Hi all,
As a result of other plans falling through, I find myself planning a possible trip with a friend to Thailand for next year, probably the first two weeks of March. We started with the thought that we would cover Central and Northern sites. Likely locations are Pak Thale (SBSP for my friend), Kaeng Krachan and Khao Yai near Bangkok, and Doi Inthanon and Doi Chang Dao in the north. We have a limit of two weeks, and I am a little bit concerned that this tries to cover too much ground in the time available. I'd value people's opinion on that.
I also have some more specific questions:
1. Doi Lang appears to be a site that more people are going to, presumably because in the last two years there have been good chances for Rusty-naped Pitta and Spot-breasted Laughingthrush at feeding stations. What is the latest that the birds are regular, and would early March miss the action?
2. How long would we need to do justice to Doi Inthanon and Doi Chang Dao? We have a time budget of 2 full days at each with a travel day between at present, but I worry a bit that this is too little time.
3. What options exist for hiring guides in these northern sites? Though the independent travel is attractive in many respects, I am concerned both about missing good birds though lack of local knowledge, and perhaps even more importantly, not being able to find key sites or trails, or simply wasting time doing so. We *may* end up hiring someone for the duration, but that I expect would be quite a bit more expensive than using locals, so I want to consider the local option first.
Any help appreciated!
Cheers, Ian
As a result of other plans falling through, I find myself planning a possible trip with a friend to Thailand for next year, probably the first two weeks of March. We started with the thought that we would cover Central and Northern sites. Likely locations are Pak Thale (SBSP for my friend), Kaeng Krachan and Khao Yai near Bangkok, and Doi Inthanon and Doi Chang Dao in the north. We have a limit of two weeks, and I am a little bit concerned that this tries to cover too much ground in the time available. I'd value people's opinion on that.
I also have some more specific questions:
1. Doi Lang appears to be a site that more people are going to, presumably because in the last two years there have been good chances for Rusty-naped Pitta and Spot-breasted Laughingthrush at feeding stations. What is the latest that the birds are regular, and would early March miss the action?
2. How long would we need to do justice to Doi Inthanon and Doi Chang Dao? We have a time budget of 2 full days at each with a travel day between at present, but I worry a bit that this is too little time.
3. What options exist for hiring guides in these northern sites? Though the independent travel is attractive in many respects, I am concerned both about missing good birds though lack of local knowledge, and perhaps even more importantly, not being able to find key sites or trails, or simply wasting time doing so. We *may* end up hiring someone for the duration, but that I expect would be quite a bit more expensive than using locals, so I want to consider the local option first.
Any help appreciated!
Cheers, Ian