Our trip began with a 10-day adventure in northern Thailand, where we explored Pai, Chiang Mai, and the Mae Hong Son loop. During our stay, one of the hotels provided us with the contact information of a local birdwatcher who offered tours and rented cabins.
Upon our arrival in the area, it was already nighttime, and we had a hard time locating the cabins. Despite trying to contact the guide, we got no response. Fortunately, we encountered two local residents, and although they didn't speak English, we showed them the phone number, which lacked the person's name, and they made a quick call in Thai. We were uncertain about what was happening.
After a few minutes, a woman in pink bunny pajamas arrived on a scooter out of the cold night. To our surprise she led us exactly to the location we were looking for. She turned out to be the birdwatching guide / owner's wife. And to our delight, they had two great birdwatching hides in the forest!
The next morning, I woke up early, had some steaming porridge cooked by the 'bunny lady', brought along some traditional Thai snacks, and enjoyed a fantastic experience shooting from the hide. It was an unforgettable, exciting adventure!
The next day, I hired a local guide for birdwatching in the area. It was really great exploring with someone who knew the region so well. While I didn't capture many great images, I had many exciting sightings of amazing birds, including the White-Billed Woodpecker, Speckled Piculet, Asian Emerald Cuckoo, Black-Headed Woodpecker, and many others!
After our time in the north, we spent two weeks in the islands, down in the south. This area was amazing and so different from what we had seen up until that point. I felt submerged in the place and totally free - not really sure why I felt that way, maybe the weather, or maybe walking bare foot everywhere. This was an amazing feeling that stuck with me, which I occasionally am able to re-experience, shooting in other places.
I always took my camera with me and went out a lot. this was such a different environment from the north, in pretty much every aspect. I got to see different monkey species, kingfishers, special fish, and other amazing animals. These were very special two weeks, and as time passes I miss them more and more.
In the final part of our trip, we spent three days in Bangkok, where I had the opportunity to photograph one of my target species, the Coppersmith Barbet. This was an amazing trip, and I'm so glad and thankful for my parents who took me. Here are a few of my favorite photos of me and my family from this special trip.
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