1. What camera gear is recommended for the trip?
Longer focal lengths (500 mm and above) are ideal, as is standard practice in bird photography globally. A zoom lens is preferable to a prime lens, as it offers greater flexibility for framing, especially in hides or when birds approach unexpectedly. A tripod is strongly recommended, as birding often requires extended periods of waiting in a fixed position.
Binoculars are optional but you are welcome to bring them if you wish.
2. What kind of weather can we expect during the trip?
At Bharatpur temperatures can range between 5–25°C. It can feel very cold due to fog + humidity in the mornings. Gloves and layers are essential for this part of the trip, especially in the early mornings.
In Thattekad the temperatures can range between 20–35°C while in Munnar it can range between 5–25°C.
At Mangalajodi the temperature will range between 10–30°C. The mornings will be cool but it will quickly warm up during the boating trip itself.
At Bhitarkanika the temperature will range between 12–30°C. It will feel mild + slightly humid.
Rain is not typical during this time; it is generally sunny with little to no rain but its best if you have a raincoat with you always - both for yourself and for your camera.
3. What about food and drinks during the trip?
Daily breakfast, lunch and dinner is included. There would be non-vegetarian food for almost every meal except breakfasts. Bottled mineral water is included. Soda can be arranged at an extra cost.
4. What is the luggage allowance for the flights?
All of our domestic flights in India will have 10 kg cabin (carry-on) luggage limit (dimensions - 115 cms (L+W+H)). Over and above this 10 kg cabin baggage limit you can also bring a laptop in its bag with a weight of max 3 kg.
Checkin luggage allowance is 20 kg for all flights so it would be good if you left Denmark with 20 kg checkin luggage only and not 23 kg as is normal on international flights.
Extra checkin luggage comes at a cost of about 50-60 DKK per extra kg at the airport.
Do not carry a tool of any kind in your hand luggage, you will be asked to dump it at Indian airport security checks. Not even a hex wrench will go through, they are very thorough!
5. Do guides use playback during birding?
It is not used for every species but guides do make use of playback only if its a special bird that isn't showing up.
6. How can we get internet connection on our phones in India?
The easiest way is for you to get a cheap data only eSim like Saily that you can use throughout the trip. You can activate it before boarding your flight to India. We can look at getting you a physical SIM card at DEL airport after we arrive if we have enough time.
7. How is the voltage and wall plugs in India?
All your chargers and electronics will work in India as they use the same voltage as in Denmark. The only issue could be that Danish plug pins are thinner and can be loose in the wall sockets so you should get a universal travel adapter for these reasons. And bring an extension cable with multiple ports so you are not stuck with a single wall plug if you're unlucky.
8. What about the flight to and from India?
You should choose your flights so that you are able to be ready at DEL airport by January 17 at 09:00 IST. You can choose a return flight to Denmark after 02:00 IST on February 1.
Finnair, KLM and Air France have flights matching these timings from around 5000 DKK round trip from Copenhagen.
If your name in your passport has special characters in it then you should use the name printed in English in your passport to make your flight bookings. We can discuss this later when we get to flight bookings.
9. Should we bring any special medicines for the trip?
Bring painkillers and medication for cold, fever, bad stomach etc. Bring mosquito repellent. Bring medication like Lactaid to help with digestion.
Bring sunscreen. Bring elektrolytter that you can use during the full trip. I usually put 1 tablet in the bottle as soon as I open a new mineral water bottle during the whole trip.
10. Are there any special clothing recommendations?
Bring clothing for the weather mentioned above. Vandrestøvler are the recommended shoes for the trip, especially for biridng in Thattekad. It can sometimes be cold from the plane's air conditioning, so you may want to bring a sweater or windbreaker in your cabin luggage.
11. Any other recommendations?
Bring good earplugs for everyday use. Bring eye masks for sleeping as a precaution. Remember that the noise isolation of accomodations (especially the one at Mangalajodi) wont be that great.
Keep soft copies of all your documents online at all times. Passport, visa, travel insurance, health card, drivers license, passport size photographs etc.
Bring a knife and fork in your checkin luggage. Although you might not have to use it at all but it doesnt hurt to have them with you.
12. What vaccinations do we need for the trip?
This is somethig between you and your GP. But after we confirm the list of people coming on the trip I will create a Facebook group chat where you can talk with others about what is the best course of vaccinations as suggested by your GPs.
13. How do we get a Visa?
You should apply online for e-Tourist Visa with 1 year validity. It can be applied 120 days in advance of the trip start date. Passport should have at least six months validity at the time of making application for grant of e-Tourist Visa. The passport should have at least two blank pages for stamping by the Immigration Officer.