The lush fir, hardwood, Rhododendron and bamboo filled Singalila forest, in India’s Eastern Himalayas, is home to one of the cutest animals in the world, the endangered Red Panda. A little over 30 Red Pandas share this forest with many species of other animals, like the Himalayan Black Bear, Clouded Leopard, Leopard, Leopard Cat and Barking Deer, and hundreds of species of birds. It is here, in a little hamlet on the India-Nepal border, that the research hub/wildlife tourism centre/homestay Habre’s Nest is located.
The homestay, technically located in Nepal but on the other side of the road lies West Bengal, is an ideal base camp for the multi-day Red Panda and Birding expeditions organised by the people at Habre’s Nest. Trained in-house naturalists and guides and porters are provided, along with a Land Rover backup. The homestay also has a birding studio, from which you can view the beautiful birds up close and get those amazing photographs that seem to have become the highlight of a birding trip. The comfortable homestay, built in the local Napalese style with woven reed walls, is a great place to relax, especially after spending a whole day in the forests tracking the elusive pandas and other animals and birds. The food is local, authentic and delicious and the communal mud fireplace in the common area is the perfect spot for a night cap and a late-night discussion on wildlife conservation. The cosy double beds with hot water bags and the modern bathrooms with running hot water ensure you are well-rested and refreshed for your jungle adventures each day.
Price: From Rs 6,500 per person (for Indian nationals) per night when in a group of 8; includes meals and forest permits. Multi-day packages are also available.
Read More: https://habresnest.com/
Slow Travel
While Habre’s Nest offers a homestay, guests should know that the experience is geared towards viewing the Red Pandas and other animals and birds in their natural habitat causing as little disturbance to these forest residents as possible. The team of around 15 people who built and now run Habre’s Nest monitor the surrounding Red Panda habitat for conservation and research. The area that the team focuses on in terms of conservation lies outside the protected wildlife area and hence becomes an additional protected zone. About 20% of the profit is set aside for conservation of the Red Pandas and their habitats. Most of the staff is local.