-
Nonggang Preserve
I had 2 day trip from Nanning and AlpineBirding suggested Nonggang Preserve. It was 3+ hour drive but we stopped on the way to see the White-headed Langur monkeys and got within 20 meters for pic.In the reserve we saw the rare Nonggang Babbler very close (5 meters) at feeding station. Also photos Collared Owlet and many songbirdsHotel OK for rural China and food typical for same
David Mcdonald / South China (Guangxi) April 06, 2019
-
Awesome fun birding in TibetWe decided to visit Tibet for birding and contacted Alpine Birding for itinerary recommendation. The suggested routing is interesting and their staffs were highly efficient in arranging the land transfer and accommodation for us.
Philip, our guide is an exceptionally competent knowledgeable birder and photographer. He was quick to spot the birds and seemed to know all the best spots to see them. He was eager to help us to get a good spotting on different spectacular feather creatures through our binoculars. Even though many of the birds were well hidden and moving from tree to tree, he would quietly tracked their movements and swiftly showed us the direction.Through his passion, we were able to see the winter migratory birds in Tibetan region. We were successful at seeing flocks of impressive species, such as the Black-necked Crane, Himalayan Monal, Tibetan Eared Pheasant, Blood Pheasant, Lord Derby’s Parakeet, Snow Pigeon and some waterfowls. All these could never have even glimpsed on our own.Philip was a great birding companion, he has given us a great deal of information concerning the behaviours of those birds that we have encountered. We felt at ease with him as he patiently showed us the specific cues in bird photography. He even offered his professional telephoto lens to us to enhance our photos presentations which obviously was the icing on the cake.We place a very high value on the professional guide we had in Philip especially because of the high altitudes in our birding trail. The tour was well thought out and executed. He is reliable and will deal with all details in advance. Hot tea and snacks are always available which were soothing and recharging when the outdoor temperature was freezing. The pace was comfortable and we never felt rushed or inadequate during birding. Philip always concern about our responses to the environment and would refine the itinerary according to our physical conditions and preferences.We have experienced a safe and enjoyable Tibetan Plateau birding tour and see a different facet of Tibetan nature. The landscape was breathtaking, it was such a pleasure to see stunning snow-capped mountains, beautiful lakes, forests and wild animals throughout the whole adventurous trip. Besides, we have tried stone claypot chicken hotpot (shiguoji), the soup was super delicious and welcoming especially after a long excursion.All in all, the entire tour was full of positive experience and invaluable memories. Philip is superb and well acquainted with the nature ecosystem. We really appreciated the time he took to share with us about the birdlife, local culture and no need to mention the tremendous photos we took. We will never forget this fabulous experience and feel so fortunate to see all these wonderful flying creatures under his guidance. Certainly, it was clear that how much he loved what he does and we did learn a lot in this trip.We cannot recommend his services enough and have no hesitation in recommending Philip for his birding skills, his determination to find beautiful birds and his pleasant character.
If you have any interest in birds or even just want to take a walk through some incredible forest or wildlife related travel with a guide there to teach you something new, this is the company for you! We think you will be as pleased as we have been and want to go somewhere new as soon as you return home.Esther and Rick / Qinghai-Tibet Plateau February 03, 2019
-
Winter Poyang lake plus Wuyuan birding
My wife and I were on family holidays in Hong Kong and we contacted AlpineBirding for a 5 day trip to the Poyang Lake and Wuyuan (Jianxi province) to see wintering birds on January 2019.
From start to finish all worked exceeding expectations. Bella is great at organising the logistics and responds emails very promptly, and the guides (Philipp and Shay) are very good, from birding to attending all our necessities with care. This includes visiting a very wide representation of local food which was amazing. Birding-wise, we spotted the poker of cranes (Siberian, White-napped, Hooded and common), Baer's pochard, scaly-breasted merganser and many other specialities. A very nice bonus observation was the Yangtzee finless porpoise. Some of the hotels in the Poyang area were basic and cold, but those places are really not touristic at all, so there were no better alternatives and we were properly warned about it.
We would definitively contact them again for birding in China.
Carla and Alex / East China (Poyang Lake & Wuyuan) January 16, 2019
-
Balang Mountain / Chongqing
I contacted Alpine Birding last minute and they did an amazing job to set up 2 brilliant birding trips for me.
One around Chongqing city and one from Chengdu to Balang Mountain. I cannot fault them. Everything was brilliantly organised and the local knowledge of bird calls and many hidden birding spots was excellent.
I highly recommend this birding team.
Andrew / Balang Mountain & Chongqing July 17, 2018
-
Several Very Good Weekend Trips in Sichuan and Yunnan
My wife and I are serious birders from the US. During 2018, we lived in Thailand for a work assignment, and had the opportunity to do several weekend trips up to China to go birding with Alpine.We had successful and memorable outings in Zixishan (Yunnan), as well as Balangshan and Longcanggou (Sichuan), picking up specialties such as Alpine Accentor, Lammergeier, Black-headed Mountain-Finch, Blood Pheasant, Dark-breasted Rosefinch, Elliot's Laughingthrush, Giant Laughingthrush, Golden Pheasant, Koklass Pheasant, Snow Partridge, Snow Pigeon, Tibetan Snowcock, Verreaux's Partridge, White Eared-Pheasant, White-capped Redstart, Chinese Bamboo-Partridge, Golden-breasted Fulvetta, Gray-faced Liocichla, Lady Amherst's Pheasant, Red-tailed Laughingthrush, Temminck's Tragopan, Bar-tailed Treecreeper, Godlewski's Bunting, and Yunnan Nuthatch, in addition to many others.Even without the birds, Balangshan has the most inspiring mountain vistas we've ever seen.Bella and her team arranged for comfortable transportation, lodging, and very experienced guides. But the best additional benefit was the food - our guides always took us out for the best local lunches and dinners - it will be very difficult to return home and have Sichuan food now, knowing how it pales in comparison to the real Chinese food in China...Bella and Alpine were also very responsive and attentive to our overall satisfaction, and when we suggested some things that could be improved, they were happy to accommodate us. It was much appreciated.We recommend Alpine Birding as a great way to see some of the most incredible birds found only in one of the most beautiful regions of Asia.
Claire and Michael / Southwest China (Sichuan & Yunnan) May 29, 2018
-
Excellent organisers for one-day targeted birding!
My friend and I do almost all of our birding independently on a budget, but sometimes it is necessary to hire a local guide for the trickier species with access issues, etc.
We recently contacted AlpineBirding hoping to hire a local guide in Wuyuan to drive us around for a day and find Blue-crowned Laughingthrush (amongst other local specialities), and were very happy with the professional service provided. We requested a non-English speaking guide to keep costs down, and AlpineBirding organised this for us, recommended a hotel, and we were picked up right on time and enjoyed an excellent day out finding all the birds we were looking for!
We also utilised an AlpineBirding guide to find Chinese Crested Tern in Fuzhou, which was of paramount importance due to the complex permit issues in China! I would use them again happily.
Joshua Bergmark / East China (Wuyuan) May 08, 2018
