Day 1: HOME – HCMC (D)

Upon arrival at Tan Son Nhat airport, met by our representative and transfer to hotel for check-in.

Orientation walk in the city center, stop at the city highlights: the Notre Dame Cathedral (built in 1880), the Central Post Office (in 1886) and the must-see Ben Thanh market

Dinner at a local restaurant

Overnight in HCMC

Day 2: HCMC – XEO QUYT – THAP MUOI STORK GROUND – CAO LANH (B-L-D)

After breakfast, transfer to Xeo Quit, a former communist military base, and enjoy wonderful boat trips around scenic swamps and forests of eucalyptuses and ivies. There is chance to admire many species of king fishers, sun birds, etc. in these forests.

After lunch at the park, continue by boat to the Thap Muoi Stork Ground where live various species of egrets, ibises, herons, etc. It is fascinating to see flock after flock of storks flying back home in the late afternoon.

Check in a hotel and overnight in Cao Lanh

Day 3: TAM NONG NATURE RESERVE(B-L-D)

After breakfast, transfer to the boat station to take a boat ride to Tam Nong Nature reserve which is the breeding ground of red-headed, bare-necked cranes, a rare, endangered species of land birds. They often live in Tam Nong from December to August. Besides, there is chance to observe many kinds of storks here.

Transfer back to Cao Lanh

Dinner in the hotel and overnight in Cao Lanh

Day 4: CAO LANH – HCMC – CU CHI TUNNELS (B-L-D)

After breakfast, check out the hotel and transfer back to HCMC.

After lunch, a one and half hour drive takes you to Cu Chi where human knowledge has been enriched by experiencing a web-like tunnels system of more than 200km in length which used to be the shelters of Vietnamese guerrillas during the war against American troops. Learn how the Vietnamese people make rice paper cakes and rice whisky at local workshops.

Late afternoon, drive back to HCMC for hotel check-in

Enjoy dinner at a local restaurant.

Overnight in HCMC

Day 5: HCMC – CAT TIEN NATIONAL PARK (B-L-D)

Morning check out the hotel and transfer to the Cat Tien National Park, the biggest tropical rain forest in Vietnam. Cross the La Nga river by ferry boat to the park Head Quarter. Check in the guest houses at the park.

In the afternoon, watch birds along the HQ trail and road: blue-rumped pitta, black and red, dusky and banded broadbills; heart-spotted, black and buff and great slaty woodpeckers, white-browed piculet, blue-eared barbet, scaly-breasted partridge, Siamese fireback, great hornbill, orange-breasted trogon, Abbot’s babbler and great eared nightjar, etc.

Dinner and Overnight at the park

Day 6: CAT TIEN NATIONAL PARK (B-L-D)

A full day of birding along the road and forest trails of Nam Cat Tien. Take a jeep from the park headquarter to the Crocodile Lake trailhead and start walking and birding to the lake, then canoeing around the lake. There is chance to observe Siamese Fireback, Black Baza, Germain’s Peacock Pheasant Red Junglefowl ,Bar-bellied Pitta, Blue-winged Pitta , Orange-breasted Trogon, Pompadour Green Pigeon, Cinnamon Bittern, Cotton Pygmy Goose, Vineous-breasted Starling, Black-browed Reed and Thick-billed Warbler, etc.

Late afternoon, transfer back to the HQ for rest till dinner

Enjoy a lovely country dinner at the guest house restaurant. Overnight at the park

Day 7: CAT TIEN NATIONAL PARK (B-L-D)

A full day of birding along the roads and forest trails of Nam Cat Tien. Take a jeep from the park headquarter to the Bird Lake trailhead, then start walking and birding to the lake.

Possibility to see Scaly-breasted Partridge, Siamese Fireback, Woolly-necked Stork, Dusky and Black &Red Broadbill, Golden-headed Mynah, Laced Woodpecker, etc.

Late afternoon, transfer back to the HQ for rest till dinner

Enjoy a lovely country dinner at the guest house restaurant. Overnight at the park

Day 8: CAT TIEN – DI LINH (B-L-D)

Morning go birding around the HQ and on Lagerstroemia Trail. There is possibility to see Orange-breasted Laughingthrush, Siberian Blue Robin, Red-breasted Parakeet, Germain’s Peacock Pheasant , Red-vented Barbet, Black-hooded Oriole, White-browed Shrike Babbler, etc.

