Red Panda Expedition

The red panda is classified as endangered and a shy, solitary creature that lives in remote high-altitude forest in Asia. It is much smaller that the better known giant panda, just larger than a domestic cat, and is arboreal, even sleeping in trees, and mainly active at dawn and dusk. All this makes the red panda hard to see, but on this holiday you spend several days in Singalilia National Park in northeast India, a known red panda hotspot, so your chances of spotting this 'firefox' among the trees are good.

Singalila is a beautiful park with a mixture of temperate and alpine vegetation including orchids, magnolias and rhododendrons. It's a beautiful backdrop for daily treks in search of not just the red panda but other mammals such as Himalayan black bear, clouded leopard, barking deer, pangolin and wild boar, plus a wide range of birds many of which are rare. All in all, this is a nature lover's dream destination.

You are based at Habre's Nest, aptly the Nepalese name for the red panda, a small guesthouse on the Singalila Ridge with great views of the forest. It has just 4 guest rooms, all with en-suite facilities with hot and cold water, and private balconies ideal for watching the sunset. There's a comfy lounge with a bar, TV and open fire, and a library. The lodge donates a proportion of its profits towards red panda conservation, so you can be assured that your stay is benefitting these creatures, which makes this holiday even more special.