Symbiosis Custom Travel » Birding

Special Summer Liveaboard Diving Discounts, Raja Ampat – July/Aug 2018

AnhLam — Fri, 22 Jun 2018 10:49:32 +0000

Are you still deciding on your summer getaway? We may have just what you need – The SMY Tambora is now offering special discounts for the following 4 scheduled dates for liveaboard diving around North & Central Raja Ampat. Located northwest of Indonesia’s West Papua (formerly Irian Jaya) on the Bird’s Head Seascape, it is the world’s most bio-diverse marine region with more recorded fish, coral and mollusc species than anywhere else on the planet. And, here is your last chance to grab these special deals!

Details:
03-12 Jul 2018 | Four Kingdoms of the East | North & Central Raja Ampat from/to Sorong | Special price USD $3,182 as compared to regular USD $3,535

15-24 Jul 2018 | Four Kingdoms of the East | North & Central Raja Ampat from/to Sorong | Special price USD $3,182 as compared to regular USD $3,535

27-Jul – 05-Aug 2018 | Four Kingdoms of the East | North & Central Raja Ampat from/to Sorong | Special price USD $2,750 as compared to regular USD $3,535

08-17 Aug 2018 | Four Kingdoms of the East | North & Central Raja Ampat from/to Sorong | Special price USD $2,750 as compared to regular USD $3,535

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Wild Haven of Cambodia

chris — Tue, 07 Feb 2017 14:39:04 +0000

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Kayaking in the Philippines – last minute adventure

chris — Wed, 26 Nov 2014 03:50:26 +0000

Superlative sea kayaking in the Calamian and Linapacan islands of Northern Palawan, Philippines. Last trip 15-23 Nov. Next trip: circumnavigate Coron Island by sea kayak 30 Nov-03 Dec. Four participating so far. There’s room for 3 more!

Next: An 8-day Round Busuanga and Round Coron kayak expedition Dec 31 – Jan 08. 4 participants already booked. Room for 3 more.

Contact Symbiosis now if you would like to join. We can also help with travel arrangements, hotel bookings and anything else you would like to do while in the Philippines. One not to miss!

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The Mekong River with Sue Perkins

chris — Mon, 24 Nov 2014 15:11:31 +0000

To those of you in the UK, please watch this – Pailinesque travelogue with lots of useful, insightful knowledge about the wonderful Mekong River and the dangers it faces from over exploitation. Watch on iPlayer

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Palawan’s Subterranean River, Philippines

chris — Wed, 12 Nov 2014 08:18:44 +0000

St Paul's Underground River, Palawan

Claimed to be the longest underground river in the world (although I hear rumours that a much longer one has been found in South America somewhere) is located in the St Paul’s National Park in Palawan, Philippines.

Emptying directly into the South China Sea through a cave at the bottom of karst limestone cliffs, topped in rich rainforest, the river flows underground for about 8 km, and it is possible to row small boats through the cave system for at lest half of that distance. By kayak, much further… although I am told it is not possible to actually emerge the other side.

To get to the entrance of St Paul’s National Park and to the underground river, you have to take a banca (Philippine version of an outrigger boat) along the Palawan coast from the small seaside town and beach of Sabang.

Monitor Lizard

Once there, you disembark onto a pristine white sand beach (shoes off) from where there are forest trails leading off into the jungle. One of these leads to a boat landing point where you charter your boat and boatman to take you into the caves.

This is a popular day out for local Filipinos and there can be quite a long wait to get a boat, so get there early or plan to spend some time bird watching and wildlife spotting along some of the other trails in the park. In the short time that I was there I saw various monkeys and several large monitor lizards – very close up – in addition to plenty of our feathered friends. Reinforcing the reputation of the park, there was also a posse from the Philippines Birding Society there laden with expensive-looking optical gear.

Daluyon

The St Paul’s National Park is named, it is said, for the shape of the mountain above the caves (see pic) which strongly Catholic Filipinos reckon looks like the profile of a well known Saint!

Most visitors come to visit the underground river from the main town of Puerto Princes, a 2-3 hour drive away (parts of the road are still under construction and parts are very poor). To be there early, I would recommend staying overnight or longer in Sabang where there is one delightful little resort right on the beach called the Daluyon. Swimming pool, nicely appointed rooms in 2 storey villas and excellent food! There are backpacker places at the other end of the beach in Sabang town itself.

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“Too many people”: Philippine island being deforested despite extensive protections

chris — Fri, 07 Nov 2014 03:49:05 +0000

Almost completely covered in Protected Areas, Palawan lost 6.4 percent of its tree cover in just over a decade.

About an hour and a half plane ride from the Philippine capital Manila is a long, narrow island home to about a quarter of all the animal species found in the country. So unique is this island called Palawan that it hosts two World Heritage sites, the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River in the provincial capital, and the Tubbataha Reef in Cagayancillo.

Data from Global Forest Watch (GFW) reveal more than 6 percent of Palawan’s forest cover has been lost since 2001. But as humans raze the island’s extensive forests for development, many animals – including 27 endemic species of birds, 19 varieties of land mammals, and 24 kinds of reptiles – are facing huge population declines.

