Nature Tours in China

We have put together a very special tour to a very special destination, Yunnan Province. Yunnan, in the south of China, is a great destination for those who are more interested in flowers and plants, but also for the keen bird enthusiast. In fact, the tour has been designed for those with a combined interest. During the late 19th and early 20th century the southwest corner of China was one of the most important areas for ‘plant hunters.’ These dedicated people endured enormous difficulties and many gave their lives in the hunt for new and exotic plants to adorn the gardens of Europe and America. Among many famous areas, we will be visiting the Azalea Forest, one of the most beautiful areas in the whole of China, which is in the Baima Snow Mountain Nature Reserve, here plants and birdlife thrill the visitor, not to mention several rare species of mammal. With terrain ranging from tropical rainforest to snow-capped peaks, Yunnan is the most varied of China’s provinces and is one of the most important and interesting for nature enthusiasts.  We are certain you will not only enjoy this “recce” tour, but will return enriched by the experience.

After a very successfull trip this year we have chosen to visit the Sichuan Province in 2013 again.
Sichuan lies at the eastern edge of the Tibetan High Plateau and south of the Qinlin Mountain Range. There are about 650 species of birds recorded in Sichuan. Most are resident, some are summer visitors and some are migrants. Sichuan features 37 endemic bird species which comprises almost two thirds of the endemic birds of the whole of China. Game birds and laughing thrushes rank top of Sichuan’s "specialty" birds. Not only does Sichuan offer the best opportunities for seeing China’s prime specialties, but due to the great diversity of its habitats, ranging from the subtropical lowlands of the Red Basin and rich evergreen foothill forests to cool temperate zone forests, alpine meadows and dramatic snow-capped mountain peaks, the province has a remarkable wealth of birds in general.

The high elevations of the upland plateau in Tibet are one of Asia’s natural wonders, providing a wilderness and haven for so many birds and animals. Our tour will focus on the very special birds of this region and with a total of 488 species recorded here; we hope to give friends the thrill of seeing at least some of the 72 species considered under threat and rare in this part of our world. The area has a total of 18 nature reserves and 5 of these are National Nature Reserves, where both rare animals and birds are protected. From open plains, salt lakes and forest we will give ourselves the possibility to observe a wide range of species, so why not join us on our visit to the ‘Roof of our World’….