First North Korea public birding trip! (1 Viewer)

[Snowy1]

Yesterday was the launch of what may be the first public birding tour of the DPRK (North Korea). Below links contain the information.

The "nearly lost" Tristram's Woodpecker, as far as I know a subspecies of the White-bellied Woodpecker, inhabits remote areas of the DPRK (North Korea). For what may be a first, the officials in the DPRK have approved a public birdwatching tour of the country. Part of the tour includes a visit to the Tristram's Woodpecker habitat near the DMZ. A link was posted yesterday at:

http://www.juchetravelservices.com/The Tours/Special Interest Tours.html

with details:

http://www.juchetravelservices.com/...terest Tours/BIRDWATCHING TOUR INFO SHEET.pdf

I recently returned from 7 days in the DPRK and must say some stereotypes we have are mostly false. They are very welcoming to tourists and the country is very safe to visit.

If anyone has further information on this Woodpecker please feel free to update!
Snowy1

 

[Richard Klim]

Sounds like a very 'interesting' tour!

Does anyone know anything about the last (or recent?) records of Tristram's Woodpecker?

I saw one high in a tree at the National Arboretum, Gwangneung, S Korea, in 2005. It was suspiciously immobile though...

 

[Kai Tse]

It is very interesting! Can we bring long lens and scope to THE country?~ ~

I called the contact in Beijing list in the website. He said birdwatcher could bring long lens,camera and scope to join the bird tour.
there are 4 or 5 person have booked the tour areadly... for more detail should contact the contact in UK, david who is a British....

BALABALA...

 

[Kai Tse]

Yesterday was the launch of what may be the first public birding tour of the DPRK (North Korea). Below links contain the information.

The "nearly lost" Tristram's Woodpecker, as far as I know a subspecies of the White-bellied Woodpecker, inhabits remote areas of the DPRK (North Korea). For what may be a first, the officials in the DPRK have approved a public birdwatching tour of the country. Part of the tour includes a visit to the Tristram's Woodpecker habitat near the DMZ. A link was posted yesterday at:

http://www.juchetravelservices.com/The Tours/Special Interest Tours.html

with details:

http://www.juchetravelservices.com/...terest Tours/BIRDWATCHING TOUR INFO SHEET.pdf

I recently returned from 7 days in the DPRK and must say some stereotypes we have are mostly false. They are very welcoming to tourists and the country is very safe to visit.

If anyone has further information on this Woodpecker please feel free to update!
Snowy1

there is the link of the trip report http://www.juchetravelservices.com/PDFs/Birds of the Democratic People David Amended.pdf

 

[Jeff Hopkins]

Nice report.

Not a lot of species that can't more easily be found in the ROK, but I'm sure a fascinating trip nonetheless.

 

[John Cantelo]

Personally, I'd feel very uncomfortable birding in such a repressive country ...

 

[Richard Klim]

When I showed my wife the itinerary earlier this year, she really wanted to go for it, even though it wouldn't provide an opportunity to see any new species – I can't believe there's any realistic chance of seeing Tristram's Woodpecker! We've had two birding trips to South Korea, and it would certainly be fascinating to get a sideways (although carefully controlled) glimpse of life in the North. The price seems very reasonable, but flights to/from Beijing and visa fees inflate the total cost considerably.

 

[mikejf]

Hi Richard
I went on the tour and the flights too and from Beijing and Visas were included in the price and not extra. it was really fascinating place, like nowhere else on earth. On a positive note it was a stunningly beautiful country, really friendly people, good hotels, good food and massively under explored. We went to places westerners hadn't been to in decades if ever. On a less positive note the politics of the place are depressing, there is real poverty and it is heavily militarized.
On balance I would recommend people go if they run more tours. Ours was the first one and there was a lot of trial & error with the itinery. Future tours should see more birds as the itineries get fine tuned. The North Koreans are immensely proud of their country and really want more visitors. They made a huge effort to welcome us and give us the very best trip they could. Yes things were 'controlled', we had two guides the whole time but they were great company, really good fun. They got into the swing of birding and were pretty good by the end of the week. As we were birding we saw lots of the country, the nice bits and the crap bits, I didn't feel anything was particularly hidden from us. We could chat to the locals if we wanted, it was all quite casual...

 

[Richard Klim]

Sounds a fascinating experience, Mike!

