Lama Camp, Eaglenest Wildlife Sancuary, Arunachal Pradesh

The day dawned, and with a 4am start, we started our journey up into the foothills of the Himalayas. The journey would take us all day with frequent stops for birding and food. We soon noticed the drop in temperature and fleeces soon replaced our tee-shirts. Our final stop was to be Lama Camp in Arunachal Pradesh. A visa was needed to enter Arunachal due to it being a sensitive area with the borders of both China and Bhutan close by. These cost $50 each, and Lakpa took care of them. There is a checkpoint where they are checked and then another one where they are checked again ! 

Our guide was Lakpa Tensing and he was fantastic. He was recommended by a good birding friend, Srikanth, who took care of all the booking for us. Lakpa's company is called Blackbird Tours and specialises in Himalayan birding tours. He knew every bird, every call, and worked tirelessly for us 24/7. Lakpa also understood western toilets, western diets and western tummies and their troubles ! Our driver was Sanjay, with a keen eye that was to find us a Green Cochoa. He drove for all the birding tours so knew all the spots. He was lovely and a good, safe driver. 

Enough chatter, lets have a few pics !

Now if you are a 5* all inclusive sort of a girl, then this place is definately not for you. I don't really have anything positive to say about the accommodation and I was quite shell shocked when we arrived here wondering where the heck we had come. But the birding far out weighs the mouldy tent and we were only here for 2 nights, we could get through that !  We were the only people staying here so we had Tent 1. We were now at 2400 metres above sea level, not too high but this was the highest we had ever slept at and the first night we both struggled. I couldn't get my breath, felt dizzy, pounding head, felt sick and didn't sleep at all that night - altitude.  We only struggled the first night, we seemed to get used to the heights and had no effects after this (until we reached Sela Pass at 4200m). It didn't help matters as the tent was made of canvas and was so mouldy and damp. Hardly surprising when you are in clouds most of the time, or rain, or both ! The bedding was also mouldy and damp, the pillows mouldy and we had to wrap clothing round the pillows. We both slept in our clothes, we were cold, damp and felt crap ! But the birding, oh my goodness, birds came thick and fast, never stopping and it was fantastic. Soon the tent was forgotton about and the cook made us Bombay aloo and omlettes, lovely. 

Our tent for 2 nights. The toilets and washroom were just down this path but with no electric at the camp, a midnight toilet visit was quite an expedition !  A generator was put on for a couple of hours each night for battery charging.

This is Lama Camp at the entrance to the Eaglenest Sanctuary, a protected area in the foothills of the Himalayas. It was named in honour of the Dalai Lama's visit. The route now used by birders was once the path through which people fled to safety during the Indo-China War 1962. In 1959, when the Dalai Lama escaped from China to seek refuge in India, he too crossed over using this very road. The Lama Camp is named in his honour and one of the trees he planed in Khellong is still revered today. We visited this tree on our second day.

The tree planted by the Dalai Lama at Khellong. It was such a spiritual place.  

Lunch at Khellong by the Dalai Lama tree, a perfect setting, such a spiritual, magical place. But just look the weather, we seem to be sat in the clouds ! 

One of our food stops along the drive from Kaziranga to Lama Camp. Lakpa really looked after us, knowing what we could eat and what we would like. I settled for some Maggi Noodles here ! This cafe was packed and we had to wait for a table......never ending food with a lady walking round dishing up second and third helpings of rice and dhal.....but I can smell the toilets from here !!

Lakpa Tensing's tour company. Highly recommended.