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Binsar Birding Festival

Spring 2024

Holiday Highlights

Following the success of this year’s inaugural Bird Festival, we are delighted to announce the festival is returning for Spring 2024. The wooded Himalayan hills and valleys of the Sanctuary are a haven for bird life with over 200 species amongst which are Himalayan Barbet, Verditer Flycatcher, Black Headed Jay, Himalayan Griffon Vulture, Scarlett Minivett and more.

The festival will include birdwatching hikes, village walks, film shows, talks by experts, sharing experiences with local guides and photo competitions.

The festival will run from 30th March to 8th April 2024. You can organise your stay to take in all or part of the festival. Chose your own departure day, travel in your own private party with your own guide during the village walking days. Although this is not a group holiday, you may meet other guests during the talks and workshops at Khali Estate.  Please feel free to discuss your ideal requirements with us.

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Itinerary | Day by Day

We look after you from the moment of your arrival at Delhi airport. Your holiday includes transfers and rail journeys to the hills, accommodation in the village guesthouses and at Khali Estate with all meals provided and your own guide through the hills. We have devised each of our holidays to provide a good balance between activity and relaxation; please feel free to tailor your holiday to your exact requirements.

DAY 1 | Outward Journey

Welcome at Delhi airport, transfer to Delhi guest house for a night stay.

DAY 2

Transfer to New  Delhi station to catch the train to Kathgodam. A road transfer takes you from Kathgodam to Khali Estate, for a relaxing stay in, a double room garden bungalow.
Meet the team, evening talk by an expert.

DAY 3

Stay for another night in Khali, learn about the birds, enjoy workshops, talks and activities.

Day 4 - Day 7 | In the Binsar Sanctuary

After breakfast meet your own private guide who accompanies you for the rest of your stay. You visit and stay in two of the Binsar villages with two nights in each village. Each day you walk in the company of your local guide with your luggage carried by village porters. Your guide will help to you to spot the diverse birdlife along the way. The community owned guesthouses offer simple twin bedroom accommodation. All meals are included throughout your stay, with picnic lunches taken when walking.

Day 8

Visit the temple complex at Jageshwar, before a road transfer takes you back to Khali Estate for two night’s stay.

Day 10 | Homeward Journey

10 Return by road to Kathgodam to catch the day train to Delhi. You will be met at the station and transferred to Delhi centre, and will spend the night in a Delhi guesthouse.

Day 11

Transfer to Delhi airport for homeward flight.

Binsar Birding Festival

10 nights
10Nights
  • All meals at Khali Estate and in the villages
  • B&B in Delhi Guest house
  • Guide and Porter services
  • Picnic lunches
  • GST
Popular
HOLIDAY PRICES per person
SEASON
March 2024
PARTY 2-3
£1,445
 PARTY 4-6
£1,095
"A crested serpent eagle swoops so low I feel I could almost lean over and blow it off course with a puff of breath"
5/5

Moderate walking

Mixed Terrain

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Where In India?

ABOUT THE BINSAR SANCTUARY AND THE VILLAGES

Binsar lies in the Himalayan foothills at the centre of the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand State. It lies about 20 km from the district capital of Almora. Binsar is named after the Bineshwar temple. Binsar comprises sequence of steep, pine-clad and terraced hills with picturesque villages clinging to their sides. Elevations range from around 1,200 m in the main valleys, rising up to 2,500 m at the ‘Zero Point’ summit. Binsar is overlooked by the great snow-capped, majestic peaks of Nanda Devi, Trisul and Panchachuli. Binsar occupies a special place in Village Ways history. It is where, from 2002, we developed the concept of establishing community- based holidays in partnership with villagers in the neighbourhood of Khali Estate. In 2003-04 five villages joined Village Ways in this pilot project: Risal, Gonap, Satri, Dalar and Kathdhara. A sixth village, Matkanya, joined later in 2012.