But concerning long-haul flights and visas etc, the info for 2014 again suggests that the tour price (1,995€) is based on starting from Beijing (ie excluding travel to/from Beijing before/after the tour):

Tour Price does not include:
- The DPRK tourist visa fee, which is EUR 50 if collected in Beijing at the pre-tour meeting;
- Any expenses incurred outside of the DPRK e.g. international transportation to and from Beijing, accommodation in Beijing, Chinese visa fee (if required) etc.
- Gratuities for your guides and driver (we would recommend a figure of around EUR 5 – 10 per customer per day);

www.juchetravelservices.com/The%20Tours/Birdwatching%20Tours.html
www.juchetravelservices.com/PDFs/The%20Tours/Birdwatching%20Tours/BIRDWATCHING%20APRIL%202014%20TOUR%20INFO%20SHEET.pdf

 

[mikejf]

Yes the London - Beijing flights were on top of the tour price, around £550.00 return with Air China. Beijing - North Korea flights were included in the tour price. China is running a transit without visa program if you are in the country less than 72 hours which saves a bit of cash. The North korea visa was included in the cost of my trip, they much have changed their policy with that cost. Once in Korea I spent hardly anything. There are virtually no shops thus nothing to spend your money on.

 

[Gashead]

Hi Richard
I went on the tour and the flights too and from Beijing and Visas were included in the price and not extra. it was really fascinating place, like nowhere else on earth. On a positive note it was a stunningly beautiful country, really friendly people, good hotels, good food and massively under explored. We went to places westerners hadn't been to in decades if ever. On a less positive note the politics of the place are depressing, there is real poverty and it is heavily militarized.
On balance I would recommend people go if they run more tours. Ours was the first one and there was a lot of trial & error with the itinery. Future tours should see more birds as the itineries get fine tuned. The North Koreans are immensely proud of their country and really want more visitors. They made a huge effort to welcome us and give us the very best trip they could. Yes things were 'controlled', we had two guides the whole time but they were great company, really good fun. They got into the swing of birding and were pretty good by the end of the week. As we were birding we saw lots of the country, the nice bits and the crap bits, I didn't feel anything was particularly hidden from us. We could chat to the locals if we wanted, it was all quite casual...

I'm thinking of going next year probably not specifically birding, more for photography. What optics did you take? I heard lenses over 100mm are banned.

 

[mikejf]

Hi Gashead
I took binoculars, full size scope and my camera was a Panasonic FZ150 superzoom. The other chap on the trip had a Nikon DSLR with a 300mm lens. We had no problems at all. The tour company advised us that officially you shouldn't take a lens over 150mm but they went on to say that in reality the rule is not enforced. The only thing customs were bothered about was people bringing in mobile phones. Optic's weren't an issue for them. Our guides were happy for us to photograph pretty much whatever we wanted except anything military, that was a strict no no.

 

[Gashead]

Thanks for that Mike.

 

[John Cantelo]

Given today's news that one of the charges against recently executed Jang Song-thaek was insufficient enthusiasm in applauding dear leader Kim Jong-un perhaps any vistors might also want to take a crash course in advanced sycophancy as well as brushing up on bird ID.

 

[jmepler]

As a US citizen I wouldn't take a trip to North Korea even if it was free.

I imagine that this 85 year old veteran probably feels the same way....now.

Mike

 

[KC Foggin]

Personally, I'd feel very uncomfortable birding in such a repressive country ...

Especially after the most recent news of the uncle of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, being executed for treason on Thursday

 

[mikejf]

Just come in from the pub, i'm a bit pissed but in all honestly want to say that the the dear leader is undoubtedly a nasty piece of shit but the tourist ministry, the tour company, the guides, the general population, the hotel staff, the restaurant staff and anyone else you will run into out there are wonderful people and whatever you hear don't let one guys twatness ruin it for what a lot of people are trying really hard to build out there, a future for a tourist industry against all odds.... If people go there barriers will be broken down, money will seep down to desperately poor people and the chances of change will increase. The regime out there makes me angry and sad but boycotting the country solves nothing, Amen....

 

[John Cantelo]

A bit pissed or not, mikjf, you make a fair point.

However, in the context of North Korea I think it is to some degree naïve. In a country so tightly and rigidly controlled by a tiny elite and where a constant stream of propaganda distorts and manipulates views few barriers, none of them of any significance, will be broken down. Worse, there’s every reason to suppose that the murderous regime will use all and any visits by westerners as food for their propaganda machine. There’s no reason either to suppose that the western currencies thus accrued will not largely benefit the repressive elite. I rather doubt too whether many people will be going there to “build bridges” or give work to locals, but rather on a desire to see birds come what may. Like it or not by going there you are, albeit in a small way, lending your support to Kim Jong-un’s regime. Where the balance lies between supporting a fledgling industry that may benefit a small number of North Koreans and risking giving credence to an extraordinarily repressive government that is the source of their economic ruin is a matter of personal conscience. All I know is that I would feel very, very uncomfortable about giving this regime any credibility merely in the pursuit of some good birds.

 

[Melanie]

Are there any photographs of the Tristram's Woodpecker from the wild (past or present, color or b/w)?

 

[Richard Klim]

Tristram's Woodpecker

Are there any photographs of the Tristram's Woodpecker from the wild (past or present, color or b/w)?

An 'old newspaper image': cargocollective.com/noteandtake/where-is-a-tristram-s-woodpecker.