Full-Day Tour
Ultimate Birding Tour
An Immersive, Two-Session Expedition Mapping the Rich Rainforests, Coastlines, and Vast Wetlands of South Andaman
For the passionate birdwatcher, dedicated wildlife photographer, or “twitcher” looking to maximize their species count, our Full-Day Tour provides the ultimate, high-yield itinerary. This comprehensive tour splits your day into two high-activity field sessions, taking you across four of the most prolific birding ecosystems on the islands: Chidiya Tapu, Burmanallah, the Sippighat Wetlands, and the Garacharma Wetlands. By resting during the harsh midday sun and hitting the fields at both dawn and dusk, you get an unparalleled opportunity to log dense forest endemics, migratory waders, and elusive nocturnal species all in a single calendar day.
Tour Overview & Timings
To align your binoculars with the peak biological rhythms of the islands’ wildlife, we operate on a strictly disciplined, two-session field schedule:
Morning Session: 05:00 AM – 10:00 AM (Focus: Primary Rainforests & Coastlines)
Midday Break: 10:00 AM – 03:00 PM (Rest, midday heat avoidance, and lunch at your hotel)
Afternoon Session: 03:00 PM – 07:00 PM (Focus: Intertidal Mudflats, Wetlands, & Owl Trailing)
Locations Covered: Chidiya Tapu, Burmanallah, Sippighat Wetland, and Garacharma Wetland
Pace: Highly focused, comprehensive, and optimized to clean up your target list.
THE FULL-DAY EXPEDITION
We depart from your hotel at exactly 05:00 AM to catch the explosive morning chorus at Chidiya Tapu, quietly exploring primary forest roads and canopy trails under towering Mahua and Padauk trees to target key endemics like the Andaman Serpent Eagle, Violet Cuckoo, Andaman Shama, Long-tailed Parakeet, Vernal Hanging Parrot, Andaman Bulbul, and Asian Fairy-Bluebird.
As the morning light matures, we trace the coastline down toward the unique intertidal habitats of Burmanallah, checking the rocky shores, coastal fringes, and mangroves for specialized hunters and shorebirds while pausing in the field to enjoy a fresh, packed breakfast with hot tea.
After a scheduled midday break back at your hotel to escape the tropical heat and review your morning logs, we kick off the afternoon session at 03:00 PM by heading straight into the expansive marshes of the Garacharma and Sippighat Wetlands. Here, the late-afternoon sun offers spectacular golden-hour light to photograph dense congregations of winter migrants and local waterbirds, including the endemic Andaman Teal, Cotton Teal, Pacific Reef Egret, Collared Kingfisher, Dollarbird, Broad-billed Sandpiper, Red-necked Stint, and Long-toed Stint.
We wrap up this ultimate day by pushing past sunset into the twilight hours between 06:00 PM and 07:00 PM, utilizing high-power tracking torches to spot iconic nocturnal endemics like the Andaman Scops-Owl and Andaman Hawk-Owl before returning to base.
WHY CHOOSE THE HALF-DAY MORNING TOUR?
The Complete Checklist Experience: Covering four distinct hotspots in one day allows you to transition seamlessly between rainforest, coastline, mudflat, and freshwater wetland species.
Smart Midday Tracking: We intentionally break the tour so you aren't wasting energy during the silent, inactive midday hours, saving your stamina for peak birding windows.
Maximum Photographic Diversity: Capture dramatic behavioral changes in birds, transitioning from active morning foraging to late-afternoon wetland wading and dramatic post-sunset hunting.
Unmatched Guiding Depth: Navigate complex wetland boundaries and hidden forest perches with local experts who monitor these four exact properties year-round.
India’s Last Birding Frontier, based in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands