Sri Lanka: A Birding, Nature & Cultural History Tour - Mass ...
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Sri Lanka:
A Birding, Nature & Cultural History Tour
Leader: Dave Larson The teardrop-shaped island of Sri Lanka lies in the Indian Ocean just off
February 12-25, 2021 the southern tip of India. With its golden sandy beaches, azure blue
waters, and warm tropical climate, Sri Lanka is a year-round destination
for those seeking sun, sand, and sea.
optional extension: The island has a rich cultural heritage that dates back over 2,500 years
February 25-28 to the origins of Buddhism in the country with a legacy of magnificently
constructed stupas and the ruins of ancient kingdoms. Controlled from
the 16th century onwards by the Portuguese, Dutch and finally the British
prior to gaining full independence in 1948, the influences of colonial
powers remain visible in architecture and a number of forts across the
country.
Sri Lanka is recognized as a global biodiversity hotspot with a rich
variety of endemic flora and fauna, and iconic mammals such as the
Asian Elephant, Leopard, and the largest animal ever to have lived on our
planet, the Blue Whale. From palm-fringed beaches to scrub jungles and
numerous artificial lakes in the lowlands to tropical rainforests, cloud
forests, and highlands laden with waterfalls at its center, this
resplendent isle is abundant in natural beauty.
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ABOUT THIS TRIP
PACE AND COMFORT: Our days will be quite varied, but we will start
early. Some days will be long and involve a lot of sitting. On Day 7, we
will drive 5–6 hours from the Highlands to Yala National Park on the
coast (we’ll stop to bird along the way). In the afternoon, we will sit
in open jeeps seeking wildlife and birds inside the park. On Day 10,
the day will start with 3 hours inside Udawalawe National Park
watching elephants, and birding. We will then drive 4 hours to
Sinharaja, stop for lunch along the way, and then take a short bird
walk.
There will be walking in Kithulgala at 5000 ft, Horton Plains at 6500
Polonnaruwa, Toque Macaques by Toby Sinclair ft, Sinharaja, and on the extension at most sites. The extended walk
to World’s End on the Horton Plains and the climb at Sigiriya are
optional. There are other areas to bird in these locations. The trails
are generally well maintained but very little is paved. In Sinharaja,
especially after rain, we could encounter leeches. Your local guide
will provide leech socks at the initial briefing.
LODGING: The accommodation is a mix of basic in Kithulgala and
Sinharaja, and comfortable in Ranwelli, St Andrews, Yala, Cinnamon
Lodge at Habarana, and in Colombo. All rooms in all properties have
en suite bathrooms. The bathrooms at Kithulgala and Sinharaja will
not have amenities but our local guide will be carrying supplies.
WEATHER: February is after the monsoon season, so most of our
journey should be dry. Sri Lanka is a tropical island, however, so the
Above: waterfall in hill country by Jehan Kumara ; below:
Hill Country may get rain at any time.
beach near Chenna huts by Toby Sinclair
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HIGHLIGHTS
Boat ride on the Dutch Canal through the mangroves to watch a
variety of waterbirds
Birding around Kithulgala and the nearby Kelani Valley Forest
Reserve in search of lowland endemics
Birding in Victoria Park, for highland species and endemics
A visit to Horton Plains National Park for primates, deer,
highland bird species, and endemics
A walk in Hakgala Botanical Gardens for endemic primates and
highland species
Wildlife viewing from jeeps and birding for dry-zone species and
winter migrants at Yala National Park
Safari at Udawalawe National Park for Asian Elephant and dry-
Birding in leech socks in Sinharaja, by Toby Sinclair
zone birding
Birding in the Sinharaja Rainforest in search of lowland
endemics, mixed species bird flocks, and amphibians
A visit to one of Sri Lanka’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites --
Sinharaja Forest
OPTIONAL EXTENSION
Experience five of Sri Lanka’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites
Visit the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic in Kandy
Climb the legendary Sigiriya Rock Fortress
Visit the ancient city of Polonnaruwa
Observe Sri Lanka’s primates with a local primate
Sri Lanka Spurfowl by Toby Sinclair
researcher
Explore Anuradhapura, ancient capital of Sri Lanka
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Day-to-Day Itinerary – Main Trip
Day 1, Feb 12: Arrival at Bandaranaike International
Airport
You will be met on arrival by our local guide and driven to Ranweli Holiday Village
in Waikkal, north of Negombo (~1-hour drive). We’ll begin our adventure with a 6
pm briefing followed by dinner together.
