Description

We’re delighted to be returning to Northeast India in 2025! It is sure to be popular, read on to find out why…

North East India and the provinces of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam represent a wildlife paradise rarely visited by Europeans.  Lying in the foothills of the Himalayas it is one of the best areas for butterflies in India and along with the Western Ghats is one of two biodiversity hotspots in India.

There are a fabulous range of butterflies ranging from the majestic Great Nawab and the Indian Purple Emperor to the dazzling Jungle Glory and the uncommon Khaki Silverline. Mud puddling butterflies along river banks are a sight to behold. We are expecting to document nothing less that 200 species of butterflies during our tour. In 2024 we saw around 250.

There are 375 butterflies from Assam alone with at least 472 in Arunachal Pradesh, including the Bhutan Glory that was recently discovered.  Nobles’s Helen, a species in decline elsewhere, was also recently reported. There is always the chance of more surprise species on such a tour too, so who knows what else we might see! There are over 20 species from the Papilionidae (Swallowtails and Birdwings). The butterflies are reasonably well documented with books available.

The area is also well known for other wildlife including several species of cat and monkey.

This is an exclusive tour set up in consultation with our experienced local guide in India who knows it very well.  Accommodation will be basic but clean and the roads challenging but it will be an experience you will never forget.  We will eat traditional Indian food, which is often vegetarian.  The temperature is normally at 32⁰C maximum with 19⁰C at night in March with cool winds from the Himalayas.  A few periods of rain are expected.

Please note that air conditioning will not be available and that it will be essential to share rooms at one of the lodges we will stay at for 3 nights.

Book your places soon on what promises to be a superb and very special experience!