Read the Full story by Shaira Panela, mongabay.com correspondent, October 31, 2014

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Last minute deal – Adventure cruise November 2014, Indonesia

AnhLam — Thu, 18 Sep 2014 10:11:41 +0000

Super deal available for adventure cruise onboard the Ombak Putih. When book this November cruise, you are entitled to free domestic flights (associating with the cruise program) which saves you up to USD $700+.

What: Sailing cruise (Snorkelling & Paddling) onboard Ombak Putih
Where: Sorong – Raja Ampat – Sorong, Indonesia
When: 20-29 November 2014
Offer: Free Domestic flights – Save up to USD $700

For further details, please contact Symbiosis Custom Travel

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New bird species in the Philippines

chris — Thu, 19 Sep 2013 04:00:42 +0000

A ground-warbler from the Philippines is the twenty-third species of bird described in 2013.

The species, dubbed Robsonius Thompsoni, is described in the August issue of the journal The Condor. It was discovered after researchers from the University of Kansas, the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico, the University of the Philippines Los Baños, and the Philippine National Museum distinguished it from two closely-related ground-warblers. The first clue was the bird’s coloration, according to University of Kansas biologist Pete Hosner.

“When we noted the different plumage coloration between adult birds in the Cordillera and the Sierra Madre in northern Luzon, we sequenced DNA to determine if the plumage differences were individual variation within a species, or if the two plumage forms were also genetically diagnosable,” Hosner said. “We found that Cordillera and Sierra Madre birds were highly divergent in their DNA, almost as different as the distinctive Bicol Ground-Warbler in southern Luzon.”

The new species is named after Max Thompson, a retired professor from Southwestern College and a research associate in the Biodiversity Institute at the University of Kansas (KU).

The Sierra Madre Ground-Warbler is the twenty-third species of bird described for the first time in 2013. There are around 10,000 bird species known to science.

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Rare Spiny Turtle found at Namtaloo Cave in Khao Sok, S Thailand

chris — Thu, 11 Jul 2013 04:01:46 +0000

Khao Sok National Park in Southern Thailand always manages to deliver thrills for nature lovers. This week, a rare Spiny Turtle was found just outside the Namtaloo Cave by Dave and his team.

If you are visiting Thailand and are a wildlife enthusiast, a visit to Khao Sok should be high on your wishlist. See here for more information on how to include it on your itinerary. The birds are amazing here too.

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Pulau Waigeo from the sky – stunning!

chris — Tue, 10 Jul 2012 16:58:25 +0000

This should taunt anyone looking for unspoiled remote places to dive with exceptional seascapes and unspoiled islands!

This pic was taken from the air flying between Sorong in West Papua to Manado on the northern tip of Sulawesi, Indonesia, as we passed over Pulau Waigeo. This is real frontier diving with some of the richest biodiversity counts recorded anywhere!

Next goal would be to kayak around the shoreline to explore the untouched beaches and rainforests. Waigeo is renowned amongst birders for Birds of Paradise.

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Kayaking Palau, 13-23 Mar 2012

AnhLam — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 16:00:41 +0000

If you haven’t had anything planned for 2012, mark your calendar if you are a kayak enthusiast.

Join this 11-days expedition to explore Palau’s hidden network of marine lakes, mangrove channels, marine tunnels, tropical beaches, and marine caverns, all in the serenity of nature.

This expedition is designed to be safe and fun, however, it does require an intermediate level of fitness and paddle experience. You will carry your own camping equipment on your kayak (provided at briefing), while guides and assistants paddle double kayaks with coolers, food, drinks, and supplies.

Sample Itinerary as follow:
13 March: Arrival
14 March: Koror: Briefing & Packing.
15 March: Nikko Bay
16 March: Risong Bay
17 March: German Lighthouse
18 March: Milky Way to Long Lake
19 March: Patch Reefs to Giant Clam Beach
20 March: Jellyfish Lake to Long Beach
21 March: German Channel to Ngemelis
22 March: Peleliu Historical Land Tour stay at Dolphin Bay Resort
23 March: Peleliu to Koror : Departure

Price: USD $250/per person/per day.
There are already 2 pax signed up for this trip (13-23 March 2012).

Includes: Kayaks, Paddles, & Life Jackets; Pelican Dry Boxes & Dry Bags; All Food, All Drinks, & Copious Snacks; Tents & Air Mattresses; Sheets & Camping Pillow; First Aid Kit; Crews: Guide Chef, Boat Captain, & Assistant; Solar Showers

For more information on kayaking Palau, click here. Or, contact Symbiosis for more details.

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Birding in Vietnam – New from Symbiosis

chris — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 12:34:20 +0000

Vietnam has the highest number of endemic bird species on mainland South East Asia. There are currently twelve species of bird that are found only in Vietnam, though this figure is liable to change at any time as taxonomic changes are made and species are ‘split’. In addition to these twelve endemics there are many more near endemics, bird species restricted to Vietnam and a few neighbouring countries.

Click here for more info plus an array of superb birding itinerary suggestions for Vietnam. It doesn’t have to be just birding for birders – we can build an itinerary for you that includes cultural discovery, mountain biking, kayaking…. whatever your interest. Also in Cambodia, Laos, Thailand…

Contact me at Symbiosis Custom Travel.

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