Vietnam
4th – 24th March 2012
Leader: James Eaton
Max. group size: 7
Day 1:
International arrivals into Ho Chi Minh City. Night in Ho Chi Minh City.
Day 2:
Following an early morning breakfast we depart for Cat Tien National Park, 3-4 hours, arriving for lunch for a three-night stay. We have the afternoon to begin our exploration of this wonderful park, one of the few areas of lowland forest left in Indochina. Night at Cat Tien National Park.
Days 3 - 4:
Cat Tien National Park is well known for its diversity of birds, including several globally endangered species and Indochinese endemics, such as Germain's Peacock Pheasant, Blue-rumped and Bar-bellied Pittas, Siamese Fireback, Green Peafowl, Pale-headed and Black-and-buff Woodpeckers, Red-vented Barbet and Grey-faced Tit Babbler. Other species we will hope for during our pleasant yet exciting stay here include Orange-breasted Trogon, Great and Oriental Pied Hornbill, Ashy-fronted Green Pigeon, Red Junglefowl, Banded, Black-and-red and Dusky Broadbill, Banded Kingfisher, White-crested Laughingthrush and Blyth's Frogmouth. Nights at Cat Tien National Park.
Day 5:
We will have a final morning birding inside the national park before driving to the forested pass along the road from Di Linh to Phan Tiet, where a newly created road now gives access to some excellent montane forest at around 1200m. This is the most reliable site for the beautiful Orange-breasted Laughingthrush, while other regional endemics regularly seen in the area include Black-hooded and White-cheeked Laughingthrush. Other species present include Rusty-naped and Blue Pitta, Green Cochoa and the newly split Black-crowned Parrotbill. Night at Di Linh.
Day 6:
Once again we bird the forest south of Di Linh in search of the previously mentioned species. Other possibilities in the area include Silver Pheasant, Bar-backed Partridge, Barred Cuckoo Dove, Yellow-vented Green Pigeon, Red-vented Barbet and Vietnamese Greenfinch, as well as most species present in the Dalat area which we drive to after the mornings birding.
In the afternoon we will make our first visit to Ta Nung Valley, a small pocket of forest that is amazingly birdy.
Ta Nung is one of less than a handful of sites from where the recently rediscovered Grey-crowned Crocias is known. On this day, we will put a special effort into finding this globally endangered Dalat endemic. The excellent path through the sub-montane forest is good for many other rare and spectacular species, among them Red-vented Barbet, White-cheeked and Black-hooded Laughingthrush, Indochinese Green Magpie, Blue-winged Minla, Black-headed and Rufous-backed Sibia and Red-headed Trogon. Night in Dalat
Days 7-8:
With two full days at our disposal we begin with a visit Mt. Lang Bian, at 2100m one of the higher mountains on the Dalat Plateau with an avifauna that is distinctly different from most other sites in the area. Passing through the pine forest on our ascent, we may find the endemic Vietnamese Greenfinch and several more widespread species with distinct Annamese forms including Red Crossbill and Eurasian Jay. In the broadleaved forest near the summit, we will search for the rare and elusive Collared Laughingthrush, one of the most beautiful of the Dalat endemics. Mixed flocks in this area usually hold endemic Black-crowned Fulvetta and Vietnamese Cutia along with a host of other possibilities including robinsoni Black-headed Sibia, Rufous-capped Babbler, White-spectacled, Blyth's and Kloss's Leaf Warblers.
On the following day we shall visit the remnant forest patches at Ho Tuyen Lam. The forest here can seem very quiet, until we hit a feeding flock, which could contain such gems as Yellow-billed Nuthatch, Black-headed Sibia, Black-crowned Parrotbill, Grey-bellied Tesia, Vietnamese Cutia and perhaps Grey-crowned Crocias. The pine forest surrounding the lake is also a good spot for Vietnamese Greenfinch, Red Crossbill, Vietnamese Cutia, annamensis Long-tailed Minivet, Burmese Shrike, Black-collared Starling and Vinous-breasted Myna and Slender-billed Oriole. Nights in Dalat.
Day 9:
We depart Dalat in the morning, flying back to Ho Chi Minh City to connect with another flight to Pleiku, situated in remote Kon Tum province. Night in Mang Den.
Day 10:
We will spend the day birding along a road cutting through lush forest in search of one of Vietnam’s recently described species; Chestnut-eared Laughingthrush. Here at its one known, accessible locality. Yellow-billed Nuthatch and Black-hooded Laughingthrush are also present here and we will also see what else this little-known area supports. Night in Mang Den.