Overnight: Ranweli Holiday Village | http://www.ranweli.com/ (D)
Day 2, Feb 13: Birding the Dutch Canal
We’ll enjoy an early morning and late afternoon boat ride along the Dutch Canal,
through the mangroves and woodland to watch a variety of waterbirds. We’ll
explore the unique ecosystem around the mangroves, including water monitors,
butterflies and dragonflies, and indigenous aquatic and terrestrial plants amidst
this wonderland. A variety of waterbirds including Gray Heron, Purple Heron, four
Common Kingfisher, Dutch Canal
species of kingfisher (White-throated, Common, Stork-billed, and Pied), Gray-
headed Swamphen, Black Bittern, Yellow Bittern, Indian Pond-Heron, Little
Cormorant, and Oriental Darter are often seen. Migrant species seen here include
Rosy Starling, Blue-tailed Bee-eater, Barn Swallow, and the Indian Paradise-
Flycatcher. Endemics including the Sri Lanka Swallow and the Crimson-fronted
Barbet have been recorded here.
Lunch will be at the hotel. During the day, there will be an opportunity to walk
along the beach and look for pelagic birds. The shore is often quiet, but a limited
number of terns and gulls will be seen with White-bellied Sea-Eagles and
Brahminy Kites overhead.
Overnight: Ranweli Holiday Village | (B,L,D)
Yellow-eared Bulbul, by S. Ramachandran
Day 3, Feb 14: Kithulgala and Kelani Valley Forest
Reserve
In the morning, we’ll depart for Kithulgala (4.5-hour drive). Birding along the way
could include the Sri Lanka Swallow, various kingfishers, Brahminy Kite, and
parakeets. We’ll check into our hotel before heading out to bird the Kelani Valley
Forest Reserve.
The reserve was established to protect the watershed of the Kelani River, home to
many of Sri Lanka’s endemic fauna and flora. We’ll access the reserve via a river
crossing in dugout canoes and search for lowland endemics. Our target birds here
include Sri Lanka Hanging-Parrot, Layard’s Parakeet, Green-billed Coucal,
Chestnut-backed Owlet, Orange-billed Babbler, Spot-winged Thrush, and
subcontinental endemics such as the Malabar Trogon and Sri Lanka Frogmouth.
It is also one of the few locations where the elusive Serendib Scops-Owl may be
seen.
Overnight: Palmstone Retreat (B,L,D)
Day 4, Feb 15: Kelani Valley Forest Reserve
We’ll spend the day birding around Kithulgala and the nearby Kelani Valley Forest
Reserve in search of lowland endemics, returning to the hotel for lunch.
Overnight: Palmstone Retreat (B,L,D)
Lesser Goldenback morph, by S. Ramachandran
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Day 5, Feb 16: Nuwara Eliya and Victoria seen. Highland bird species including the Sri Lanka White
-eye, Dull-blue Flycatcher, and Yellow-eared Bulbul are
Park found here and can be seen close to the entrance. Horton
Plains is one of the few known locations where elusive
In the morning, we’ll head to Jetwing St. Andrews in
highland endemics such as the Sri Lanka Whistling-
Nuwara Eliya (3-hour drive) with stops en route to bird in
Thrush and Sri Lanka Bush Warbler can be found with
small valleys and streams. After we check in to our hotel,
effort and perseverance. Other sightings could include
we’ll have lunch there or at a local restaurant.
Black Eagle, Legge’s Hawk-Eagle, Jerdon’s Baza, Sri Lanka
In the afternoon, we’ll explore Victoria Park for highland Scimitar-Babbler, Forest Wagtail, Dark-fronted Babbler,
species such as Velvet-fronted Nuthatch, Pied Thrush, and and Sri Lanka Thrush. We’ll return to our hotel for lunch.
endemics including Sri Lanka White-eye, Dull-blue
There’ll be afternoon birding at Hakgala Botanic Gardens
Flycatcher, and Yellow-eared Bulbul. Migratory species
for highland endemics including the whistling-thrush.
