General

Meals:
Total Breakfast (B); Lunch (L); Dinner (D) B= 0 / L= 0 / D= 0
Max Pax:
8
Type:

Destination Tour
Duration:
4 nights
5 days
Activities:
Birdwatching
Tour Guides
Wildlife Watching Tours
Destinations:
Mérida
Level:

Moderate
Price:

Adventure Map

Trip Reviews

"Great trip, very successful. The sighting we had of White-plumed Antbird at an ant swarm was outstanding."
David Mills
UK | 04/20/2009
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Birdwatching in the Andean Region
Departure Dates:
Date In: Date Out:
Type of service:
VIP-Exclusive Comfort
Superior Standard
Passengers:
No. adults:
No. Children:
Room Type:
Tripple Room
Standard Twin Room
Standard Double Room
Single Room
The room distribution is a recommendation. Please feel free to modify it according to your particular needs.

Total person: $ 0
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Birdwatching in the Andean Region
Trip Highlights:
  • In the Andean region we find well over 350 bird species.
  • The region offers you, mountains, rivers, and exciting walks through national parks.
  • Visit the páramo - a high-altitude region with a neotropical ecosystem - located between the upper forest line (about 3800 m altitude) and the permanent snow line (about 5000 m). The ecosystem consists of accidented, mostly glacier formed valleys and plains with a large variety of lakes, peat bogs and wet grasslands intermingled with shrublands and forest patches. It hosts about 5000 different plant species where 60% of these species are endemic, adapted to the specific climate characteristics of the place.


Day 1: El Vigía - Mérida

Our travel assistant will be waiting for you at El Vijia airport to transfer you to Merida. Overnight at a hotel.

Day 2: Mérida

Take a trip on the Mérida cable car, soaring above spectacular mountain scenery with tropical forested foothills and snowcapped peaks. The cable car, which has five stations, is more than 12 km long, and is almost 5000 m above sea level, is the highest and longest in the world. Have breakfast at the second station, and at every stop take a short walk to see the unique flora and fauna (and birds) of the Cordillera de Mérida. We’re back in town by midday for lunch at the main market, where you can visit local artisans. After lunch, we start our drive to the high Andes through picturesque villages and countryside. Overnight at a hotel.

Day 3: Mérida

Leave Mérida early in the morning and travel to “El Condor Pasa” (The Eagle’s Place) at 4,118 meters above sea level. Stop at the Piñango Village, visit the Mifafí Biological station, see the upper Valley of Mifafí, and do a bit of Eagle watching in the morning. Lunch at the Mucabají Lagoon located at the Sierra Nevada National Park. Walk around Gavilán´s Peak Lagoon and in the afternoon do some birding in Las Tapias (Santo Domingo River) or Gustavo´s trail. Bird species to be seen on this tour include: the White capped Dipper, Black-chested Buzzard Eagle, Bar-winged cinclodes, Andean Titspinetail, PáramoPipit, Bearded helmetcrest Hummingbird, Andean Cóndor, Sierra Finch, Páramo Wren, Andean Siskin, Speckled Teal, Blue-wing Teal, Collared Jay, Blue-back conebill, Orange-throated Sunangel, Sparkling Violetear, Bluishflower Piercer, Rufous-collared Sparrow, Masked Flowerpiercer, Torrent Tyrannulet, American Kestrel, Broad-winged Hawk, Band tailed Pigeon, and the Swordbilled Hummingbird.

Day 4: Mérida

Leave early from Mérida and stop at El Vallecito, a village on the way to the Mucujún River. Travel through El Valle, the Andean Páramo and Sierra de la Culata. Walk through the frailejones while looking for endemics species. Return to Mérida City in the afternoon. Bird species to be seen on this tour: Northern Torrent Duck, White-capped Dipper, Black Phoebe, Green Jay, Slaty brush-Finch, Great Thrush, Mérida Sunangel, Mérida Flowerpiercer, Brown-back-chat Tyrant, Black-chested buzzard Eagle, Ocrhebrowed Thistletail, Andean Siskin, Band-tailed Pigeon, Sparkling Violetear, Crimson-mantled Woodpecker, Páramo Pipit, Bar-winged Cinclodes, Bearded-helmetcrest Hummingbird, White-sided Flowerpiercer, Coal-black Flowerpiercer, Brush-capped Finch, Golden-Bellied Startfronlet, and the Great Thrush.

Day 5: Mérida - El Vigía

Our travel assistant will pick you up from your posada and transfer you to the El Vijia Airport. End of our services.

