overview
Singalila National park is one of the most exotic Himalayan forests located in the in Darjeeling District in the West Bengal, Sikkim and Nepal trijunction. It is a mystical forest located on the Singalila range at an altitude ranging between 7,000ft to 12,000 ft above sea level. It is well known for the trekking route to Sandakphu that runs through it and also famously known for its ageless vintage Land Rovers.
Singalila is one of the best places in India to see Red Panda in the wild.
Apart from the Red Panda, Singalila is home to a diversity of mammals
including Himalayan Black bear, Clouded Leopard, Leopard Cat, Serow,
Barking deer, Yellow throated marten, Wild Boar, Pangolin, Pika among
others. Singalila is a birding paradise, with more than 300 species of birds
found here. It has a huge list of exotic birds like: Blood pheasant ,Satyr
Tragopan ,Kalij Pheasant, Brown parrobills, Rufous-vented tit, fire tailed
myzornis, golden breasted fulvetta, Rosefinchs, Bull finchs, Wren babbers,
Laughing thrushes, Nuthatchs, Treecreapers, Yuhinas, Minivets, Patridges
and many more.
The park is also well known for its stunning and rugged Eastern Himalayan
landscape and on clear days both Mount Everest and Kanchendzonga can
be seen.
About Red Panda
The Red Panda, Ailurus fulgens, is also known as the ‘firefox’. It is a
mammal native to Eastern Himalayas and Southwest China. It has Reddish
brown fur, a long shaggy tail and a wadding gait due to its shorter length
of front legs. Measuring not more than 2 feet in length and weighing not
more than 10 Kg the Red Panda is truly adorable and especially photogenic
animal. It is arboreal, feeds mainly on bamboos, but also eats eggs, birds
& insects. It is a solitary animal mainly active from dusk to dawn and is
largely sedentary during the day.
The Red Panda has been classified as Endangered by the IUCN because its
wild population is estimated at less than 10,000 mature individuals and it
continues to decline due to its habitat loss and fragmentation, poaching and
inbreeding. Although Red Pandas are protected by National laws in their
range countries. Singalila is one of its last strong holds and it is also the
best place in India to see this elusive and rare mammal.
accommodation amidst action
We will be staying in pristine locations, relishing magical sunrise/sunsets. The location is remote, and accommodation and facilities will be basic, clean, and hygienic.
itinerary
5 November 20244 Seats Left
The departure to Manebhanjen (entry point of Singalila National Park) will be planned based on whether you spend the previous night in Siliguri or arrive by the early morning flight. The idea is to depart as early as possible as it is a 3 hour drive to the entry point. At Manebhanjen, guests will change to their 4X4 vehicle and move towards Shikhar Lodge, Tumbling, your home for 5 nights. Lunch will be served at Tumbling, the evening will be at leisure, with some orientation about the activities planned for the next few days. Dinner and overnight at Shikhar Lodge or Jaubari Lodge.
Guests will wake up and have breakfast at the lodge. Our team of expert trackers would have gone out searching for Red Panda early in the morning. As the trackers find Red Panda, guests will be taken to the spot. Guests can opt to walk to the sighting spot or choose to go by a 4X4 vehicle, if the sighting is close to a motorable road. Along with our expert naturalist, guests can also participate in tracking the elusive Red Panda using established trails in the park. Singalila is home to several species of birds and guests can also engage themselves with bird watching, while the trackers are out looking for Red Panda. Lunch will be served on the field or at the lodge, depending on the wildlife activities that we decide to do. Dinner and overnight at Shikhar Lodge or Jaubari Lodge.
Each day the trackers will go out searching for Red Panda both on the Nepal
and India side and your naturalist will identify suitable trails for searching
for Red Panda and other species. For those guests who have difficulty
walking, even the 4X4 vehicles will be there in support to drive you to
various sightings or spots.
