this a perfect combination for both hikers and wildlife enthusiasts.

We begin our tour in Kathmandu, Nepal’s vibrant capital, providing a fantastic opportunity to visit the many historical sites hidden amongst the bustling streets – Boudhanath Stupa, Jagannath Temple and the tourist capital of Thamel are all well worth a visit. For the keen birdwatcher, our first full day will be spent on Mt. Phulchowki, where a long list of bird sightings may include the striking Himalayan Cutia, Long-tailed Broadbill, Kalij Pheasant and Fire-tailed Sunbird, to name but a few. A day on the mountain will also ensure that we are well acclimatised for our ascent into the Annapurnas the following day and the incredible trek ahead.

A short, yet exhilarating, flight takes us from Kathmandu past the Himalayan foothills to Pokhara, renowned for its fantastic panoramic view of the Himalayan range, and also the spectacular lakes that surround the city. After a drive out of the city towards the snow-capped peaks, we commence our trek at 915m towards our base for the night at Pothana (1,830m). The trails to Pothana are steep and arduous in places, yet reveal the majestic Mt. Machhapuchare (popularly known as ‘Fishtail’) in the distance, plus an assortment of excellent Himalayan birds, which could include Red-headed Vulture, Mountain Hawk-eagle and ubiquitous Black-faced Warblers. Slow ascents will ensure we keep an eye out for tree-dwelling orchids such as the Grey Orchid, Foxtail Orchid and Fragrant Cat’s-tail Orchid.

After this initial tough day, the following three days will see us ascend approximately 1,060m as we pass Jhinu Danda, Sinuwa and up to Deurali, with an average of six hours hiking each day. The final push to Deurali will be a particularly short hiking day, followed by an acclimatisation day, so we will be fully rested for the next stage of our trekking adventure. The change in vegetation during this time will be stark, beginning with moist oak forest, rising through rhododendron forest, before eventually reaching dense bamboo. This change of habitat will provide us with an incredible diversity of wildflowers, a variety of juniper species and plentiful sub-montane birds, namely Spotted Forktail, Alpine Thrush and a variety of laughingthrushes.