Where will you go? (1 Viewer)

[Bananafishbones]

I will be on the first available plane to Turkey at Christmas.
I will be then keeping my fingers crossed for the Amazon mid 2021, again if the plane is available I will be on it.
Stuff this world economy busting lockdown boll@x

 

[JWN Andrewes]

When I heard about Frank Gardner's plans to go there, I thought oh how wonderful.... I'd love to do that.

Then I watched his programme and er.... nooo that's beyond me sadly. So I've satisfied myself with taking a picture of one on the television screen and my only poor sighting of a female Paradise Riflebird at O'Reilly's last year.

I've got my sights set on a return trip to Norway, for Spring birds. But doubt that will be next year.

Yes, I saw that, very much enjoyed it, but it's worth bearing in mind that as a TV show it will have done its best to over emphasise difficulty, jeopardy & challenge at the expense of offering an accurate balanced account. I would set much more store by the reports of birders who have actually been and birded there.

 

[Ries]

Wanting to do a Lesvos spring trip for a long time. Won't be this year though so hope for next. Canary Islands is on my wishlist too, same for inland Spain but is a bit harder without driver's license.

 

[YuShan]

Nice idea Andy. We'd planned to go to Thailand next month before the pandemic, so hoping we can go next year. Any Pitta would be fantastic, but I'd love to see a Blue - that was my personal target.

I didn't find the Blue Pitta last year in Khao Yai but Mangrove Pitta was quite easy in Ao Phang Nga (it was singing in a tree) and the easiest was Malaysian Banded Pitta in Sri Phang Nga. It was one of the first birds that I saw there (and I saw it more than once, both male and female). I don't use guides.

 

[bonxie birder]

We were supposed to go to Costa Rica last April, then in July. We are now booked for next July. Fingers crossed

 

[Steve Arlow]

Just want to get back to my perenial favorite of migration in Israel, looking at March but for next year that still seems doubtful, as does late April for the Honey Buzzard migration but if it is possible that is where I will go when opportunity allows. This is followed by a return to either the Texas coast in April or either Magee/Ohio or Point Pelee/Ontario.

Beyond that The Gambia in November as that trip has been cancelled 3 times on the bounce now.

 

[Steve Babbs]

Indeed, and I think it's been building for a while. Hence the suspicion that it will be Jags first.

John

The advantage of Brazil is you get the holy trinity of jaguar, giant anteater and maned wolf - for me the smarted dog by some margin. and apart from the jaguars, it can be done independently. The maned wolf experience is rather bizarre but fantastic and the monastery one of my favourite places I've ever stayed. Give it two nights though as they didn't come on our second night so it is 'dippable'.

 

[opisska]

The advantage of Brazil is you get the holy trinity of jaguar, giant anteater and maned wolf - for me the smarted dog by some margin. and apart from the jaguars, it can be done independently. The maned wolf experience is rather bizarre but fantastic and the monastery one of my favourite places I've ever stayed. Give it two nights though as they didn't come on our second night so it is 'dippable'.

What is this specific place for Maned Wolf you speak of?

(Not going to comment on the topic itself, for the good of everyone.)

 

[dandsblair]

Suspect Cuba or NE Brazil

We have had lots cancelled but suspect we will not be rescheduling Sechuan, Bhutan, India or Nepal anytime soon due to entry/travel situations in those countries.

Cuba just cancelled we were actually meant to arrive there today - top bird for me was Bee Hummer, for Sarah the Trogon, so might try to rearrange that early in new year while we can still use the tourist cards.

Like you we are trying for 100 countries (up to 93) and 5000 birds which I managed to get in Ethiopia with Stressman's Bushcrow.

 

[Steve Babbs]

What is this specific place for Maned Wolf you speak of?

(Not going to comment on the topic itself, for the good of everyone.)

Caraca. The monks have been feeding the wolves for year and they just walk in and grab it while you sit there drinking wine and watching. Normally I don't like feeding situations but this is so crazy that it's wonderful and I believe the monks were doing it long before they thought of getting people to stay. My miles the best value place we stayed in Brazil, which is not a cheap place even when done independently.
http://www.stevebabbs.com/home/trip-reports/2011-brazil

 

[opisska]

Nice! Thanks.

 

[Jos Stratford]

Tanzania and Uganda. I was meant to go to both this year. I was more excited about this year than I have been about any for a long, long time. I suspect Tanzania will be 2022 but I hope for Uganda in the UK summer.

Both of these countries are open for tourism today, as are many countries in eastern and southern Africa, with more to follow very shortly.

 

[Andy Adcock]

Both of these countries are open for tourism today, as are many countries in eastern and southern Africa, with more to follow very shortly.

From 5 November to 2 December 2020, travelling away from home, including internationally, is restricted from England except in limited circumstances such as for work or for education.

CDC recommends travelers avoid all nonessential international travel to Tanzania. Travelers at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19 should consider postponing all travel, including essential travel, to Tanzania. COVID-19 risk in Tanzania is high.

Local policies at your destination may require you to be tested for COVID-19 before you are allowed to enter the country. If you test positive on arrival, you may be required to isolate for a period of time. You may even be prevented from returning home, as scheduled.'

