Asia Birding Tours & Packages Tours & Trips

What travelers are saying

"The booking process for my forthcoming trip to Peru on the Salkantay trek in November went very smoothly"

What travelers are saying

"Zegrahm gets my highest recommendation. I recently returned from a 13-day Seychelles exploration and snorkel/dive adventure beginning in Zanzibar, visiting something like 9 Seychelles Atolls and islands for tons of daily snorkeling and diving, and finishing in Mahe where we departed from. This was absolutely the best cruise/group experience I have ever had on either land or sea. Zegrahm charters the boats and I was lucky enough to be on the Ponant ship, Le Bougainville, which is very posh, with a friendly and polite staff, an amazing french chef, good food, a nice spa, you name it. My bedroom was like a small luxury hotel and each room had a balcony so you could enjoy seaside and ocean views from your bed or balcony whenever you'd like. It was lovely. I especially appreciated coming back to such a haven after long days of sunshine, beach and snorkeling. Not only was the cruise ship and it's staff fantastic, but the Zegrahm staff were all wonderful. I sat and had dinner with many of them every day and they somehow remembered all our names (99 or so of us). They snorkeled and dove with us, pointing out fish and naming species, they went birding, they provided lectures in the mornings and evenings in their areas of expertise, because Zegrahm hires Marine Biologists, Anthropologists, and countless other individuals (with PhDs) to provide insight and lessons into the history and ecology of the places being visited and seen. At the conclusion of the trip - I didn't want it to end. I had made several like-minded friends for travel, was invited on future trips and exchanged information with almost everyone. We were a family by the end, both staff and customers. Hugs all around as we celebrated all we had seen together and promised to keep in touch. Zegrahm fosters that type of environment when you travel with them - and it was welcoming and especially enjoyable for a solo traveler like myself. These trips aren't cheap - but are worthwhile for all you see and do - most things you'd never be able to see on your own and certainly not with trained ecologists and marine science experts. I believe you get what you pay for. I was one of the youngest on board but there was a small group of about ten 30-40 year olds with the vast majority being probably 50-80. This isn't a sit on the boat all day-type thing. You are going to be waking up early, going out 2-3x a day and really seeing and doing things. You almost never have down time and you are always learning, seeing, talking and doing. It's expeditionary, not sedentary. It's fun and really enriching. The best way to know someone is doing a good job at this price point (think around $8-12k per person) is repeat customers and I met countless people who have done 6-12 of these expeditions with Zegrahm and knew the staff already. That's the absolute best recommendation you can get. I'll be booking with them again without any hesitation. Thank you to Brad, Murph, LJ, Merel, Steven, George, George K., Robin, Pepper, Lisa, Shirley, Gemma, Chris, Boli, Marcel, and anyone else who I forgot from this amazing trip. You all did a great job and made me feel like family!"

What travelers are saying

"Very well-organized tour with clear information, excellent guides, everything taken care of so that the group could focus on birding and enjoying the experience."

What travelers are saying

"When I signed up for the Wonders of Costa Rica at a slower pace. The hotel listed in the itinerary for day 8&9 was a 4 star hotel on the beach called the Punta Leona. I'm not sure when but Road Scholar changed the Punta Leona hotel for the 3 star Villa Lapis Jungle hotel. I was shocked when we drove up to this dump. Others in the group wanted to leave and find another hotel. I had black bugs under that shower mat and the shower did not drain, Spiders on the wall and roaches coming out of the cracked in the bathroom. The bed was a thin mattress on a board and was hard as a rock. The food they put out was covered with a wrap but 15 minutes after the plastic wrap was removed it was covered with fruit flies. I passed on the open food bowls. The walls were real thin and the neighbors were real noisy until 11:30 pm. Others in the group complained about the late night noise, spiders and toilet seat being broken. I'm not sure where this place gets 3 stars. After I saw the roaches, I give it a 1 star. Road Scholar put us up in beautiful hotels and then they take us here. You can do better than this Road Scholar. The end the story, Road Scholar customer service called me about my concern and said they have never used the Punta Leona, (I sent her my itinerary that said PUNTA LEONA). She also said they haven't had any complaints about this Villa Lapis dump. After her call, I'm not sure if I'll ever travel with Road Scholar again. Enough said...."