Day 11:
Depending on the previous days success we will either spend the morning birding around Mang Den again or head north early to Kham Duc, our base for one-night for yet another recently described near-Vietnamese endemic, the Black-crowned Barwing. Night in Kham Duc.
Day 12:
Nearly a full day birding along the roadside towards the Lao border, primarily in search of the Black-crowned Barwing, a species described as recently as 1999. A large variety of other species are possible in the many feeding flocks along the roadside including several babbler subspecies that were described as recently as 1999. Short-tailed Scimitar Babbler, White-winged Magpie, Black-hooded, Red-tailed and White-crested Laughingthrushes, Red-tailed Minla, Yellow-billed Nuthatch and Coral-billed Scimitar Babbler are all possible. In the late afternoon, or earlier depending on the birding, we head to the coast, arriving at Bach Ma National Park for two-nights. Night at Bach Ma National Park.
Day 13:
A full days birding at Bach Ma National Park will be divided into two areas. The upper slopes are home to the near-endemic Short-tailed Scimitar Babbler (now known as Indochinese Wren Babbler), Indochinese Yuhina, Indochinese Green Magpie, White-gorgetted Flycatcher, Silver Pheasant, Long-tailed Broadbill, gayeti Sultan Tit and Black-throated Laughingthrush. Though the accessible forests were largely destroyed by a typhoon several years ago we will look for several wanted species including Brown-cheeked Hornbill, White-winged Magpie, Red-collared Woodpecker, Annam Partridge, Blue-rumped Pitta, Black-browed Fulvetta and Fork-tailed Sunbird. Night-birding sessions will be required to locate the difficult Hodgson's Frogmouth. Night at Bach Ma Guesthouse, Bach Ma National Park.
Day 14:
Following some early mornings birding at Bach Ma we drive to Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, arriving in the early evening. Night at Phong Nha.
Day 15:
A full days birding at Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park. Our main targets will be Sooty Babbler, a near-endemic restricted to the Annamite mountains and the recently-described Limestone Leaf Warbler. Other species possible include the seldom-seen Red-collared Woodpecker, Ratchet-tailed Treepie, Indochinese Green Magpie, Siamese Fireback, Japanese Thrush, Bar-bellied and Blue-rumped Pittas. Phong Nha-Ke Bang is an important reserve for three endangered primates; Southern White-cheeked Gibbon, Hatinh Langur and the gorgeous Red-shanked Douc and we have a chance of seeing the latter two. Night at Phong Nha.
Day 16:
We will spend part of the morning at Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park before driving back down the coast to Hue to connect with a flight north to the capital of Vietnam, Hanoi. From the airport we travel up the winding roads to Tam Dao, an old French-colonial hill station. Night at Tam Dao.
Day 17:
Here, in the Tam Dao National Park, we will make an excursion into the cloud forests of the surrounding mountains to search for pittas, cochoas, parrotbills and many more. The birding here can be very exciting, as wintering mixed feeding flocks quickly move through the undergrowth and canopy, consisting predominantly of wintering warblers, babblers and yuhinas. Birds we can hope to see along the trails include Grey Laughingthrush, Green Cochoa, Chestnut Bulbul, Coral-billed, Red-billed and Streak-breasted Scimitar-babblers, White-gorgeted Flycatcher, Black-chinned Yuhina, Greater Rufous-headed Parrotbill and if we are lucky diminutive Short-tailed Parrotbill and the secretive Blue-naped Pitta. Night at Tam Dao.
Day 18:
Following a mornings birding at Tam Dao we drive north back into Limestone Karst forest though the forests here have a distinct Chinese influence. We will spend two nights inside Ba Be National Park in search of a very special bird, the White-eared Night Heron. Arriving shortly before dusk will give us our first opportunity in searching for this little-known bird at a recently discovered breeding area. Night in Ba Be NP.
Day 19:
A full days birding inside Ba Be National Park primarily in search of White-eared Night Heron. Other species possible include White-winged Magpie, Streaked Wren Babbler, White-tailed Blue Flycatcher, White-tailed Robin and numerous wintering passerines. Night in Ba Be National Park.
Day 20:
Following a final early mornings birding we drive south back to Hanoi to enjoy a fine dinner and toast to a great tour of the fabulous country. Night in Hanoi.
Day 21:
International departures from Hanoi International Airport.
Click here to download the Vietnam tour itinerary in PDF format
View larger map. Click on pins for locality.
Previous tour reports:
Cambodia and Vietnam: 24th January - 13th February 2010
Cambodia and Vietnam: 12th February - 5th March 2009
Vietnam and Cambodia; Birds and Culture: 7th - 30th March 2008
