Bird Watching Tour

Arrive in Dhaka and transfer to your hotel. Depending on your arrival time, enjoy a gentle introductory birding session around a suitable local birding area.

We leave Dhaka in the morning and travel towards Sreemangal, the heart of Bangladesh's tea-growing region. As the busy capital gives way to countryside, the landscape gradually changes to rice fields, villages, ponds, tea gardens and forest. After lunch and check-in, we begin our first proper birding session around Kalachara Forest and the surrounding tea gardens. This mixed habitat is excellent for getting familiar with Bangladesh's woodland and countryside birds. We will walk slowly, stopping frequently to listen for calls and scan the trees and vegetation. Depending on the season, we may encounter barbets, drongos, bulbuls, bee-eaters, parakeets, woodpeckers, sunbirds and other resident birds, with occasional raptors overhead. The surrounding tea gardens also offer a pleasant opportunity to experience the landscape and everyday life of Sreemangal. Overnight: Sreemangal

Today we enter Lawachara National Park, one of the most important remaining rainforest habitats in northeastern Bangladesh. We start early, when the forest is at its most active. The birding here is different from the open countryside of the previous day. Instead of looking across large open areas, we work our way quietly along forest trails, listening carefully and scanning the canopy, branches and undergrowth. Possible sightings include Oriental Pied Hornbill, Green-billed Malkoha, Scarlet Minivet, woodpeckers, barbets, bulbuls, drongos, sunbirds and forest babblers, among many others. Lawachara is also one of the best places in Bangladesh to look for the Western Hoolock Gibbon. We will keep an eye on the canopy for movement and listen for their distinctive calls. Other mammals may also be encountered. After some rest during the middle of the day, an optional evening night spotlighting session can be arranged to look for nocturnal birds and mammals. Overnight: Sreemangal

We leave early for Satchari National Park, another important forest habitat close to the Indian border. Satchari is known for its dense vegetation, streams and quiet forest trails. We spend the morning walking at a relaxed pace, giving ourselves time to search for birds that move through the canopy and forest understory. Our attention will be on forest species such as hornbills, green pigeons, malkohas, barbets, bulbuls, drongos, babblers and sunbirds, while raptors and other birds may appear above the canopy. The forest is also home to several species of primates. With luck, we may encounter Capped Langur, Phayre's Leaf Monkey or macaques moving through the trees. We return to Sreemangal after our forest exploration, with time to relax before another possible evening birding or spotlighting session. Overnight: Sreemangal

We start before sunrise and head towards Baikka Beel, one of the most rewarding wetland birding sites in the Sreemangal region. The open wetland provides a completely different birding environment from the forests we explored over the previous days. During the winter migration season, the beel attracts a variety of ducks, waders and other migratory waterbirds, while resident species remain throughout the year. From suitable observation points, we will quietly scan the open water, reed beds, mudflats and surrounding vegetation. Possible sightings include ducks, jacanas, herons, egrets, kingfishers, wagtails, waders and raptors. This is also an excellent location for bird photography, particularly during the early morning light. After breakfast/lunch, we begin the journey back to Dhaka. The evening is kept free for rest before our journey to the Sundarbans. Overnight: Dhaka

We leave Dhaka early and drive south towards Mongla, the gateway to the Bangladesh Sundarbans. After reaching Mongla, we board our private vessel and begin cruising into the vast mangrove forest. The journey itself becomes part of the birding experience. We keep watch along the riverbanks, exposed mudflats and mangrove edges as the landscape becomes increasingly remote. Our destination is the Tambulbunia area, where we begin exploring the smaller waterways and forest edges. Depending on the tide and local conditions, we may take a quiet boat ride through narrow creeks and spend time waiting silently at promising birding locations. The focus is on birds and wildlife that use the mangrove waterways, including kingfishers, herons, egrets, raptors and other wetland species. As evening approaches, we return to our vessel and settle into our accommodation deep inside the Sundarbans. Overnight: Private vessel in the Sundarbans

We begin before sunrise with quiet birding around the Katka area. The Sundarbans is best experienced slowly. Our vessel moves quietly through narrow creeks while we watch the mangrove branches, creek banks and open water for birds and wildlife. The absence of traffic and human activity in these remote areas often creates excellent conditions for observation. After breakfast, we explore the forest on foot. The jungle walk allows us to look for birds that are difficult to spot from the boat and to observe animal tracks and other signs of wildlife. We may encounter kingfishers, fish eagles, hornbills, herons, egrets, waders and woodland birds, while the forest may also reveal Chital deer, wild boar, macaques and reptiles. A visit to a watchtower provides a different perspective over the forest and waterways and may offer opportunities for wider views and wildlife observation. Later, we continue our quiet creek exploration and spend time patiently waiting at selected birding spots. Overnight: Private vessel in the Sundarbans

Today we explore some of the more remote areas of the Sundarbans, including Kachikhali, Tinkona Island and the Kokilmoni area. We again begin early with silent or low-noise boating through the creeks. This is one of the most rewarding parts of the expedition because the waterways allow us to reach areas that are difficult to access on foot. We carefully scan the mangrove canopy and exposed branches for kingfishers, raptors, herons, egrets and other wetland and forest birds. The exact species encountered will depend on the season, tides and weather. At suitable locations, we go ashore for jungle trekking and quiet observation. Rather than covering long distances, we spend time at productive locations, sometimes simply sitting and waiting for birds or wildlife to appear. The surrounding forest also offers opportunities to encounter Chital deer, wild boar, macaques, crocodiles and other Sundarbans wildlife. The afternoon may be used for another creek excursion or a return to a promising birding location before we settle back on the vessel for our final night deep in the forest. Overnight: Private vessel in the Sundarbans

We make an early start for our final birding session around Harbaria. This is our last opportunity to explore the mangrove forest, so we use the quiet morning hours for one more boat ride, forest walk or patient observation session, depending on the tide and local conditions. We may encounter some of the familiar Sundarbans species from earlier days, while the changing location can bring new possibilities. The aim is not to chase a particular species but to make the most of our final hours in this extraordinary ecosystem. After breakfast, we cruise back towards Mongla and disembark from the private vessel. From Mongla, we continue by road to Dhaka. After several days in remote forests and waterways, the return journey gives us time to relax and reflect on the birding and wildlife experiences of the trip. Overnight: Dhaka

Enjoy a relaxed morning at your hotel, depending on your flight schedule. At the appropriate time, we transfer you to Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport for your onward flight. Your 10-day Bangladesh bird watching expedition ends here, after exploring the country's contrasting rainforests, tea gardens, wetlands and mangrove forests. Tour ends at Dhaka airport.