What travelers are saying

"When I signed up for the Wonders of Costa Rica at a slower pace. The hotel listed in the itinerary for day 8&9 was a 4 star hotel on the beach called the Punta Leona. I'm not sure when but Road Scholar changed the Punta Leona hotel for the 3 star Villa Lapis Jungle hotel. I was shocked when we drove up to this dump. Others in the group wanted to leave and find another hotel. I had black bugs under that shower mat and the shower did not drain, Spiders on the wall and roaches coming out of the cracked in the bathroom. The bed was a thin mattress on a board and was hard as a rock. The food they put out was covered with a wrap but 15 minutes after the plastic wrap was removed it was covered with fruit flies. I passed on the open food bowls. The walls were real thin and the neighbors were real noisy until 11:30 pm. Others in the group complained about the late night noise, spiders and toilet seat being broken. I'm not sure where this place gets 3 stars. After I saw the roaches, I give it a 1 star. Road Scholar put us up in beautiful hotels and then they take us here. You can do better than this Road Scholar. The end the story, Road Scholar customer service called me about my concern and said they have never used the Punta Leona, (I sent her my itinerary that said PUNTA LEONA). She also said they haven't had any complaints about this Villa Lapis dump. After her call, I'm not sure if I'll ever travel with Road Scholar again. Enough said...."

What travelers are saying

"When I signed up for the Wonders of Costa Rica at a slower pace. The hotel listed in the itinerary for day 8&9 was a 4 star hotel on the beach called the Punta Leona. I'm not sure when but Road Scholar changed the Punta Leona hotel for the 3 star Villa Lapis Jungle hotel. I was shocked when we drove up to this dump. Others in the group wanted to leave and find another hotel. I had black bugs under that shower mat and the shower did not drain, Spiders on the wall and roaches coming out of the cracked in the bathroom. The bed was a thin mattress on a board and was hard as a rock. The food they put out was covered with a wrap but 15 minutes after the plastic wrap was removed it was covered with fruit flies. I passed on the open food bowls. The walls were real thin and the neighbors were real noisy until 11:30 pm. Others in the group complained about the late night noise, spiders and toilet seat being broken. I'm not sure where this place gets 3 stars. After I saw the roaches, I give it a 1 star. Road Scholar put us up in beautiful hotels and then they take us here. You can do better than this Road Scholar. The end the story, Road Scholar customer service called me about my concern and said they have never used the Punta Leona, (I sent her my itinerary that said PUNTA LEONA). She also said they haven't had any complaints about this Villa Lapis dump. After her call, I'm not sure if I'll ever travel with Road Scholar again. Enough said...."

What travelers are saying

"Me tocó llegar Justo cuando exploto todo el tema del coronavirus! Fui la última extranjera que esta agencia recibió ya que cerraron fronteras en la India!... la verdad es que súper bien todo, me ayudaron muchísimo y resolvieron problemas que fueron saliendo durante el trayecto como el cierre de puntos de interés, museos, restaurantes, etc! Los guías que tuve increíble, hablaban muy bien español e inglés... Mohsin, el conductor que tuve por mayor tiempo manejaba muy bien y fue muy amable! De verdad les agradezco muchísimo todo lo que hicieron por mi, tuve una experiencia increíble Gracias a Sabi y todo el equipo Contes Asia. I had to arrive just when the whole coronavirus thing exploded! I was the last foreigner this agency received as they closed borders in India!... the truth is that super good everything, they helped me a lot and solved problems that were leaving during the journey such as closing points of interest, museums, restaurants, Etc! The guides I had amazing, spoke very well Spanish and English... Mohsin, the driver I had for the longest time drove very well and was very friendly! I really thank you so much for everything you did for me, I had an amazing experience Thanks to Sabi and the whole team Contes Asia."

What travelers are saying

"Possibly the best customer service experience of my life. Anuj is more than just a manager, his actions really reflect how much he cares of his customers. The trek (poon hill) was perfectly organized and the guide Pasang was magnificent. After the trek, White HillAdventure was more than helpful, taking care of my stay in Pokhara and transportation to KTM and later to the airport."