Vietnam Bird Watching

This morning, you will drive northwards from Saigon to Cat Tien National Park, stopping en route for anything of interest. Stop at Tan Phu Forest Enterprise Special Use where you can find an endemic of Orange – necked Partridge. Lunch at a restaurant nearby there,  then continue to Cat Tien. Commence exploration of this fabulous reserve during the afternoon. Rest of the day is at yor own pace. Dinner and Overnight in the Park.

Arguably the top birding site in Vietnam, Cat Tien National Park is located in Dong Nai, Lam Dong and Binh Phuoc provinces, in the lowlands of southern Vietnam. The topography of the site is characterised by a flat plain in the west, and low, gentle hills in the east. The major vegetation types at the park are lowland semi-evergreen forest and lowland evergreen forest, although the park also supports extensive swamps and other wetlands.

Cat Tien supports one of the most intact lowland forest avifaunas in Vietnam. Most notably, there are confirmed records of 16 globally threatened and near-threatened bird species from the national park, the highest total for any protected area in Vietnam. Cat Tien supports all three restricted-range species that define the South Vietnamese Lowlands Endemic Bird Area: Orange-necked Partridge, Germain's Peacock Pheasant and Grey-faced Tit Babbler. Cat Tien is also one of the best sites in Vietnam to see Green Peafowl. Overnight in the park.

A full day for bird watching. Overnight in the park.

After early morning birding, you will drive northwards through the cultivated lowlands before climbing up onto the Lang Bian Plateau and the charming town of Da Lat. You will make several stops along the way at any patch of interesting-looking habitat, including some attractive waterfalls. The hill resort of Da Lat, perhaps the most attractive large town in Vietnam, is located at 4,900 feet (ca. 1,475 meters) in a temperate region dotted with lakes and waterfalls and surrounded by evergreen forests, including various native pine woodlands. Overnight in Dalat.

The cool climate, pine forests, lakes and waterfalls make Dalat a popular destination for Vietnamese tourists. The Dalat area is also known throughout Vietnam for its market gardens and nurseries growing vegetables and flowers. The Dalat Plateau is one of the five endemic bird areas (EBAs) in Vietnam identified by BirdLife International. The vegetation is a mixture of coniferous (dominated by Pinus kesiya), montane evergreen and secondary forest. Three bird species, Collared Laughingthrush, Grey-crowned Crocias and Vietnamese Greenfinch, are only to be found within this EBA. The Dalat Plateau also has distinct subspecies of Spot-breasted Laughingthrush (considered by some authorities as a separate species: Orange-breasted Laughingthrush), Cutia of the Vietnamese subspecies, Rufous-backed and Black-headed Sibias, Blue-winged Minla, Grey-headed Parrotbill and Black-throated Sunbird. Overnight in Dalat.

This morning, you will drive back to HCMC for your overnight stay. Stop at Bao Loc for lunch. Rest of the day is at leisure. Overnight in HCMC.

Morning flight to Hue, then meet and transfer to Bach Ma National Park, which is characterised by mountainous topography and supports a range of habitat types, including lowland and lower montane evergreen forest. At lower elevations, the natural forest has been extensively cleared and replaced by scrub and grassland. Dinner and overnight in Bach Ma National Park.

Around 250 bird species have been recorded at Bach Ma National Park. Most notable is a recent record of the globally endangered Edwards's Pheasant close to the park. However, extensive loss of forest at low elevations means that it is unlikely that the park itself supports a significant population of this species, and the chances of seeing this bird at there are virtually nil. There are, however, plenty of other galliforms to attract birders, including Annam Partridge, Rufous-throated Partridge and the beli subspecies of Silver Pheasant. Bach Ma is most famous for its population of Crested Argus, although this species is more often heard than seen. In addition, the abundant and diverse forest avifauna of Bach Ma provides visiting birders opportunities to observe many other birds, such as Mountain Fulvetta and several species of barbet.

Drive back to Hue airport for flight to Ha Noi. On arrival, meet and transfer to your hotel. Rest of the day is at your leisure. Overnight in Hanoi.

You will take a 2 hour drive to Cuc Phuong National Park, which is home of over 300 species of birds and supports an abundant forest bird community including a good selection of woodpeckers, mynas, starlings, corvids and flycatchers. The site supports a number of Southeast  Asian endemics, including Red-vented Barbet, Bar-bellied Pitta and Limestone Wren Babbler. Overnight in Cuc Phuong Park.

A full day birding at Cuc Phuong National Park.

Morning depart to Xuan Thuy, the first Ramsar Site in Vietnam.  Xuan Thuy is situated in Nam Dinh province and covers an area of 7,100 ha. The major habitats are estuaries, mangroves, sedges, mudflats, sandy flats and shrimp ponds. It is home of more than 200 bird species. The site is the most important staging and wintering area for migratory waterbirds in the coastal zone of the Red River Delta. It regularly supports large numbers of commoner migratory waterbird species, including Black-tailed Godwit, Spotted Redshank and Eurasian Curlew. Many rare species can also be found at Xuan Thuy, including the largest wintering population of Black-faced Spoonbill in Vietnam, with around 60 birds each winter in recent years. Other rare species that regularly occur at the site include Saunders's Gull, Spotted Greenshank, Spoon-billed Sandpiper and Asian Dowitcher. In addition to its importance for waterbirds, Xuan Thuy is also an important migratory stop-over for non-waterbirds, with large numbers of passerines and cuckoos passing through the site during the spring and autumn migrations.

A full day birding at Xuan Thuy National Park.

After early morning birding at Xuan Thuy, you will drive toward Ha Noi direction then go to Tam Dao.

Morning birding at Tam Dao where our target are Green Cochoa, Black-chinned Yuhina and Grey Laghingthrush could be found.

Spend your last minute birding at Tam Dao till transferring to Noi Bai airport for your flight home. End of services.