Uganda

On arrival at Entebbe International Airport and at land border crossings, travellers will need to provide a negative COVID-19 test certificate issued no more than 72 hours before boarding the aircraft. Airlines have been directed not to allow passengers without a negative test certificate to travel. Foreign national passengers who arrive without a valid negative test certificate will be denied entry.

Arriving passengers will be subject to temperature checks and will be screened for infectious diseases by the Port Health authorities. If a passengers shows signs or symptoms of any infectious disease they will taken by ambulance to a local isolation centre to undergo a COVID-19 test at their own cost. Test results will be returned within 24 to 48 hours; passengers will be expected to remain at the isolation centre until the test results are returned.

Departing passengers may be required to present a negative COVID-19 PCR test certificate, issued 120 hours before travel. Please check with your airline for exact requirements. There are a number of public and private COVID-19 tests centres in Uganda.



Not as simple as you make it sound is it.

 

[Steve Babbs]

"Not as simple as you make it sound is it."

Tanzania claiming to have defeated covid by the power of prayer. Funnily enough I'm not going to rely on that.

Agreed. Plus the self-isolating when you get back. I'm not booking anything for a while yet.

 

[opisska]

There are literally pages of reasons why any traveling, especially if it involves flying, may go south pretty quickly now. A country being "open" for tourism doesn't really mean much in practice. Yeah, the trip may turn out to be good, but it also may turn out pretty terrible, it's a gamble. I mean you may just simply lose all the money you paid if you happen to catch a random cold and denied boarding for just having elevated temperature. Or you may end up having to deal with covid in a random country with questionable healthcare, missing your flight back while in isolation. Not to mention that with the "hygiene theater" in place, a lot of the travel will be a pretty dreadful experience.

I think this thread would be a bit more upbeat if people just shared the dreams, without having to be told how "possible" it is right now.

 

[ovenbird43]

I have tentative plans for Patagonia in fall 2021 coinciding with a conference, though no dates or pre/post-conference itinerary has been set yet. Promised my husband a year ago I'd take him with me. We'll see... I suppose if it doesn't work out next year, we'll plan a trip for another year.

Toying with the idea of doing Oaxaca in winter/early spring. If it goes forth, top target will be Slaty Vireo, which I missed in Jalisco in 2014. Though other regional endemics are close behind on the wish list.

 

[Andy Adcock]

There are literally pages of reasons why any traveling, especially if it involves flying, may go south pretty quickly now. A country being "open" for tourism doesn't really mean much in practice. Yeah, the trip may turn out to be good, but it also may turn out pretty terrible, it's a gamble. I mean you may just simply lose all the money you paid if you happen to catch a random cold and denied boarding for just having elevated temperature. Or you may end up having to deal with covid in a random country with questionable healthcare, missing your flight back while in isolation. Not to mention that with the "hygiene theater" in place, a lot of the travel will be a pretty dreadful experience.

I think this thread would be a bit more upbeat if people just shared the dreams, without having to be told how "possible" it is right now.[/QUOTE]



That was my intention.

 

[wolfbirder]

It has been quite uplifting actually, hopefullly travelling again is just round the corner.

I must admit, I love planning trips, it part of the fun.

 

[opisska]

And you know, I am gonna be upbeat for once myself

If there's ever travel again, I have a huge list of places I wanna go - it's actually one of the reasons I am so pissed about this whole thing, it basically came right in the time when I really know where I wanna go and have the money to do so.

Starting slowly, I still wanna do a plenty of WP birding, with the first target being SE Turkey which is currently the place with the most species for me and really nice ones in that - that would be best done in May. Then eventually I'd really like to do Russia around Ural - which seems relatively hard logistically, but I have found some quite reasonable 4x4 rentals and I would probably do just that. Then there is also Morocco, with both birds and fantastic Mammals. WP birding would be nicely topped off with Cape Verde with a all the endemics, Corvo in autumn and some good spot for shearwaters and stuff, which I recently learned could be NW Spain with some headlands.

As for the rest of the world, I really wanna try some tropical inflatable canoe shenanigans in Pantanal and possibly also in the Guayanas. Then I think I would also enjoy some more "intense" tropical birding in Peru (Manu Road and once again Oxapampa area maybe) or Costa Rica. As I haven't ever been in tropical Africa, I would quite like to do something like Ethiopia or Uganda or so, but also just revisiting southern Africa in a "slower" manner, maybe doing Mana Pools and something in Zambia or so.

In more remote ideas, I still can't shake the happiness obtained by birding in Lapland and I think Canada or Alaska in spring could do that for me. I recently learned about some roads towards the Hudson Bay that look splendid! Then eventually, Australia is calling as well - even though the last time I looked into traveling there, it looked like a bit logistically difficult as well. However I am getting less and less caught up in trying to save money and if I splurge for a jeep, things get much easier.

 

[jurek]

Caraca. The monks have been feeding the wolves for year and they just walk in and grab it while you sit there drinking wine and watching.

I walked around the monastery at night they were around all the time, turning rubbish bins, playing etc.