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Vietnam

 

Northern National Parks

 

Sorry, no scheduled departures set for this tour. Check out our guided trips instead.

  

Group size; max. 6

 

The network of national parks in northern Vietnam is the perfect place to

experience a natural high.  The north hasn’t the endemic birds that one can

find in the south, this is however made up for in full by a host of highly-

prized specialities, most of them near endemics and hard to find outside of

Vietnam.  This birding hot spot of Indochina has more on offer though. 

Fabulous mountain scenery, primary tropical forest, dramatic limestone

peaks, extensive paddy-fields and forest cloaked foothills call themselves

home in this place of blessed beauty.

Join Birdtours2asia and experience a breathtaking country, a Vietnam that

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Tam Dao I peak emerge from the mist.       Golden-throated Barbet is common at Tam Dao.

 

Tour itinerary

 

Saturday

Afternoon arrival in Hanoi and transfer to our hotel.

 

Sunday

A few hours travel out of Hanoi will see us kick off in Cuc Phuong national

park, the oldest in Vietnam, which protect the last significant patch of

lowland rainforest in northern Vietnam.  Well-maintained trails provide easy

access to the habitat of such exciting birds as Bar-bellied and Blue-rumped

Pittas, Pied Falconet, Limestone Wren Babbler, White-winged Magpie and

Red-vented Barbet.

 

Monday & Tuesday

Two full days to explore Cuc Phuong.  Certainly needed in this superb place

as the birding can often be slow but with time and patience rewards are high.

 

Wednesday

Another morning birding in Cuc Phuong NP.  In the afternoon we drive to the

nearby Van Long nature reserve where we take a boat trip in search of what

will probably be the rarest mammal species you’ve ever seen.  Only 250

Delacour’s Langurs survive in the wild today and about 80 of this critically

endangered mammal species are now fully protected in Van Long.

The marsh is also likely to hold a host of species not encountered otherwise

on this tour.  Cinnamon and Yellow Bitterns, ducks, waders… Night in Hanoi.

 

Thursday

It isn’t a long journey from Hanoi to reach Ba Vi national park so this morning

will see us birding the road up the mountain.  The excellent forest covering

this 1276m high mountain is likely to provide the highest bird-activity on this

tour.  Main target and star of Ba Vi must be “Rufous-cheeked” Grey

Laughingthrush (varennei ssp. of Grey Laughingthrush is not yet

regarded as a full species by Clements 6^th, but likely to become ‘Rufous-

cheeked’ in the near future to follow up on most authors at least), which

besides Vietnam (only on Ba Vi) is only found in parts of Laos and on Hainan

island.

 

Friday

Another morning on Ba Vi mountain before we travel to Tam Dao hill station for

a 2 nights stay.  Tam Dao is a naturalist’s paradise, an island of montane forest

amongst a sea of cultivated lowlands. It is renowned amongst ornithologists for

such specialities as Chestnut Bulbul, Grey Laughingthrush and Short-tailed Parrot-

bill.

 

Saturday & Sunday

Two full days in Tam Dao national park and one of the very last areas of intact

montane broad-leaved forest left in northern Vietnam.  The area is frequently

cloaked in low cloud and mist so we’ll certainly need our time to make the most

out of these impressive forested hills.  A particular effort shall be made to find the

more elusive species and with some luck we might even find the hard to get

Blue-naped Pitta or delightful Green Cochoa.

On Sunday evening we return to Hanoi, to be treated to another delicious dinner

and a luxurious room.

 

Monday

Transfer to the airport for our flights in the morning.

 

General info ; Three nights luxurious accommodation in Hanoi in rooms equipped

with private facilities, internet access, air-con etc.  Four nights in comfortable but

more basic national park bungalows with hot showers and 2 nights in nice hotel

rooms at Tam Dao.  Transport by air-conditioned minibus.  Walking is easy and

most birding is done on level roadside/tracks/trails, but the occasional steeper

trail might get us to the best birds. 

The weather in northern Vietnam at this time of year varies from sunny and

pleasant till cold and wet.  Especially at the higher altitudes of Ba Vi and at Tam

Dao it is likely we will encounter some fog and drizzle.  With some luck however

it might be sunny as well and become even fairly hot at noon.

 

                

Cuc Phuong has wel maintained trails...                      and 'big' trees.

 

  

Common Kingfisher winters in the Vietnam countryside while this snake was found on Ba Vi mountain.

 

   

Overgrown old church in the misty forests of Ba Vi and Cuc Phuong NP accommodation.

 

          

Birding the summit road, Ba Vi NP.                   View on the forest canopy in Tam Dao NP.

 

          

       Your accommodation in Hanoi.

 

   

Bird rich Van Long marsh where sampans will take us to see the endangred Delacour's Langur.

 

All photos by Stijn De Win.