Borneo is a truly remarkable island. It has the oldest rainforest on the planet, with gigantic trees towering more than 260 feet above the ground! This magical environment is one of the most biodiverse places on earth, where the profusion of plants, animals and birds has to be seen to be believed. There are over 700 species of orchids alone, plus insectivorous Pitcher Plants and enormous parasitic Rafflesia flowers which mimic the sight and smell of rotting flesh! The rich diversity of rare mammals includes Bornean Pygmy Elephants, Clouded Leopards, numerous primates such as the bizarre endemic Proboscis Monkey and of course the great Orang Utan, which we have good chances of seeing in its wild jungle stronghold! It’s surely worth the trip for this alone, but Borneo is also birding heaven with over 500 species, including spectacular birds like Great Argus Pheasant, Whiskered Treeswift, Red-bearded Bee-eater, Rhinoceros Hornbill, Gold-whiskered Barbet, Black-and-yellow Broadbill and Great Slaty Woodpecker, the largest in the world, plus over 40 endemics such as Crimson-headed Partridge, Kinabalu Serpent Eagle, Bornean Ground-cuckoo, Whitehead’s Trogon, Blue-headed Pitta, the exotic Bornean Bristlehead and White-fronted Falconet, which at just 6 inches long is the world’s smallest raptor!

This exciting tour explores three of India’s most productive areas. Beginning in the western state of Gujarat, we explore the tropical savanna grasslands of Velavadar National Park and the rich deciduous woodlands of Gir National Park, before ending up in the saline desert landscape of the Little Rann of Kutch with its vast seasonal wetlands. Moving on, we journey through the Central Indian Highlands and the Deccan Plateau in the heart of India. From the rugged dry teak forests and bamboo of Tadoba National Park, we move northwards into the rich mosaic of forest types in Pench National Park, and finally to the woodlands and meadows of Kanha National Park. Next, we experience a complete change of landscape, habitat and species as we travel to the Brahmaputra River floodplain in India’s northeast corner, where we explore the vast grasslands and wetlands of Kaziranga National Park, with visits to neighbouring tea estates and to the evergreen forest of Hoollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary.

This remarkable adventure offers a unique opportunity to combine intimate encounters with some of nature’s largest and smallest creatures; majestic Monarch Butterflies in their millions and magnificent Grey Whales at arm’s length!
We begin in the cool forested mountains of central Mexico at around 9000 feet, where the Monarchs congregate each winter in spectacular numbers. Estimates range from 60 million to one billion butterflies!
Meanwhile the Baja coast is the end point for the longest migration of any mammal, where 36 ton Grey Whales congregate after a 6000 mile journey from the Bering Sea to give birth to their calves. These ‘friendly whales’ voluntarily seek close encounters with people and may look you in the eye while you stroke them!
If I had to pick just one trip from the New Horizons schedule, this would be it, without a doubt! Even non-birding partners will love it!

Embarking from Oban, this fabulous cruise visits numerous fantastically scenic islands such as Mull, Rhum, Canna, Barra, North and South Uist, the Monach Isles, Skye and the ‘enchanted’ Shiant Isles. Our ultimate goal is Saint Kilda, an exceptionally remote archipelago of four small islands 45 miles west of the Outer Hebrides, and yet inhabited for some two thousand years until 1930! Weather permitting, we hope to anchor for two nights in Village Bay off Hirta which has Britain’s highest cliff, towering 1397 feet above the sea! Nearby Soay is home to the Soay Sheep, an ancient breed, similar to its ancestral wild Mouflon, while smaller Dun has a colony of over a quarter of a million Puffins! Slightly further away is rugged Boreray, home to 20% of the world’s Gannet population! Saint Kilda is also one of the very few places in the British Isles where the hard to see Leach’s Petrel actually breeds, as it is restricted to islands within 45 miles of the Atlantic continental shelf. This remarkable must-see location is now a National Nature Reserve and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. As well as all the seabirds we can also hope to see a wealth of other wildlife such as Orca and Minke Whales, dolphins, porpoises, seals, huge Basking Sharks (at up to 40 feet long, the world's second largest fish!), Red Deer, Otters and exciting birds like White-tailed and Golden Eagles, Hen Harrier, Corncrake and Twite.