On a quest during a trip through Sabah (Malaysia), we contacted seven of the eight hornbills of Borneo: oriental pied, black, rhinoceros, bushy-crested, wreathed, wrinkled, and the mythical helmeted hornbill.

The first stop of a long backpacking trip allowed us to get the hang on Southeast Asian birds. Gardens by the Bay and Singapore Botanic Gardens are mandatory stops in the Lion City.

A full-day stopover in Dubai can provide some goodies despite extreme heat. We connected with Indian rollers, purple sunbirds, shikras, white-cheeked terns, Socotra cormorants or sooty gull within the city.