We recommend you bring:
  • Passport (with photocopies)
  • Travel insurance (with photocopies)
  • Airline tickets (with photocopies)
  • USD o EURO cash and/or travelers checks
  • Credit card
  • Turpial Travel vouchers, pre-departure information and printed copy of your Itinerary PDF
  • Alarm clock
  • Flashlight
  • Sun hat, sunblock, sunglasses
  • Insect repellent
  • Water bottle
  • Small towel and swim wear
  • Toiletries (biodegradable)
  • Sturdy walking shoes/sport sandals
  • Moneybelt
  • Shorts
  • Long trousers
  • Hiking pants/track pants
  • Shirts/T-shirts
  • Swimwear
  • Warm clothes and windproof/waterproof jacket if you are traveling to the Andes or taking a trekking/climbing expedition.
  • Waterproof clothes for wet season May-Oct. Umbrella or waterproof jacket
  • Cover for backpack or plastic bags to keep clothes dry
  • Clothes for temples – long pants or sarongs
  • Camera and film
  • Reading/writing material
  • Binoculars
  • Pocketknife
  • First-aid kit (should contain lip salve, aspirin, band aids, anti-histamine, imodium or similar tablets for mild cases of diarrhea, re-hydration powder, extra prescription drugs you may be taking).
  • If you are under medical treatment, please bring medical treatment for the days you will be traveling with us.
Special Needs: Those who have special needs need to let us know in advance so we can make the necessary arrangements (e.g. allergy to specific foods, etc).
Tour Includes:
  • A comprehensive pre-departure information
  • Airport assistance
  • Accommodation (including overnights in camps and hotels) on a twin-share basis
  • Domestic flights, if indicated on the itinerary. If not, it is not included. Baggage allowance in domestic flights is 10kg.
  • Private ground transfers as listed on the itinerary
  • Excursions and meals as indicated on the itinerary
  • Professional English-speaking local guide for the tours (for comfort and superior service levels) 
Tour does NOT Include:
  • International flights
  • Maiquetia international airport departure tax ($52)
  • International airport tax ($64)
  • National airport taxes, if we include the internal flights in the itinerary (approximately BS.F.27.50)
  • Alcoholic drinks
  • Tips / Gratuities
  • Personal expenses
  • Personal Gear (or other items of a personal nature)
  • Entrance fees to National Parks if included in your itinerary ($26)
  • Medical treatment
  • Excess baggage costs
  • Meals, alcoholic beverages, tours, or other services not listed on the itinerary.
  • Holliday surcharges
  • Visas
  • Expenses incurred in preparing for the trip such as but not limited to: non-refundable airline tickets, travel insurance or additional expenses encountered as a result of flight delays, cancellations, or missed connections.
NOTES:
  1. Trips extensions can be arrange for any of our tours at an additional cost.
  2. Allow for USD 20 per day for meals not included and/or additional personal expenses
How to Book?

I.             I. BOOK ONLINE: Start by filling out YOUR TRIP COST section. Each itinerary has a trip price range. This section will allow you to quote an exact price by filling out Questions 1-4. The price will be determined by: the dates you choose to travel, the number of people traveling with you, and the type of service you require throughout your trip. After filling out Questions 1-4, you will choose between two options:

Option A - Book Now: If you agree with the price and you DO NOT need to make any changes to the itinerary and/or the departure dates, you will press the BOOK NOW button which will take you through a series of steps:

* Step 1: Enter your Details & Flight Information – Here you will have to fill out the passenger details, contact information and international flight information. If you still haven’t booked your international flight, no worries, the system will allow you to request a quote through us. 

* Step 2: Pre/Post Hotels & Transfers in Caracas - Need extra nights in Caracas before or after your trip? If you do, you will need to fill out this section. If you don’t you will skip this section and proceed to Step 3. 

* Step 3: Make a donation? – Turpial Travel is a member of several organizations that protect the environment, study endangered species and promote sustainable tourism. We work in partnership with Fundación AndígenA to forge a direct link between the economic benefits from tourism and the biodiversity protection. This section will allow you to make a donation to this caused if interested. 

* Step 4: Is Everything Correct?  Review your Booking Information – This section will confirm key information needed to proceed with your booking.  

* Step 5: Payment Information – Last step! Here you proceed to pay and book your trip. Payment is processed through credit card only.

When filling out sections 1-5 you will received two emails from us. The first email will let you know that a personal account has been created for you. The account will allow you to interact with your assigned travel agent, update your profile, review trip details, and upload/download important pre-departure information. The email will also tell you the name of the Travel Assistant that has been assigned to you. The second email will confirm your payment once it has been processed.

We recommend using Option A since it was designed to save our clients time and money!

Option B - Personalize my Trip: If you need to adapt the itinerary to your specific needs (e.g. make changes to the itinerary and/or the pre-departure dates), you will fill out Questions 1-4 in “Your Trip Cost” section and press the PERSONALIZE MY TRIP button. Next, you will proceed to fill out some basic information needed to process your request. Once you submit this information, you will receive an email letting you know that your enquiry has been sent to the Department of Sales & Reservations and a Travel Assistant will contact you shortly.

I.             II. DOWNLOAD THE BOOKING FORM AND FAX/EMAIL IT TO US! Download the booking form (below), fill in the information requested, read the Terms and Conditions, sign it and send it to us. You can send this information by:
                               
                               * Fax: 1 (310) 872 5482 (USA)
                               * Email (in a PDF file): info@turpialtravel.com.  

Upon receipt of your booking form, we will proceed to call you and confirm your information. If all is correct, you can purchase the tour by credit card or bank transfer. On receipt of the payment, we will send you all necessary pre-departure information pertaining to your trip. In the pre-departure information you will receive all the details necessary for you to prepare for your holiday.

Booking Form / Terms and Conditions
Please download, print and complete the booking form below and email this information to us. Please ensure you read the Terms and Conditions of Contract on the booking form. If you cannot download this Booking Form contact us and we will post, email or fax you a copy.

Call US! If you wish to speak with a travel agent at any time call us through our website (FREE) or dial +1 (310) 427 3616 (USA) or +58 (243) 431 3785 (Venezuela). Our office hours are 8:00 am – 5:30 pm Mon - Fri (Pacific Time).

  Download Booking Form

 

Note: If you cannot download this Booking Form contact us and we will post, email or fax you a copy.

 


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