Tour for Snow Leopards in Ladakh, company wanted

To LADAKH for SNOW LEOPARD & PALLAS’S CAT, company wanted for February 2024 trip
I am hoping to organize a customized tour in february to see and hopefully photograph Snow Leopards in Ladakh, India. They are very
feasible to see at that time.
I have contacted a local guide who organizes tours that last 2 days less but cost a bit over half the price of the
a Tour Company’s trip I looked at. This tour lasts 13 days and I would like to add an extension to the plateau
which brings it to 16 days. You can see different animals on the plateau such as Pallas’s Cat and Kiang.
I wish to visit some parks on the Indian plains and then into the foothills of the himalayas to acclimatize before flying
to Ladakh. This would include tiger reserves and birding areas. Possible sites are :
Bharatpur for waterbirds, Nilghai, Sambar etc,
Satpura where Sloth bears carry cubs on their back in February, also tigers and night safaris.
Ranthambore for tigers, etc.
Chambal River Cruise for Gharial and waterbirds
Ramnagar and Nainital in foothills of the Himalayas.
I am looking for somebody to travel with to share the costs. More than 1 person is feasible. People can do just half of the proposed trip
though I do need a companion for the Ladahk part and I would like company to share costs in the tiger reserves.
The Snow Leopard trip costs for 2-3 persons is US $2100/person reducing in steps down to
$1600/person for groups of 10 or more. The extension to the plateau costs $625/person again reducing as the group size increases.
A porter to carry extra personal  equipment like heavy optics  while out looking for wildlife would be $25/day.
Flights from Delhi to Leh ( Ladakh ) return about $200. My intercontinental flight last year worked out at about €700 if I remember rightly.
For the rest of the trip (before and/or after trip to Ladakh) the following gives an indication of price.  A 23 day safari tour I did to NE and
Central India in april 2023 averaged out at €250/day  for accommodation with meals, jeep safaris, car transfers and internal flights while travelling
singly. This price per person would have been nearly halved if a second person was sharing. For this trip I had jeep safaris with a driver/guide and
a park Guard or car transfers most days.  For jeep safaris in tiger reserves 2 persons using long lenses is about as much as would be feasible in
each jeep.  More people are feasible if using additional jeeps.
I have previously organized 5 trips to India for myself in association with a local travel agent.
Regards
Billy Clarke (william.clarke@ucd.ie)

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Billy Clarke

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