China: Yunnan

Highlights

• Visiting historic Lijiang, a UNESCO World Heritage site
• Drive onto Tengchong, an area famed for its mild climate, its ancient volcanoes and geothermal springs.
• Opportunity to spend in the heart of Gaoligong Shan’s incredibly varied forests and to find some of its avian wonders
• Viewing Brown-winged Parrotbill and Slender-billed Oriole before heading east to Nabang, a small town nestled low down right beside the Myanmar border.

What's this trip about?

Lying in the most south-western corner of China, Yunnan is a province that has received very little attention from birders and yet one that holds some of the most alluring species and exciting habitats in the whole of Asia. The area’s close proximity to Myanmar (formerly Burma) coupled with the ease of travel with good roads, often excellent hotels, and superb food are sure to make for an exciting trip full of some really special birds. On this new tour we’ll visit an area in northern Yunnan, where the rare White-speckled Laughingthrush was recently rediscovered, and then a number of sites close to the border with Myanmar in western Yunnan. The entire area, much of it on the Ancient Southern Silk Road, is a historical treasure trove replete with numerous attractions. We’ll start by visiting historic Lijiang, a UNESCO World Heritage site famed for its distinctive architecture. The skyline of this quaint town is dominated by Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, a year round snow-capped peak that reaches almost 5600 metres and it’s the woodlands near there where we’ll search for another speciality, Yunnan Nuthatch.  Gaoligongshan, our next port of call, featured in the BBC’s Wild China TV series, and it’s easy to see why. Early 20th century naturalist-adventurers such as Frank Kingdon Ward explored much of this area and here among the rich plant flora (the Nature Reserve boasts over 1,400 species of higher plants) we’ll search for avian delights such as Spot-breasted Parrotbill, Cachar Wren Babbler, Gould’s Shortwing and Black-breasted Thrush. Next we’ll move on to Tengchong, another historic settlement and another scenically stunning area surrounded by clusters of young volcanoes. We’ll concentrate here on finding Brown-winged Parrotbill and Slender-billed Oriole before heading east to Nabang, a small town nestled low down right beside the Myanmar border. Sought-after species here include Pale-headed Woodpecker, Red-billed Scimitar-babbler, Collared Myna and Vinous-breasted Starling. Our final port of call will be Ruili – another border town and one also blessed with good quality forest on its door step. Here we will look for species including Pin-tailed Green Pigeon, Cook’s Swift, Stripe-breasted Woodpecker, Scarlet-faced Liocichla and Pale-billed Parrotbill before heading back to Beijing. Over the course of 14 visits to Yunnan, Paul Holt has acquired an in-depth knowledge of its birds, their habitats and voices and is the perfect guide to take you to this wonderful part of Asia. 

What's excluded

• Travel insurance
• Passport costs and Visas
• Immunisations
• Excess baggage charges
• Optional excursions
• Telephone calls, drinks, laundry, room service, snacks and anything of a purely personal nature

Accommodation