[BSW] Proposed natural history tour to the Eastern Himalayas Biodiversity Hotspot of NE India, April 15-29, 2021

[KATHY BILTON]

Steve Lonker (lonkers at si.edu) asked that I send this to the BSW mailing 
list. The tour looks fantastic!


Several BSW members have expressed an interest in a natural history
expedition to the Eastern Himalayas Biodiversity Hotspot in the northeastern
Indian states of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam, one of the most biologically
diverse and remote areas in the world. Roads, small homestays and tented
accommodations now make it possible to explore the flora and fauna. Given
the amount of interest in this trip, I put together the attached proposal
for an April 15-29, 2021 natural history tour for eight people (including
myself) under the guidance of Alister Adhikari, owner of Nature Himalaya
Tours and botanist, and Jintu Tamuly, specialist in birds, mammals and
butterflies. This would be my third trip to the region with Nature Himalaya
Tours. The tour itinerary is rooted in our April 21-May 3, 2019, expedition
to the region along with several decades of accumulated experience by the
guides. The trip follows roads and trails that are easy/flat to moderately
strenuous with steeper ascents/descents. There is no rock or ice climbing,
no trekking or backpacking, and no traversing deep chasms on flimsy rope
bridges. Participants, however, should be in reasonable physical fitness and
people in their late 70s were on previous trips. We gradually acclimatize to
the altitude, up to 13,700 ft. at the Sela Pass.

Because no third party travel companies or organizations are involved, we
are able to reduce the cost by 300-500%. The cost is INR 1,17,673 apiece
(USD $1652.43) which covers all meals and accommodation, all transfers using
three SUV's, entry fees at monuments and national parks mentioned in the
program, two dedicated guides for flora and fauna, and permits. The single
room supplement is INR 15,118 (USD $212.30). There is additional cost for a
room, airport-hotel transfer, and packed breakfast at the Holiday Inn
Express New Delhi International Airport T3 of INR 8,400 (USD $117.96) for
single queen-sized bed or INR 10,000 ($140.43) for shared twin beds.
International and domestic flights are extra. I am making no money out of
this trip and am not asking for anything.

Please take a look at the itinerary, cost sheet and fauna and flora lists in
the Google drive links. Email Steve Lonker at lonkers at si.edu if you are
interested. The trip is not affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution,
Botanical Society of Washington, or any other organization.

docx

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1IfdB7hxQ899R3OvWC3WfdMbX8EL2wjnp

pdf

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1niauyOlQww5bL0AddQ8ZlaXsXe-hkeZU

Steve Lonker