After lunch at the HQ, check out the park and transfer onto Di Linh, birding along the road to Phan Thiet where there is chance to see more birds such as Magpie, Babbler, Woodpeckers, Tit Babbler, etc

Check in a small hotel and overnight in Di Linh

Day 9: DI LINH – DALAT (B-L-D)

Full day enjoy more birding in Di Linh. There is chance to see Black-hooded and Orange-breasted Laughingthrush, Mountain Hawk Eagle, etc.

Later in the afternoon, transfer to Dalat

Check in a hotel, enjoy a nice dinner and overnight in Dalat

Day 10: DALAT – LANGBIAN MOUNTAIN (B-L-D)

A full day of birding at Mount Lang Bian where the evergreen forests are home to many interesting species including some endemics. Key species to be found at Mount Lang Bian include Silver Pheasant, Indochinese Cuckooshrike, Eurasian Jay, Yellow-billed Nuthatch, Mugimaki Flycatcher, Cutia and Red Crossbill. This is also the place to see two of Vietnam ‘s sought after endemics, the Collared Laughingthrush and the Vietnamese Greenfinch.

Overnight in Da Lat.

Day 11: DALAT – TUYEN LAM LAKE (B-L-D)

morning for birding at Tuyen Lam Lake , boating around the lake and birding around the pine forests. There is big chance to find Slender- billed Oriole, Maroon Oriole, Rufous-backed Sibia, Black-hooded, White-cheeked Laughingthrush, Grey-bellied Tesia, Chestnut-fronted Shrike Babbler, Burmese Shrike, etc.

Afternoon city tour, visit King Bao Dai Summer Palace, Datanla waterfall, Dalat market. There is still chance to see more birds at these places.

Overnight in Da Lat. 

Day 12: DALAT – PHAN RANG (B-L-D)

Morning check out the hotel and transfer to Phan Rang following small road down Dran pass through plantations of vegetables, pine trees, coffees, etc. There is chance to see more birds at these places

Arrival in Ninh Chu beach, check in a 4* resort

Afternoon birding along the beach and salt fields with chance to see sea birds, sand dippers, etc.

Dinner and overnight in Phan Rang

Day 13: PHAN RANG (B-L-D)

Today’s relaxation: Morning enjoy visiting around Phan Rang: enjoy a cruise on a glassy underwater boat in Vinh Hy bay to admire the beautiful natural aquarium

Afternoon visit Po Klong Giarai temple, visit Cham villages, plantations of grapes and dragon fruits, rice fields, etc.

Dinner and overnight in Phan Rang

Day 14: PHAN RANG – HO COC BEACH (B-L-D)

Morning check out the hotel and transfer to Ho Coc Beach surrounded by Phuoc Buu nature reserve, check in a resort by the beach

Afternoon birding in and around the nature reserve, sand dunes, mangrove swamps, rice fields with chance to see many species such as storks, kites, hawks, king fishers, sunbirds, flycatchers, etc.

Enjoy some swimming in the nice sea by the resort

Dinner and overnight at Ho Coc

Day 15: HO COC BEACH – HCMC (B-L-D)

Enjoy morning with pleasant birding around the area and relaxation by the beach

Afternoon transfer back to HCMC

Dinner and overnight in HCMC

Day 16: HCMC – DEPARTURE (B)

After breakfast, transfer to the airport  for departure flight back home

End of service

Inclusions:

-         Hotel accommodation with breakfast (based on twin sharing, ROH)

-         All meals indicated in the program, snacks, extra F&B at primitive places

-         All ground transport on tour with A/C vehicles, boats, or any local means of transportation

-         All entrance fees for the parks, bird places, sightseeing

-         Local Vietnamese experts on birds in Vietnam

-         Local English speaking guides

-         Daily cold bottles of water and towels

Exclusions:

-         International flight tickets to and from Vietnam

-         Visa for Vietnam

-         Personal Insurance

-         Personal expenses such as drinks, laundry, tips, etc.

-         All other accounts not mentioned in the above inclusions.