such as Indian Pitta, Kashmir Flycatcher, and Forest
Hakgala is a botanic garden that borders a small patch of
Wagtail are also seen here during the winter months.
cloud forest. Birds often seen there include Rufous-bellied
Overnight: Jetwing St. Andrews | (B,L,D) Eagle, Pied Thrush, Large-billed Leaf Warbler, Velvet-
fronted Nuthatch, various flycatchers, woodpeckers, and
Day 6, Feb 17: Horton Plains National the Sri Lanka Wood-Pigeon. This is also one of the most
reliable locations for seeing the Bear Monkey, the
Park highland race of the endemic and Endangered Purple-
We’ll head out before dawn with a packed breakfast to faced Leaf Monkey. Close-up encounters are possible here
visit Horton Plains National Park for primates, deer, due to their habituation to visitors.
highland bird species, and endemics. Overnight: Jetwing St. Andrews | (B,L,D)
Horton Plains is Sri Lanka’s highest-elevation national
park (~7,000 ft) and contains cloud forests and open Day 7, Feb 18: Yala National Park
grassland. The island’s second and third highest points
Today will involve a lot of driving, but we will stop en route
are here: Kirgalpotta at 7860 ft and Thotupola Kanda at
to stretch our legs and do a little birding along the way,
7733 ft. There is a high level of both floral and vertebrate
including at Tissa wetlands. These are large waterbodies
diversity here.
surrounded by mature trees and paddy fields beyond.
Many of the trees have Fruit Bat colonies. Garganey,
Lesser Whistling-Duck, Cotton Pygmy Goose, swamphen,
moorhen, Pheasant-tailed Jacana, and kingfishers should
be seen here.
After checking into our lodgings, we’ll eat lunch at The
Pugmarks Bar, and review the afternoon plans for Yala
National Park based on up-to-date local bird sightings.
We’ll spend the afternoon exploring Yala, Sri Lanka’s most
popular national park especially for watching the larger
animals including Leopard, Sloth Bear, Asian Elephant,
Spotted Deer, Jackal, and Mugger Crocodile. Consequently,
it is often very busy with numerous other jeeps. We will
look for these mammals in tandem with birding. The
varied habitats from rocky outcrops, riverine forests,
scrub jungle, and numerous waterholes make it an
Green Pigeons, by Surya Ramachandran
excellent destination for birders, especially for dry-zone
We will bird along the main track hoping to follow small species and waterbirds. The park’s landscape includes
flocks and individual montane species. Tree Ferns are grassland, scrub, mixed dry evergreen forest often
conspicuous in this woodland. interspersed with spectacular rocky outcrops, riverine
forest, lagoons, coast, and small reservoirs. Malabar Pied-
We’ll work our way toward park headquarters, with a stop Hornbill, Orange-breasted Green-Pigeon, the endemic Sri
en route for a picnic breakfast. Later, we’ll take a guided Lanka Green-Pigeon, Eurasian Hoopoe, Indian Pitta, and
walk along nature trails to a viewpoint known as World’s Pied Cuckoo are commonly seen here.
End with spectacular views of the surrounding
countryside. (Anyone not wanting to do a 90- to 120- Overnight: Cinnamon Wild (B,L,D)
minute hike can venture along other less-demanding
tracks.)
A variety of wildlife including endemic Rhino-horned and
Hump-nosed Lizard, sambar, and leaf monkey may be
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Spotted Deer by Toby Sinclair
Day 8, Feb 19: Yala National Park birding location with close to 200 recorded species. Around
the waterholes, Painted Stork, Asian Openbill, Eurasian
We’ll start our day by moving slowly through the buffer Spoonbill, Spot-billed Pelican, Woolly-necked Stork, Great
area toward the park gates and study the scrub jungle Egret, Little Egret, and Intermediate Egret can be seen. The
terrain interspersed with a few waterbodies. This is park is also excellent for raptors and commonly
another excellent location for dry-zone birding and encountered species include the Crested Serpent-Eagle,
waterbirds. Carrying a packed breakfast, we’ll continue Changeable Hawk-Eagle, Gray-headed Fish-Eagle, Brown
toward more forested areas looking for Leopards and Sloth Fish-Owl, Oriental Honey-buzzard, and Black-winged Kite.
