A rare photograph of a wild Red Panda by Richard Webb.
- One of the best places in the world to see Red Panda
- Thanks to the work of Nepalese scientists and forest guards who track and study the species
- And also a chance of other mammals such as Assamese Macaque
- Plus some spectacular birds such as Yellow-billed Blue Magpie and Gould's Sunbird
- All in beautiful temperate oak-rhododendron forests in the Himalayan foothills
- Most tours are run by and/or in conjunction with the Red Panda Network, the conservation organisation concerned with saving the Red Panda. Most of these tours involve a 45 minute flight from Kathmandu to Bhadrapur, from where it is three to four hours by road to the small town of Ilam, from where it is a rough three to four hours by four-wheel-drive to the hamlet of Dobate at 2660 m where there is a simple guesthouse. The forest trails up and down ravines start here, providing access to roost sites and feeding areas monitored by the scientists and local Forest Guards who must accompany visitors. Even though Red Pandas usually move around the luxuriant forests alone and at night, in search of the best bamboo leaves and shoots, they have small territories of one to two square miles, and, given a few days, there is fair chance of seeing one.
- Some tours involve daily treks out of Dobate, some further afield, to Kalpokhari and on to Sandukpur (from where it is possible on clear days to see Kanchenjunga and Everest) or to Hange Tham where there is another simple guesthouse.
- Elsewhere in Nepal it is possible to see Indian Rhinoceros and a fantastic selection of birds, not least Himalayan Monal, Satyr Tragopan, Bengal Florican, Pied Thrush (mostly May-Sep), Grandala, Fire-tailed Myzornis and Spiny Babbler (Nepal's only endemic).
Best Birds and other wildlife in Hange Tham, Nepal
Mammals
Red Panda. Also a chance of Assamese Macaque, Yellow-throated Marten and Indian Muntjac.
Birds
Himalayan Griffon, Asian Barred Owlet, Crested Treeswift, Yellow-billed Blue Magpie, Rufous-fronted Tit, Rufous-bellied Niltava, White-capped
Water-redstart, Indian Robin, White-collared Blackbird, Bar-throated (Chestnut-tailed) and Red-tailed Minlas, Stripe-throated Yuhina and
Gould's Sunbird. Also a chance of Satyr Tragopan, Hill Partridge, Wood Snipe, Bay Woodpecker, Yellow-cheeked Tit, Brown and Black-throated
Parrotbills, laughingthrushes, Slender-billed Scimitar-babbler, Black-headed and Green Shrike-babblers, Rufous-throated Wren-babbler, Rufous-capped
Babbler, Golden-breasted Fulvetta, Hoary-throated and Rusty-fronted Barwings, Himalayan Cutia, Fire-tailed Myzornis and Maroon-backed Accentor.
Other Natural Wonders of Nepal
Himalayas Nepal is dominated by the awesome Himalayas. Eight of the ten highest mountains on Earth are there and it is possible to see four of the world's top five from the Makalu Trek; Everest at 8848 (29,028 ft), Kangchenjunga at 8586 (28,169 ft), Lhotse at 8516 m (27,939 ft) and Makalu at 8463 m (27,765 ft). Via the same trek it is also possible to reach Everest base camp at a giddy 5360 m (17,600 ft). During the 45 minute flight between Kathmandu and Bhadrapur, the gateway to Hange Tham, it is possible to see Everest, and several others of the top 10 highest mountains in the world, if the weather is good, from the left-hand side of the plane going to Bhadrapur and vice versa.
Best Sites for Red Pandas, birds and other wildlife in Hange Tham, Nepal
The best sites for Red Panda are the bamboo-filled ravines in the higher temperate forests between Dobato and Hange Tham.
Best Times for Red Pandas, birds and other wildlife in Hange Tham, Nepal
The best times to look for Red Pandas are February to April and October-November. During these times it can be warm to hot in sunshine but very cold when the mist descends, often during the afternoons, and at night. The monsoon season usually lasts from June to September.
Recommended Bird Books etc. for Hange Tham, Nepal
Indian Mammals: A Field Guide by V Menon. Hachette, 2014.
Field Guide to the Mammals of the Indian Subcontinent by K K Gurung and R Singh. Helm, 1998.