Apart from wildlife, Singalila National Park is also quite popular for the
scenic vistas that one can see. The Kanchendzonga peak along with other
surrounding peaks form the sleeping Buddha, which can be best viewed
from Tumling. At the discretion of your naturalist and the sighting situation,
the guest can visit Tumling to see this and explore the areas around. There
are also some interesting villages to be seen close to your lodge.
Hot breakfast at the lodge and followed by departure for the Bagdogra airport to take your onward flight.
Expedition on a map
Gallery
* All meals during the trip
* 5N & 6D stay in Shikar Lodge or Jaubari Lodge
* 5N /6D Red Panda Expedition with tracker support
* Shared Porters & 4X4 Safari Boleros for the entire duration of stay
* Wildlife Permit cost for both India and Nepal
*Still camera permits, 1 per person
* Visit Sandhakphu’s top
*Expert Naturalist with immense local knowledge
* Visit to Tumling for sightseeing
* Surface transfers Siliguri-Manebhanjen-Siliguri
* Just Nature Expedition tour leader
- Cost for supplementary services.
- Cost for Airfare, Train fare, Insurance Premiums.
- Cost for service provided on a personal request.
- Cost for personal expenses such as laundry, bottled water, soft drinks,
incidentals, porter charges, tips, etc.
- Gratuity
- Cost for any other service not mentioned under the “Cost Includes” head.
- Based on the sightings we may also make the schedule flexible so
as to maximize chance of seeing the Red Panda or other wildlife
that participants are expecting to see
- Due to the elusive nature of almost every animal in Singalila guests
must know that we do not give any guarantee of viewing and you
will need a good deal of luck to see the Red Panda apart from the
obvious skills of the tracking team.
- There is a fair amount of walking during the Red Panda expedition
and guests should be moderately fit to walk in high altitude
- Guests are required to obtain a valid travel insurance which also
covers adventure travel. This will be mandatory before signing up
for the program.
The Red Panda Expedition promises to be an experience of a life time. We will be trekking as much as possible, which is the best way to enjoy and photograph the beauty of the place. We will have a team of porters to help us with our trekking equipment.
Tourists are allowed entry into Singalila no later than 2:00 PM. If guests want to proceed directly to Singalila they MUST ensure that their flight into Bagdogra is the first flight out reaching Bagdogra no later than 9:00 AM. If such a flight is not available, then we would recommend reaching Bagdogra a day before and spending a night at Siliguri. Please inquire with us if you wish to spend a night in Siliguri, a room at Courtyard by Marriot Siliguri can be booked at additional charge.
To summarize, there are many options and activities that are possible during your 5 nights visit to Singalila, all these activities listed above are included in your plan. Since this a species-specific plan, the focus will be to maximize the chances of seeing the Red Panda, and to that effect, we will keep the plan flexible and based on the discretion of your naturalist and tracking team and the consensus of the group. Optional visits to Sandakphu can be arranged based on the sighting.
Shivendra Singh
Expedition Leader
A Creative Media Head turned Naturalist, Shivraj is an acclaimed Naturalist,
Wildlife Photographer, and storyteller with an Experience of 12+years in the
field he loves leading people on Safaris and Nature Walks to give them the best
Wildlife Experience. He enjoys documenting Wildlife in their Natural habitat and
loves sharing it with people on social media. After his 6 month training with
African Safari Guides in Kanha, Panna, and Bandhavgarh. His love for Tigers took
him to one of the most Tiger-centric parks in Madhya Pradesh ie: Bandhavgarh.
Where he spent more than a decade.. learning & and documenting the behavior
of one of his favorite Big Cats. He has now moved to Satpura, the largest Park in
Madhya Pradesh to explore and track the “Super Six of Satpura” ie;
Gaur, Leopard, Sloth Bear, Wild Dogs, Malabar Giant Squirrel, and Tiger.
request callback!
Have Any Question?
Do not hesitate to give us a call. We are an expert team and we are happy to talk to you.