Bears. We will probably be out for at least 6 hours before Green Bee-eater, Paddyfield Pipit, Indian Roller, and Indian
returning to the hotel for lunch. This is a good time to Peafowl, and endemics including the Sri Lanka Junglefowl
check out the lagoon behind the hotel. and Sri Lanka Woodshrike may also be seen.
In the afternoon, we will visit the nearby Palatupana Overnight: Centuria Wild (B,L,D)
Saltern, which is an excellent location for watching waders
and a variety of snipes, plovers, and sandpipers. Lesser Day 10, Feb 21: Udawalawe National Park
Whistling-Duck and Garganey are among species of and Sinharaja Rainforest
migratory waterfowl that can be seen here. Jerdon’s
Nightjar, Indian Nightjar, Oriental Scops-Owl, Brown Fish- We’ll do a morning game drive in Udawalawe for elephants
Owl, and Jungle Owlet are often heard in the woodland and dry-zone birding. It will be more or less the same area
around the hotel. as the previous afternoon but seen in different light.
Overnight: Cinnamon Wild (B,L,D) After breakfast, we’ll drive to Sinharaja (3.5-hour drive) and
en route visit a site for White-tailed Iora, a sought-after
Day 9, Feb 20: Yala and Udawalawe subcontinental endemic whose occurrence in the country
National Parks was discovered very recently.
We’ll start our day with wildlife viewing in Yala National Our lodging for the next three nights is a rustic lodge
Park and birding for dry-zone species. After breakfast, we’ll nestled amid a small tea garden on the edge of the
drive to Udawalawe (2.5-hour drive). rainforest, perfectly sited for us to explore the surrounding
rainforest.
After lunch at the hotel, we’ll head out on an afternoon
safari in Udawalawe National Park for Asian Elephant and We’ll check in, have a late lunch, and then bird in the area
dry-zone birding. Udawalawe is one of the most reliable around the lodge in search of lowland endemics and mixed
locations to watch Asian Elephant, but is also an excellent species bird flocks. Among the birds we may see are
Orange Minivet, Sri Lanka Drongo, Layard’s Parakeet,
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Crimson-backed Flameback, and possibly a crake in one of Day 13, Feb 24: Sinharaja Rainforest and
the small streams. The forest is also renowned for its
amphibian diversity. Colombo
Overnight: Jansen’s Bungalow (B,L,D) There always seems to be a few endemics that are trickier
to see/hear, so today we’ll focus on finding them based on
Day 11–12, Feb 22-23: Sinharaja information from the Reserve staff and the local guide’s
experience.
Rainforest
After breakfast and some birding, we’ll leave for Colombo
(4-hour drive), then check in at our hotel and have a late
lunch.
Colombo is a relaxed post-colonial city with more modern
buildings along the seafront. We will do a short afternoon
tour of the city and then adjourn to The Gallery restaurant
for our final dinner.
Overnight: Taj Samudra (B,L,D) P
Day 14, Feb 25: Return Home
After breakfast, we’ll be driven to Bandaranaike Airport for
flights home (~1–2-hour drive, depending on time of day).
Plan on being at the airport at least 3 hours before
departure.
Those travelers on the extension will have a late breakfast
Jansen’s Bungalow, courtesy Jansen’s.
at 7 am, and then leave at 8 am for Kandy.
We’ll do some early morning and afternoon birding in the (B)
Sinharaja Rainforest for lowland endemics and mixed
species bird flocks, determined by weather and most recent
bird reports. Day 14, Feb 25: Kandy and the Temple of
The Sinharaja Rainforest is the largest tract of natural
rainforest in the country and is recognized as a UNESCO
Day-to-Day Itinerary –
World Heritage Site and contains a wide variety of endemic Optional Extension
plant species some of which are only found in this region.