Field Guide to the Birds of Nepal by R Grimmett et al. Helm, 2016. (Second Edition)
Birds of the Indian Subcontinent by R Grimmett et al. Helm, 2012.
A Field Guide to the Birds of the Indian Subcontinent by K Kazmierczak. Helm, 2008.
Pocket Guide to the Birds of the Indian Subcontinent by R Grimmett et al. Helm, 1999.
Birds of South Asia: The Ripley Guide Volumes 1 and 2 by P C Rasmussen and J C Anderton. Lynx Edicions and Smithsonian Institution, 2012.
Apps etc.
eGuide to Birds of the Indian Subcontinent.
Where to watch birds in Asia by N Wheatley. Helm, 1996.
Don’t know which country/countries/regions to visit in Asia? Then it may be worth considering taking a look at this book, written by this website’s author. It is many years old of course but it still provides a starting point, an overview and a guiding light to the best birds and the best places to look for them in the region, and could save hours of searching for similar information on the internet. However, it is important to check more up-to-date sources for sites which have been opened up, sites and species which have been discovered, lodges that have been built etc. since the book was published.
Birding and Red Panda Trip Reports for Hange Tham, Nepal
Many trip reports, some for Hange Tham, are posted on the websites listed here. On some of these websites some reports are independent and some are posted by tour companies who organize tours to Hange Tham. These tour companies and others also post their own reports on their websites, which are listed under 'Some Organized Tours to Hange Tham' below.
- The best website for trip reports is CloudBirders
- but these are also worth a look
- Birdtours
- Fatbirder
- Jon Hornbuckle
- Mammal Watching
Local Red Panda, bird and wildlife guides in Nepal
The costs of organized tours partly reflect the quality of the tour leaders. Some leaders are certainly better than others and many companies claim their leaders are the best but even the best rely at least to some extent on the exceptional skills of the local guides they employ. If you are travelling independently, employing such local guides will greatly increase your chances of seeing the wildlife you wish to see.
Accommodation in Hange Tham, Nepal
Some Organized Tours for Red Pandas, birds and other wildlife to Hange Tham, Nepal
There are many tour companies who organize tours to see mammals, birds, other wildlife and other natural wonders. The cost of these tours vary considerably according to such variables as the airlines used, the number of days the tours last, the number of sites visited, the number of people in the group (an important consideration if you wish to see such wildlife as rainforest mammals and birds), the number of tour leaders, the standard of accommodation and transport, and the percentage profit the company hopes to make. Generally, where the number of days tours last and the number of sites visited are similar, the cheapest tours are those that use the cheapest airlines, accommodation and local transport, that have the largest groups with the least number of leaders, and that make the least amount of profit. The most expensive tours tend to be those which are exceptionally long, use the most expensive accommodation (ridiculously lavish in some cases, even for single nights) and which make the most profit. Some tour costs partly reflect the quality of the tour leaders. Some leaders are certainly better than others and many companies claim their leaders are the best but even the best rely at least to some extent on the exceptional skills of the local guides they employ.
While tour companies organize tours with set itineraries many also organize custom tours for individuals and private groups who instead of taking a tour with a set itinerary want to follow their own itinerary to suit their own personal tastes, whether it be mammals, birds, other wildlife, other natural wonders or even man-made attractions, or a mixture of them all. Many organized tours with set itineraries are also fast-paced and target as many species as possible, whether they are mammals, birds or other wildlife or everything, which usually leaves little time to enjoy the best sites and individual species, but on a custom tour those taking part can specify the pace and the sites and species they wish to concentrate on. Custom tours also suit people who like to travel with people they already know, rather than with a group of strangers, and people with partners with different interests. Individuals and small groups will almost certainly have to pay more than the price of an organized tour with a set itinerary but a large group of friends may be able to travel for less than the price quoted for a set tour.
Tour companies who run organized tours or can arrange custom tours to Hange Tham include the following.
- Naturetrek
- Red Panda Network
- Wise Birding Holidays
- We are a small wildlife watching holiday company based in Devon (UK) specialising in birdwatching and mammal watching holidays across the world. What sets us apart from other wildlife watching companies is quite simple:
- 1 – small group sizes: (average between 4 – 8 people)
- 2 – a commitment to conservation: (donation after each tour)
