Ilam & the Eastern Hills

Ilam is a different Nepal — cool, green and high, where tea gardens climb into oak-and-rhododendron cloud forest. It’s our specialty expedition destination, built around one of the Himalaya’s most sought-after mammals.

Searching for red panda

The red panda is shy, arboreal and thinly spread — finding one takes local trackers, patience and altitude. We work with community forest guardians who know these ridges intimately. A sighting is never guaranteed; it’s earned, quietly, and it’s unforgettable when it comes.

The same forests are rich in Himalayan birdlife — laughingthrushes, sunbirds, and if you’re lucky, pheasants working the undergrowth at dawn.

How we explore it

• Tracked forest walks with community red-panda monitors
• High-forest birding at dawn and dusk
• Village and tea-estate stays close to the forest
• Small groups only — to keep disturbance low

This is patient, respectful, altitude wildlife travel. We keep groups small and let the trackers set the pace.