Sinharaja is a top birding location for endemics where 28 of
Sri Lanka’s 34 species have been recorded including the
the Sacred Tooth Relic
recently discovered Serendib Scops-Owl and other rarities After a relaxed breakfast at the hotel, we’ll drive to Kandy
such as the Chestnut-backed Owlet, Sri Lanka Spurfowl, (~4 hour drive)
and White-faced Starling. Flocks of Sri Lanka Blue-Magpie,
one of the most sought-after endemics due to their bright- Hidden away at the very heart of the island, Kandy is one of
blue-and-red plumage are often seen close to the research Sri Lanka’s cultural highlights, home to the Temple of the
station on the Sinhagala walking trail. Sacred Tooth Relic. The city offers visitors a glimpse into its
colonial past with its graceful architecture, while also being
The mixed-species bird flocks found moving through the home to the unique and traditional Kandyan dance and
rainforest canopy within Sinharaja are believed to be the music.
longest-studied and largest in the world, which is popularly
dubbed the Sinharaja Birdwave. An average of 35–50 We’ll check into our hotel, and then either lunch there or at
individuals from over 14 species can often be encountered a local restaurant.
when sighting a bird wave, which includes endemics such
After lunch, we’ll visit the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic
as Green-billed Coucal, the striking Red-faced Malkoha, and
(Sri Dalada Maligawa), the most revered site in the country.
Crimson-backed Flameback on the middle and upper
The temple was built in the 16th century AD and is located
canopies. Spot-winged Thrush and noisy flocks of Orange-
adjacent to the Royal Palace complex of the former
billed Babblers can be seen foraging for insects at ground
Kingdom of Kandy, overlooking the expanses of Kandy Lake.
level. Other species of fauna encountered during a
Housing the sacred tooth relic of the Lord Buddha, the
rainforest walk include Purple-faced Leaf Monkey, Giant
building has held a significant role in local politics since
Squirrel, Kangaroo Lizard, Hump-nosed Lizard, and Sri
ancient times, with a belief that whoever holds the relic has
Lanka Keelback.
the right to govern the country. The sacred tooth was
Overnight: Jansen’s Bungalow (B,L,D) smuggled into Sri Lanka from India by a princess in the 4th
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Dambulla by Toby Sinclair
century AD and was initially kept in Anuradhapura and then Referred to as Lion Rock by locals, the UNESCO World
moved to various spots across the country before finally Heritage Site Sigiriya became the capital during the reign of
being housed in Kandy. This sacred temple attracts King Kashyapa in the 5th century AD. After slaying his own
thousands of white-clad pilgrims on a daily basis bearing father, King Dhatusena of Anuradhapura, to take the throne
lotus blossoms and frangipani for their offerings which are and, fearing a retaliatory attack from the rightful heir
known as pujas. (Please wear clothes that cover your legs Moggallana who fled to neighboring India, the king
and shoulders, and remove your shoes before entering the constructed his royal palace on the summit of this 600-ft-
holy temple.) high rock with an encircling fortress. On our way to the base
of Lion Rock, we’ll walk through the landscaped Royal
We’ll end the day with dinner at our hotel or a local Gardens. (The climb to the summit is optional; travelers
restaurant. may choose to spend more time in the gardens looking for
Overnight: Mahaweli Reach Hotel (B,L,D) dry-zone birds.) Along the trail to the summit, there is a
fresco gallery with its ancient paintings of the king's maids
Day 15, Feb 26: Habarana and Sigiriya -in-waiting and the Mirror Wall with ancient transcripts
that closely match the modern-day Sinhalese language. In
Rock Fortress 495 AD, Moggallana returned from his exile and defeated
the king reinstating Anuradhapura as the capital. Sigiriya
After breakfast we’ll drive to Habarana (~3-hour drive). En
was then used as a Buddhist monastery until the 14th
route, we’ll stop at our third UNESCO World Heritage Site.
century prior to being mysteriously abandoned.
The Dambulla Caves are sited halfway up a huge granite
rock with commanding views to the east. It takes about 12- Overnight: Cinnamon Lodge (B,L,D)
15 minutes to walk up to the caves. Their use by humans
dates back almost 2,000 years, but the decorations and Day 16, Feb 27: Polonnaruwa
masterful paintings now seen there date back to the 17th
century. We will have an early start and continue to another UNESCO
World Heritage Site, taking a packed breakfast with us.
After, we’ll have less than an hour’s drive to our hotel where Polonnaruwa is a well-preserved, forested site with 12th-
we’ll check in, then enjoy a leisurely lunch. The extensive century ruins and impressive sculptures. It is one of the
grounds behind the hotel include a wetland. Some of the highlights of Sri Lanka. Following the fall of Anuradhapura,
trees within the compound are home to giant squirrels. the invading army adopted the more secure Polonnaruwa
as its capital. After this short period of Hindu rule, it
In the afternoon, we’ll walk up to the legendary Sigiriya, a
became the new Sinhalese capital in 1056. In addition to its
3rd- to 6th-century site surrounding a magnificent natural
spectacular history, Polonnaruwa is an outstanding
fortress.
