Help Tourism

Coming back from Sunderbans and Kaziranga, our South Indian friend Jayanand send us some flowers:

I must compliment Help Tourism on arranging an exemplary holiday for the three of us in the Sunderbans and Kaziranga. Both parks were magical, the accommodation comfortable, and the food was first class. My friends & I were also struck by the punctuality with which all safaris started, whether by boat, jeep or elephant. Well done & I will recommend you to all my friends as the organisation to use for cultural and nature tours to the East.

Thank you, Jayanand. We will be most happy to host you or any of your friends, anytime.

Remco from the Netherlands was friendly enough to send us some feedback on their tour:

Hi all,

Here follows an annotated list of the best records 6 keen birdwatchers from The Netherlands made during a very recent 16-day tour of NE India – Eaglenest, Nameri and Kaziranga. The tour lasted from Dec 23, 2007, until Jan 7, 2008. [...] All ground arrangements were made by Sujan Chatterjee from HelpTourism (much recommended), who also accompanied us during the trip. We camped during the Eaglenest part of the trip, fortunately accompanied by excellent cook Jivan. Weather was fine throughout the trip, with clear skies and no fog or rain. In the mountains, especially at Lama Camp and Bompu, the temperature at night was close to or even below zero C.

We recorded 457 birds, incl c. 10 heard-onlys and 20+ species recorded only at Okhla, Delhi. Heard-only incl Grey Peacock-pheasant, Common and Rufous-throated Hill Partridge, Himalayan Wood Owl, Spotted Laughingthrush, Slender-billed Scimitar Babbler, Rusty-bellied and Lesser Shortwing. Blue-naped Pitta was seen by only one participant (LS), near Khellong.

Mammal highlights included a male Hoolock Gibbon at Panbari Forest, a Malayan Giant Squirrel at Nameri and over 100 Indian One-horned Rhinos, 6 Indian Smooth Otters and 10+ Asian Elephants at Kaziranga.

Thanks, Remco for the nice and encouraging words.

Every year in early December, Nagaland celebrates itself at the “Hornbill Festival” in Kohima. All the major ethnic groups of the state are participating in the party, dressed in their colourful customs, and proudly offering their food and explaining their culture and lifestyle.

Our friend Renate from Germany has send some pictures, which she took during our visit to this remarkable event.

Highlight of our visit in Nagaland is the week-long Hornbill Festival, which since 7 years is is held in Kohima in the first week of December.

In the big Naga Cultural Village outside the city each Naga-Tribe has erected a house in traditional style, made of bamboo and palmtree leaves.

In some, wonderful blankets and bamboo works are sold, in others, traditional food delicies. Each house has its own spirit, but everywhere we have a friendly welcome – as tourists even here rarely show up.

Instead thousands of Nagas have assembled on the festival ground, watching the dancers in their traditional customs.

They obviously enjoy assembling with the members of their own clan, feasting themselves with the national dish, fat pork meat with sour bamboo on hill rice, and flushing it with reasonable amount of rice beer.

Thank you for the nice illustration, Renate.

All pictures: ©Renate Loose

Still in Australia, the first mail arrived with feedback on Asit’s presentation at the Ecotourism Conference:

Dear Asit,
As a delegate at the Ecotourism Conference I was fortunate to hear your wonderful presentation yesterday. [...] I am sorry to send an email like this, just telling you about ourselves – but I was so very moved by your presentation (which I wish had been allowed to run all afternoon, with lots of time for questions!). I would love you to know that there are many people like ourselves in Australia absolutely committed to the concept of sustainable tourism – tourism which positively impacts on individuals, both the tourists and the members of the communities they visit. I think I just wanted to make contact with a ‘kindred spirit’ and congratulate you for the wonderful work you are doing.

I hope you are enjoying your stay in Australia – next time you visit, perhaps you will come and stay with us? I will soon be looking at your website in the hope of finding a wonderful holiday to share with my husband next year (I would love to spend some time with your magnificent elephants.) So one way or another, and in one continent or another, I am sure we will meet again.

With very best wishes
Ali

Thank you, Ali. The East Himalaya being so diverse in culture and nature is an easy topic to report about for several hours. But please come and experience yourself. You will learn that word’s cannot really describe this area adequately.