A Himalayan Birding Tour – with Munsiyari

Earlier this year in March, I went birdwatching to Munsiyari with my wife also a birdwatcher. I was so much settled in this quaint and serene place that I strongly recommend my fellow birdwatchers not to miss this exotic hill station. I am going to provide all the important info you should know before you pack your bags.

pictures courtesy Ms. Jainy Maria

Why Munsiyari for Birdwatching?

Located in the far-reached and off-the-beaten-track part of the state of Uttarakhand, Munsiyari is the quaint hill station. It offers the serene views of five Himalayan sister peaks where you can visit by road.

Munsiyari is the best destination to have fruitful birding experience and get a break from the crowd. You can start the tour from Delhi to the best Himalayan birding spots in Pangot and Sattal several beautiful Himalayan treks here and great sightings of Migratory birds. Even if you are not habitual to walking, there are different treks with various difficulty levels some very easy and elderly-friendly. We chose to travel with Asian Adventures India’s oldest and largest ground handlers for birdwatching tours and stayed at their birding Lodge the Jungle Lore Birding Lodge. We were recommended to cover Munsiyari Vijaypur and Ranikhet. Munsiyari filled us with Awe.

Also known as “Little Kashmir”, Munsiyari is located in Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand. At the altitude of 7590 ft, Munsiyari is truly an offbeat place with serene views of snow-capped mountains. We researched and found the Himalayan Monal, Satyr Tragopan,  Fire Breasted flowerpecker, Bearded Vulturethe endangered White-Throated Tit, Himalayan Cutia, Red-headed Bullfinch, Pied Thrush, Green-tailed Sunbird, Snowy Browed Flycatcher, Golden eagles, Grey-bellied Tesia and many more.

Weather in Munsiyari a

In Munsiyari, the weather remains almost pleasant all year round. During summers, the weather is a delight. In fall and spring, you can expect soothing evenings and mornings. There are chills in winter as it gets snowfall. The temperature is very delightful and pleasant.  In summer months, expect up to 25 degrees Celsius. The winter remains coldest with -5 to -10 degrees Celsius.

How to Get There?

Munsiyari is located around 560 km from Delhi. If you want to get there by road, I would recommend spending a few nights at Pangot-Nainital or Kumaon and then to Chaukori or Binsar. Then on the third day, you can reach Munsiyari. Basically, it takes around 2 days to reach Munsiyari from Delhi.

By Air

Nainital’s Pantnagar Airport is the closest airport to this hill station. You can get there by taxi. To save money, reach Almora by taxi and take a shared taxi or bus to Munsiyari. 

By Train

Kathgodam is the closest railway station, i.e. 278 km away. Kathgodam is well known as an entryway to the Kumaon region. There are only two trains from old Delhi to Kathgodam which run every day and take around 7 hours of travel time. But I would suggest you book your tickets in Kathgodam Shatabdi, which is the fastest train. It takes only around 5 hours to reach from New Delhi. 

From Kathgodam, you can easily hop on regular buses for Pithoragarh or Almora. You can also book a taxi or get a shared jeep to Munsiyari from there.

You can also plan a road trip on your car or bike from Delhi. Keep in mind that it would take two days and there are no direct buses. A shared taxi would be the best option to save on costs.

Phone: +918010450000
Email: info@asianadventures.in
https://linktr.ee/aatoursandlodges

E: info@asianadventures.in

M: +91 8010450000

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Nanda Devi Base Camp Trek

My love for mountains began at a very young age. Coming from an army background, I always got the luxury to travel across India. From living in the dense forest of Chattisgarh to coastal regions of South India. I had gathered several unique experiences of living in the different landscapes, sometimes being subjected to the wrath of the weather and on others drowning in its pleasures.

My fascination for the mountains began when my father got transferred to the Pithoragarh region of Uttarakhand. Being new to the region and filled with the zest to travel tempted me to explore nearby hill stations. We were on our way to Munsiyari when I got the pleasure to sight the radiant peaks of Nanda Devi. Although it was from a distance, I could see how the sun rays were caressing the peaks. While gazing at the mountains for quite some time, I saw the magical transition of golden to tangerine shades appearing on the peaks. It has been seven years since the incident took place but the episode is still fresh in my mind.

One day, when I saw the advertisement of Asian Adventures conducting Nanda Devi Basecamp Trek, I immediately registered myself for the tour. It was in the mid of October my family was preparing for Durga Puja celebrations and I was preparing for my Uttarakhand expedition. I boarded a train to Kathgodham station where all my fellow travelers were present. The representative of the trekking company escorted us to Ranikhet for the night stay. Next day early in the morning we headed to Munsiyari, A place which is also famous by the name 'Little Kashmir', it is also a starting point to initiate the Nanda Devi Trek. We were given one day to acclimatize with the local surrounding.

Next day after having breakfast, we drove six kilometers to Chilam Dhar from where the real journey began. Our target was to reach Lilam village which was seven kilometers away from our current location. We started trekking at 0900 hrs and reached the village at 1700 hrs. We walked in a straight path at first that gradually curved into a steep descent till Jimighat followed by a steady three hours walk in the upward direction before we entered the valley of Lilam, our campsite for the night. Next morning, we started our trek at 1000 hrs, walking upward along the gorge of Gori Ganga before we reached Naina Singh Top. We stopped there for a while and then began descending to Bugdyar our campsite for the night. By this time we had already entered the high mountain zone where the tree line disappears and the alpine pastures become accessible. With every passing day, we were approaching closer to the magnificent mountains.

From Bugdyar to Rilkot and from Rilkot to Ganghar village after completing 21 km in 2 days we reached Pachu village where the massive Nanda Devi was looming in front of us. For the first time, I could see these majestic mountains in such proximity. We spent the whole of next day in front of this magnificent location before descending back to our base camp.

Phone: +918010450000
Email: info@asianadventures.in
https://linktr.ee/aatoursandlodges