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location for watching primates.
We will start early and spend a few hours exploring with a
local researcher from the Smithsonian Primate Research
Center. Three species of monkey—the Toque Macaque, the
canopy-dwelling Purple-faced Leaf Monkey (both
endemics), and the Gray Langur can be observed here.
Polonnaruwa’s Temple Troop of Toque Macaques” has been
featured in numerous natural history documentaries and is
part of one of the world’s longest-running studies on
primates (run continuously since 1968). Most recently the
troop was the focus of Disneynature’s Monkey Kingdom
(2015).
The monkeys here are habituated to the presence of
humans enabling excellent opportunities to observe their
social interactions at close range. Whether play-fighting,
feeding, or grooming each other, there is never a dull
moment. We’ll then have lunch at a local restaurant in
Polonnaruwa before returning to Habarana to spend the
afternoon birding on the Cinnamon Lodge grounds.
Overnight: Cinnamon Lodge (B,L,D)
Day 17, Feb 28: Return Home
After breakfast, we’ll visit the first capital of Sri Lanka,
Anuradhapura, our sixth and final UNESCO World Heritage
Site.
We will spend a few hours visiting various sites located
within this ancient city. Dating back to at least 1000 BC,
Red-faced Malkoha, by Surya Ramachandran
Anuradhapura was capital to much of Sri Lanka between
the 5th century BC and the 11th century AD. When Buddhism
was established in Sri Lanka during the 3rd century BC, this
quickly became the main center. The city grew and was a
major secular and religious site that today covers over 15 sq
mi. Many places are still sites of worship and prayer. One
site contains the Sacred Bo Tree (Ficus religiousa) grown
from a cutting brought from Bodhgaya (India) in the 2nd
century BC. Other sites of interest are the Ruwanweli Saya
Stupa, the Isurumuniya Temple, and remains from palaces,
temples, monasteries, and ceremonial baths situated
within the sites. The rapid development that Anuradhapura
was experiencing came to an abrupt halt with the invasion
of the Pandyans in the 9th century AD and the Colas from
South India in the 10th century AD.
We’ll have lunch in a local restaurant in Anuradhapura.
Afterwards, we’ll take you to the airport for your departure
flight (~4-hour drive). For those flying out of Colombo
between 9 and 10 pm, we expect to be at the international
airport by 6 pm (we advise being at the airport 3 hours prior
to your flight). For those leaving after 10 pm, there is the
option to have dinner together at the Gateway Hotel (not
included). Rooms can be booked for anyone leaving later
that night or the following morning (not included).
Hill Swallow, by Surya Ramachandran
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Main Tour Price: $6250 per person, double occupancy. Single
Mass Audubon Naturalist supplement: $1550 (Only 1 single is available). Price based on a
minimum of 8 travelers (maximum of 10).
Price Includes:
All meals and accommodations as shown in the itinerary
Services of Mass Audubon naturalist leader
Local guides and naturalists
All excursions and entrance fees
Extensive trip preparation notes and bird checklist
Transportation within Sri Lanka
Medical evacuation insurance
Carbon offset credits for your international flights
All tips and gratuities (included if we have the minim um of 8)
Price Excludes:
International airfare
Passport and visa fees; trip cancellation insurance
Airport taxes; excess baggage charges
David Larson is Director of Mass Audubon's
Items of a personal nature, including alcoholic beverages, laundry,
Birder's Certificate Program, a college-level and telephone calls; other items not specifically mentioned as
included.
ornithology course, and taught a bird ecology
course for naturalist guides in Belize. He is the
Kandy Extension Price: $1550 per person, double occupancy. Single
Science and Education Coordinator for Mass supplement: $350 (single rooms are very limited).
