Mammal Photography Tours and Mammal Expedition Photo Tours in Sikkim Tour Details
Sikkim hosts a variety of mammals from Carnivores to Omnivores to Herbivores. The most celebrated mammal from the Sikkim Himalayas is the Red Panda. Apart from the Red Panda, other critically endangered and near-threatened mammal species also dwell in Sikkim's rocky mountain ridges and thickly covered montane vegetation. Some of the important and sought-after mammalian species that photographers and mammalogists seek are Snow Leopard, Himalayan Serow, Himalayan Brown Goral, Argali, Blue Sheep, Kiang, Pallas's Cat, Bhutan Giant Flying Squirrel (or Red Giant Flying Squirrel), Particolored Flying Squirrel, Himalayan Crested Porcupine, Large Indian Civet, Masked Palm Civet, Yellow-bellied Weasel, Mountain Weasel, etc.
The Tibetan plateau of Sikkim hosts several range-restricted mammal species like - Snow Leopard, Pallas's Cat, Argali, Blue Sheep, Tibetan Gazelle, Black-lipped Pika, Himalayan Marmot, etc. In the mixed montane and conifer areas, species like Himalayan Serow, Himalayan Tahr, Mountain Weasel, a couple of Pika species, a couple of Squirrel and flying Squirrel species, Golden Jackal, Large Indian Civet, Himalayan Palm Civet, Leopard Cat, Asiatic Golden Cat, etc can be found. The lower region, below 3000 ft is a good place for Yellow-bellied Weasel, Himalayan Crested Porcupine, Rhesus Macaque, Barking Deer, Jungle Cat, Eurasian Otter, etc. Brilliant planning on the mammal photo tour in Sikkim can be done based on the requirements of the expedition leader. Mammal photography tour options are very much limited in the Sikkim Darjeeling region. However, if anyone approaches us and asks for their specific requirement, we can make an exclusive tailormade tour for them. Some mammal-watching tours or mammal photography tours might require hiking and trekking abilities, thus before booking the tour, the participant must be physically fit. Our group of jungle trackers, regularly noticing the movements of the mammals, will assist you accompanied by the natural history expert mammal guide. One should not be worried about the complexity of the sighting. Our tracking team and porters team will assist you to make the visit worthwhile in all aspects.
Here in this itinerary, we share a 14-day mammal photography tour or mammal expedition tour in Sikkim, where you can cover all the terrains and enlist 30-40 mammal species from the state. Some of the target mammal species from the Sikkim Himalayas will be Red Panda, Himalayan Porcupine, Himalayan Palm Civet, Bhutan Giant Flying Squirrel, etc. If one has a specific target of mammals from Sikkim, they can let us know, and we will tailor the itinerary accordingly.
: Itinerary for Red Panda Photography Tour at Pangolakha Wildlife Sanctuary in East Sikkim :
| Day-1 | The participants for the Red Panda photography tour will be received by our guides and drivers team from Bagdogra Airport and from there we will drive up and enter Sikkim via Sevok Rangpo road and arrive at the sanctuary after driving 150 kilometers or 4 hours of drive. We will arrive at the campsite in the afternoon. In the evening, we might try for the Himalayan Masked Civet or Bhutan Giant Flying Squirrel. We will be staying overnight inside the jungle and accepting the flamboyant ecotourism hospitality of the villagers. |
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| Day-2 to Day 5 | Red Pandas are solitary creatures and don't make noise even when they are feeding. It requires immense patience to find out the species in the thick vegetation of the bamboo thickets of the Pangolakha WLS. Accompanied by the jungle trackers, we will visit the different trails and will try for the species. Once they are found, they don't move at all from the tree. Thus photography opportunities will be great. We prefer not to disturb the species as it is a near-threatened one from the Himalayan region. Thus to maintain the sanctity of the sighting, we will leave the place once all the mammal watchers and photographers spend 10-15 minutes for this mammal. We will again try to find out a different individual in other trails of the sanctuary. Roughly this will be our regular exercise, when we will be spending nearly 8 hours for the Red Panda. In the afternoon, we will be back to our campsite and stay overnight in basic accommodation. |
| Day-6 | Our journey is over. Post breakfast checkout from the campsite and drive to Bagdogra; unless you want to plan to combine this tour with another birding destination. |
: Itinerary for Red Panda Photography Expedition Tour at Singalila National Park in Darjeeling :
Singalila National Park is in the Darjeeling district of West Bengal. This national park is famous for Red Panda sightings in the Sikkim Darjeeling hill complex. The entire stretch of the national park is motorable, thus one need not trek or hike here. We take our guests by Land Rover vehicle to the sighting points and take photographs of the majestic Red Panda. All the stay accommodations will be in the community-run homestays in very scenic locations. Below is the itinerary for the Red Panda Photography Expedition Tour in the Singalila National Park.
| Day-1 | We will meet with the team of Red Panda Photography Tour participants at Bagdogra Airport and from there we will drive via Khoprel - Darjeeling More - Mirik road and arrive at Maney Bhanjyang in the afternoon by 1-2 PM. After lunch, we will take a drive for the expedition in the Singalila Range. Overnight we are going to stay at Maneybhanjyang. |
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| Day-2 | We will check out early morning from the homestay of Maney Bhanjyang and will drive for the Red Panda in the upper ridges of Singalila National Park. We will have a bush lunch in the field. Post lunch we will have another session for Red Panda. In the evening we will drive to Tumling, where we will spend the the rest of the four nights adjacent to the jungle. |
| Day-3 | Red Pandas are solitary creatures and don't make noise even when they are feeding. It requires immense patience to find the species in the thick vegetation of the Oak forests of the Singalila National Park. We will be accompanied by the Red Panda trackers, visit the different trails, and try for the species. Once we spot an individual, we can take photographs of them easily as they don't move at all from the tree. Thus photography opportunities will be great. We prefer not to disturb the species as it is a near-threatened one from the Himalayan region. Thus to maintain the sanctity of the sighting, we will leave the place once all the mammal watchers and photographers spend 10-15 minutes for this mammal. We will again try to find out a different individual in other trails of the sanctuary. Roughly this will be our regular exercise, when we will be spending nearly 8 hours for the Red Panda. In the afternoon, we will be back to our homestay and stay overnight in the hamlet. |
| Day-4 | - As Day 3 - |
| Day-5 | - As Day 3 & Day 4 - |
| Day-6 | Our journey is over. Post breakfast checkout from the homestay and drive to Bagdogra; unless you want to plan to combine this tour with another birding destination. |
Inclusions
- All Stay in hotels and homestays on double occupancy basis
- All Foods as mentioned in the travel plan
- All surface transfer by Innova Crysta or Xylo
- Bird tour guide for all days with all necessary types of equipment - Binoculars, Digiscope etc.
- All professional taxes
Exclusion
- All Stay in hotels and homestays on double occupancy basis
- All Foods as mentioned in the travel plan
- All surface transfer by Innova Crysta or Xylo
- Bird tour guide for all days with all necessary types of equipment - Binoculars, Digiscope etc.
- All professional taxes