REMOTE PHILIPPINES: The Visayas & Small Islands Birding Tour

Details
Price: 
per person $4,600 (twin-share) single room supplement $350
    • For Custom Tours only.
    • (17 days, maximum 6 people) 
    • The Visayas & small Islands tour is specially designed for birders that have been on a Philippines Bird tour before and still want to see more of the Philippine birds you always wanted to see. 
    • Visiting Tablas, Bohol, Cebu, Camiguin Sur Island, Negros & Mindoro. 
    • Day 1 arrival in Manila for overnight stay
    • Day 2 flight to Tablas - short drive to St.Agustin - afternoon birding
    • Day 3 birding on Tablas Island

    Staying in the small, quiet town of St. Agustin, we shall explore the forest at the Dubduban Watershed. This last remaining forest on the island holds some very localized endemics: Tablas Drongo, Tablas Bulbul (Steak-breasted Bulbul), Romblon Hawk-Owl, Tablas Fantail, Variable Dwarf Kingfisher, Winchell's kingfisher, Rufous Paradise-Flycatcher and Mangrove Blue Flycatcher. Mantanani Scops-Owl can be found around the town in coconut plantations. 

    • Day 4 morning birding on Tablas afternoon flight back to Manila for overnight stay 
    • Day 5 morning flight to Tagbilaran on Bohol - afternoon birding at Rajah Sikatuna
    • Day 6 birding on Bohol - Rajah sikatuna and surrounding areas plus visit to the Chocolate Hills

    Rajah Sikatuna Park near the famous Chocolate Hills offers many trails that gives us the opportunity to enter the forest and search for a very nice selection of forest birds like Philippine Trogon, Rufous-lored Kingfisher and Samar Hornbill. This is also the best spot to encounter the most extraordinary Azure-breasted (or Steere’s) Pitta, the exceedingly-beautiful Visayan Wattled Broadbill, Philippine Fairy-bluebird and Yellow-breasted Tailorbird (another Visayan specialty). Streaked-ground Babbler is a must here as is Black-crowned Babbler. At night we will look for Everett's Scops-Owl, Luzon Hawk-Owl and Philippine Frogmouth. 

    • Day 7 morning birding at Rajah Sikatuna - on the way to the ferry we will make a stop at the Tarsier enclosure - evening ferry to Cebu City for overnight stay
    • Day 8 very early morning departure for Tabunan Forest for a full day birding - evening we shall return to Cebu City for overnight stay
    • Day 9 early morning flight to Camiguin Sur Island - late morning and afternoon birding

    The last patches offorest on Cebu hold one of the most endangered birds of the Philippines, the Cebu Flowerpecker. Nowadays it has become very hard to find, but this little gem still survives in the forest above the village of Tabunan. With the help of our local guide we shall explore these forest patches, but we will need the best of luck to add this critically endangered species to our list. We will also look for Black Shama, another very rare and localized species, which gives its presence away by its beautiful song. Cebu Bulbul, Visayan Balicassiao, Mangrove Blue Flycatcher (sure a future split) are other possibilities. Before we drive back to Cebu City, where we shall stay overnight, we shall look for Cebu Hawk-Owl. With its different call compared to the Hawk-Owl on Tablas this is now a new species. Tabunan Forest offers delightful birding and one full day should be enough.

    • Day 10 birding all day on Camiguin Sur Island 

    This small volcanic island near Mindanao is a nice, peaceful holiday island with famous beach resorts where we shall base ourselves to cover several sites around the island in search of the endemic island Birds. Another  interesting species to look for is the Yellowish Bulbul. With a song differing strongly from the birds on Mindanao, this surely will be a future split: the Camiguin Sur Bulbul. Some other goodies to look for are the Variable Kingfisher and Mangrove Blue Flycatcher, also a possible future split. At night we will search for the Camiguin Hawk-Owl. Camiguin Island is a pleasant destination with scenic views, lovely beaches, good food, friendly people and great birds.

    • Day 11 morning flight from Camiguin Sur Island to Cebu City - afternoon ferry to Dumaquete on Negros for overnight stay
    • Day 12 birding all day around Lake Balinsasayao - overnight stay at Dumaguete
    • Day 13 very early morning departure to reach the forest on the slopes of Mt.Mantiquil - afternoon and night birding around the town of Valencia 

    We will stay in Dumaguete town from where we shall explore Mt Mantiquil in search of the Negros striped Babbler, Lake Balinsasayao and birding around the small town of Valencia. Negros Scops-Owl, Visayan Tarictic Hornbill, Yellow-faced Flameback, Visayan Rhabdornis, Flame-templed Babbler, White-winged Cuckoo-shrike and Maroon-naped Sunbird and plenty more.

    • Day 14 morning birding around Lake Balinsasayao or Valencia - afternoon flight back to Manila for overnight stay
    • Day 15 morning flight to San Jose Mindoro transfer to Sablayan afternoon birding at the forest of Siburan.
    • Day 16 Birding all day at the Siburan Forest.

    We will base ourselves in the town of Sablayan Penal Farm to explore the forest in search of Mindoro lowland endemics together with a good selection of other species that are hard to find elsewhere. These include Pink-bellied Imperial-Pigeon, Mindoro Racquet-tail, Black-hooded Coucal, Philippine Coucal (Mindoro Coucal), Mindoro Hornbill, Black-bibbed Cuckoo-Shrike, Mindoro Bulbul and Scarlet-collared Flowerpecker. At dawn we have the best chances to find Mindoro Hawk-Owl. The critically endangered Mindoro Bleeding-heart possibly still survives in the forests of Siburan.

    • Day 17 Morning flight back to Manila to connect with International flights or overnight stay in Manila or departure on day 18

    Tour costs include

    all accommodation throughout the duration of the tour including arrival & departure day; airport transfers on arrival & departure day, vehicle transport,ferries, 8 domestic flights; meals including two beverages for each meal (drinking water provided at all times) and snacks; guiding fees & entrance fees.

    Tour cost exclude

    international flights; departure tax, travel insurance; alcoholic drinks and any items for personal use.

Visayan Wattled Broadbill

Tablas Fantail

Romblon Hawk-owl

Rufous-lored Kingfisher

Azure-breasted Pitta

 Northern Silvery Kingfisher 

Cebu Hawk-owl

 Camiguin Hawk-owl

 Maroon-naped Sunbird

 Negros Scops-owl

 Mindoro Hornbill