Audubon's Joppa Flats Education Center in
Price Includes:
Newburyport, where he designs and leads
All meals and accommodations as shown in the itinerary
educational programs and field trips for Services of Mass Audubon naturalist leader (with a minimum of
6 travelers)
adults. He holds a PhD in zoology from the
Local guides and naturalists
University of Minnesota and served on the All excursions and entrance fees
Extensive trip preparation notes and bird checklist
faculty of Boston University. He is the
Medical evacuation insurance
immediate past president of the Nuttall Carbon offset credits for your international flights
All tips and gratuities (included if we have the minim um of 4)
Ornithological Club and writes a regular
column for the journal Bird Observer. He has
Exclusions: same as main trip.
birded and led tours throughout North
America, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Trinidad, Belize, HOW TO BOOK
Costa Rica, Panama, Ecuador, Brazil, Argentina, Email or call us at travel@massaudubon.org or 800-289-9504 to
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Early applications are strongly encouraged. Trip rosters usually must
be finalized 4 months before departure! All applications must be
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Deposits can be by check or credit card (Visa or MasterCard). We
reserve the right to decline your application. In the case of
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is due 90 days before the departure date. Final payment must be by
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you would like us to find you a roommate, we will do our departure. We strongly urge all travelers to purchase trip
best, but cannot guarantee a share. If we cannot find a cancellation insurance. You will be sent information from
share, you will need to pay the single supplement. All the Massachusetts Audubon Society upon receipt of your
forms and fares are accurate at the time of publication deposit.
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collectively ”M.A.S.”—involve known and unknown risks.
M.A.S. assumes no responsibility for injuries, death,
TRAVEL DOCUMENTS: A U.S. passport valid for at least six financial losses or damage to clients’ property caused by or
months beyond the trip’s departure date is required. occurring during participation in any of the travel trips
sponsored/operated by M.A.S. Trip participants must
assume responsibility for having sufficient skill and fitness
FLIGHTS: You, the traveler, are responsible for booking to participate in the trips and activities offered or
and paying for your own international flights. Once you sponsored by M.A.S. Trip participants must also certify that
reserve your space, we will provide you with suggested they have no medical, mental or physical conditions which
flights and tell you which flights our staff will take. You could interfere with their abilities to participate in the
may book flights directly with the airline, online, or with a activities and/or trips they are participating in and they
travel agent. Please be aware that most tickets are non- must assume and bear the cost of all risks that may be
refundable, therefore you should not book your flight created, directly or indirectly, by any such condition. It is the
arrangements until you have checked with us to be sure responsibility of trip participants to have in place adequate
the tour has the minimum number of participants for the insurance to cover any injury, damage or emergency
trip to go. We ask that you provide us with your flight transportation costs related to their travel and/or
details participation in trip activities and/or to bear the costs of
such injury, damage or emergency transportation costs.
Because of the risks associated with the travel trips
TRIP INSURANCE: A brochure and application for sponsored by M.A.S. we urge all trip participants to
optional trip cancellation, illness, and baggage insurance supplement their own insurance with travel or vacation or
will be sent to you upon registration. We strongly emergency response types of insurance. M.A.S. requires that
recommend that you purchase trip cancellation insurance all trip participants acknowledge and assume these risks
to protect yourself. See insuremytrip.com. by reading and signing an M.A.S. Release and Waiver and
Assumption of Risk contract prior to departure.
PHOTOS: Mass Audubon reserves the right to make use CONDITIONS OF TRAVEL: Travelers will be provided with
of any photographs taken on the tour. We guarantee that an itinerary and trip preparation information. It is expected
no photos of a compromising nature will be used. If you that travelers will read this information prior to trip
have questions or concerns, please contact us. departure. Travelers will be responsible for completing an
application reservation form, including the personal
information and a release of liability (see attached).
PHOTO CREDITS: Blue Magpie, courtesy of our partner, Travelers will be expected to abide by the terms set for in
&Beyond. Common Kingfisher by Jan Arendtsz: via Flickr, the invoice. During the tour, travelers are asked to respect
CC by ND 2.0. and follow the directions of their guide and leader.
CANCELLATION POLICY: If you need to change your
booking, you must inform us immediately in writing. All
cancellations must be done in writing and are effective
upon receipt in the Massachusetts Audubon Travel Office.
Cancellations received up to 121 days prior to departure will
be refunded deposits less a $300 per person fee. For
cancellations between 120 and 90 days prior to departure,
no deposits will be refunded, but any payment balance will.
Mass Audubon Travel | massaudubon.org/travel | travel@massaudubon.org | 800-289-9504 7You can also read
