2025
Discover one of Southeast Asia’s best-kept travel secrets, the little-visited country of Laos. This country has been almost completely cut-off the Asian bird photography map until very recently. In fact, Bird-Photo-Tours Asia’s Laos 18-day bird photography expedition makes it one of the pioneering operators to offer a comprehensive bird photography workshop across four of Laos’ provinces. This Bird-Photo-Tour will commence with 7-days across 7-locations in Vientiane Province where we will focus on enjoying close photographic encounters with many special birds including the range-restricted Jerdon’s Bushchat, the Red Avadavat also known as the Strawberry Finch, the fabulously coloured Violet Cuckoo, the critically endangered Yellow-breasted Bunting, Black Baza, River Lapwing, Small Pratincole and Small Buttonquail. We then head east to Khammouan Province where we will try for portrait-quality images of the endemic Bare-faced Bulbul and the near-endemic Black-faced Babbler. The group then heads southwards to Savvannakhet Province where amongst many other photographic opportunities is the chance to photograph the near threatened Mekong Wagtail. The trip then concludes at Champasak Province with opportunities to photograph many species including Cinnamon Bittern, Banded Kingfisher and Blue-bearded Bee-eater.
Endemics, Near Endemic: Bare-faced Bulbul / Sooty Babbler / Mekong Wagtail
Waterbirds: Watercock / Indian Spot-billed Duck / Asian Openbill
Guiding Fees / Ground Transportation / Accommodation / Meals / Entrance Fees / Tipping for Drivers, Boatsmen, Hotel and Restaurant Staff.
International Flights / VISA Fees / Travel Insurance / Tips for Local Guide / Alcohol / Laundry / Items of a Personal Nature
Day 0, Vientiane, Chanthabuly District (1N / 0D / 0S). Arrive in Vientiane, transfer to Hotel.
Days 1-5, Vientaine, Sangthong District (4N / 3D / 7S). Drive 2-hours, 90-km to Sangthong District. Photographic Targets: Jerdon’s Bush Chat, Red Avadavat, River Lapwing, Small Pratincole, Crested Serpent Eagle, Shikra, Black Baza, Plaintive Cuckoo, Violet Cuckoo, Great Iora, Great Myna, Black-collared Starling, Streak-eared Bulbul, Stripe-throated Bulbul, Sand Martin, Black-naped Monarch, Grey-headed Lapwing, Common Greenshank, Little Cormorant, Indian Spot-billed Duck.
Days 5-7, Vientiane, Hatsaythong District (2N / 1D / 3S). Drive 2-hours, 100-km to Hatsaythong District. Photographic Targets: Yellow-breasted Bunting, Asian Golden Weaver, Baya Weaver, Red Avadavat, Small Pratincole, Golden-headed Cisticola, Brown-throated Sunbird, Pied Harrier, Asian Openbill, Chestnut Munia, Richard's Pipit, Oriental Pratincole, Small Pratincole, Spotted Redshank, Common Greenshank, Temminck’s Stint, Long-toed Stint, Red-necked Stint, Kentish Plover, Wood Sandpiper.
Days 7-9, Khammouan Province, Kham District (2N / 1D / 3S). Drive 5-hours, 260-km to Kham District. Photographic Targets: Bare-faced Bulbul, Sooty Babbler, Blue-winged Leafbird, Green-eared Barbet, Banded Bay Cuckoo, Grey-eyed Bulbul, Wreathed Hornbill, Cook’s Swift, Red-headed Trogon.
Days 9-11, Khammouan Province, Nakai District (2N / 1D / 3S). Drive 3-hours, 150-km to Nakai District. Photographic Targets: Austen's Brown Hornbill, Red-Headed Trogon, Red-billed Scimitar Babbler.
Days 11-13, Savvannakhet Province, Xonnabouli District (2N / 1D / 3S). Drive 6-hours, 270-km to Xonnabouli District. Photographic Targets: Great Slaty Woodpecker, Black-headed Woodpecker, White-bellied Woodpecker, Burmese Nuthatch, Changeable Hawk Eagle, Lineated Barbet, Red-breasted Parakeet, Indochinese Cuckooshrike, Rufous Treepie, Golden-fronted Leafbird, Black Baza, Rufous-winged Buzzard.
Days 13-15, Savvannakhet Province, Champon District (2N / 1D / 2S). Drive 2-hours, 100-km to Champon District. Photographic Targets: White-browed Crake, Watercock, Black Bittern, Cinnamon Bittern, Black-shouldered Kite, Red-wattled Lapwing, Red-breasted Parakeet, Whiskered Tern, Little Cormorant, Racket-tailed Treepie, Chestnut Munia (via chartered boat).
Days 15-17, Champasak Province, Pathoumpone District (2N / 1D / 2S). Drive 6-hours, 270-km to Pathoumpone District. Photographic Targets: Mekong Wagtail, Indian Spot-billed Duck, Asian Golden Weaver, Grey-headed Swamphen, Little Ringed Plover, Lesser Whistling Duck, Asian Openbill, White-browed Crake, Cotton Pygmy Goose, Cinnamon Bittern, Banded Kingfisher, Blue-bearded Bee-eater, Black-and-Buff Woodpecker, Pheasant-tailed Jacana, Bronze-winged Jacana, Crested Serpent Eagle, Pied Harrier, Shikra.
Day 17, Vientiane (0N / 0D / 0S). Internal Flight to Vientiane for International Departures.
[Key: N=Night, D=Full Day, S = Session / Half-Day]
Nick, a UK National, has been living in Asia for over 15-years and in this time has conducted over 125 bird photography trips across the whole of the Asian continent ranging from Kazakhstan in the west, through India and China to Japan in the east, and from the Kamchatka coastline in the north to as far south as Indonesia. In China alone Nick has photographed to portrait-quality standard over 1,200 of China's bird species taking him to all of China's provinces as well as most of those nations bordering China. These bird photography trips have ranged in length from a few days to many months, including a three-month bird photography expedition to China's Xinjiang Autonomous Region, becoming quite possibly the most travelled foreigner in this region over the past decade. Nick has also conducted a four-month bird photography trek across the Himalayas, ranging from the Indian States of Ladakh and Kashmir in the west, into the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan, then onto the Indian States of West Bengal and Sikkim, ending in Arunachal Pradesh and Assam in the eastern Himalayas. Nick has had his images published across numerous media channels including the BBC and Chinese state-owned media outlets, various bird magazines and journals including the Oriental Bird Club's BirdingASIA. He has his own website on the Birds of China at www.BirdingInChina.com and his book 'Portraits of the Birds of China' is due for publication in 2026. Furthermore, Nick has presented films on photographing birds both in Asia and Europe, has his bird images published across many social media platforms within and outside Asia, and has led a number of bird photography lectures and walks, particularly targeted at children. Consequently, Nick has accumulated significant experience of photographing birds within the Asian continent and this expertise has formed the backdrop to setting up Bird-Photo-Tours Asia, trips designed by bird photographers for bird photographers.
(i) The guesthouses are all in close proximity to the bird photography locations (ii) Walking is at a light pace (iii) There is no requirement to hike nor climb. (iv) None of the locations are at altitude (v) There is no camping.
