Description

Day 1: Noi Bai (Hanoi) airport – Cuc Phuong National Park (Ninh Binh Region)

Established in 1962, Cuc Phuong National Park is the first national park of Vietnam. It is home to hundreds of species of flora and fauna. Spend 4 days watching rare and migratory birds.

Highlight species: Bar-bellied, Blue-rumped, and Eared Pittas, Chestnut-necklaced Partridge, Red Junglefowl, Grey-capped Pygmy Woodpecker, Lesser Yellownape, Red-collared Woodpecker, Green-eared Barbet, Red-vented Barbet, Red-headed Trogon, Asian Koel, Indian Cuckoo, Plaintive Cuckoo, Green-billed Malkoha, Blue-throated bee-eater, Striped Tit Babbler, Limestone Wren-Babbler, golden babbler, Rufous-throated Fulvetta

At night: Spotted owlet, Collared owlet, Brown wood owl

After your international flight, pass through immigration, collect your luggage and meet up with your guide who will travel with you through Vietnam.  Transfer by private car to Cuc Phuong National Park for about 3 hours. You will pass the scenic countryside in the Red River Delta.

4.00pm: Arrive at Cuc Phuong National Park, check-in Khu Cong Vuon (Park Headquarter)

5.00pm: Orientation Meeting

6.15pm: Welcome Dinner at the Restaurant of Cuc Phuong National Park

Overnight at Khu Cong Vuon (National park / government guests house – clean and basic)

Day 2: Cuc Phuong National Park

5.30am: Morning coffee before departure

6.20am: Leave for the Park Centre – Bong substation (about 20 km from the gate) for birdwatching

8.30am: Breakfast at the Bong Restaurant

9.15am: Birdwatching

12.00pm: Lunch at the Bong Restaurant

2.00pm: Birdwatching

5.00pm: Vehicle takes you back to Khu Cong Vuon accommodation

6.00pm: Visit Save Vietnam’s Wildlife (Pangolin Conservation Centre)

7.15pm: Dinner

Day 3: Cuc Phuong National Park

5.30am: Morning coffee before departure

6.20am: Vehicle departs to the Park Centre – Bong substation for birdwatching

8.30am: Breakfast at the Bong Restaurant

9.15am: Birdwatching

1.00pm: Lunch at the Bong Restaurant

2.00pm: Birdwatching

6.00pm: Bus takes you back to Khu Cong Vuon

7.00pm: Dinner

Day 4: Cuc Phuong National Park

5.30am: Morning coffee before departure

6.20am: Vehicle departs to the Park Centre – Bong substation for birdwatching

8.30am: Breakfast at the Bong Restaurant

9.15am: Birdwatching

1.00pm: Lunch at the Bong Restaurant

2.00pm: Birdwatching

6.00pm: Dinner at the Bong Restaurant

7.00pm: Watch owlets in the centre of the Park

8.00pm: Bus takes you back to Khu Cong Vuon for a shower, rest and overnight.

Day 5: Cuc Phuong – Van Long Wetland Reserve (Ninh Binh Region) – Xuan Thuy National Park (Nam Dinh Region)

Van Long is the largest wetland reserve in the northern plains, which has very diversified and unique ecosystem and is a favorite residence of many types of fauna, consisting of rare birds such as White-throated Kingfisher, Black-capped Kingfisher, Common Kingfisher, Greater Coucal, White-breasted Waterhen, Common Moorhen, pheasant-tailed jacana, purple swamp hen, White-browed crake, Chinese Pond Heron, Little Egret, cattle egret, purple heron, grey heron, Asian Openbill, black baza

Also, visitors can see the endemic of Delacour’s langur (over 40 kinds of Delacour’s langur) living in the limestone mountains.

7.00am: Drink coffee, breakfast and check out

8.00am: Vehicle leaves for Van Long Wetland Reserve (35kms)

9.00am: Visit Van Long lagoon by sitting on bamboo boats to admire massive limestone mountains, caves, clumps of reeds in the water and listen to the gentle sounds of the peaceful place while looking for birds and catching the sight of Delacour’s langurs moving around on the mountains.

12.00pm: Lunch at Van Long Green Restaurant

1.45pm: Drive to Xuan Thuy National Park (120kms)

3.45pm: Arrive in Xuan Thuy National Park, check-in the Guest House (Khu Cong Vuon)

6.30pm: Dinner

Day 6: Xuan Thuy National Park

Xuan Thuy National Park is the home for a total of 220 bird species belonging to 41 families and 13 orders and it is famous for having Red Book listed migratory birds.

Also, it is the first wetland in Southeast Asia to participate in the 1989 Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, known as RAMSAR.

Highlight species: Japanese quail, Grey-lag goose, Gadwall Overview, Falcated duck, Mallard, Northern shoveler, Tufted duck, Baer’s pochard, Scaly-sided merganser, Yellow-legged buttonquail, Eurasian wryneck, Collared kingfisher, Pied kingfisher, Blue-tailed bee-eater, White-vented myna, Chestnut-winged cuckoo, Slaty-breasted Rail, common coot, Pin-tailed Snipe, Black-tailed godwit, Whimbrel, Spotted Redshank, Marsh sandpiper, Great Thick-knee, Black-winged stilt, Grey-headed lapwing, Black-headed gull, Black-headed Ibis, Eurasian spoonbill, Spot-billed pelican, Painted stork, Fairy Pitta, Black-naped oriole, Black-naped monarch.

7.00am: Breakfast

8.00am: Take a speed boat to reach the offshore mudflats and sandy flats for bird watching

12.40pm: Back to the hotel near Khu Cong Vuon for lunch.

2.00pm: Travel on foot to watch birds.

6.00pm: Back to the hotel for a shower and rest.

7.00pm: Dinner

Day 7: Xuan Thuy – Tam Dao National Park (Vinh Phuc Region)

It spans a large area along the Tam Dao range and belongs to 6 districts and a city of 3 provinces (Vinh Phuc, Tuyen Quang, and Thai Nguyen) and is located at an altitude of over 1,000m.

Highlight species: Red-billed blue magpie, Indochinese Green Magpie, Blue-naped Pitta, Silver pheasant, Red junglefowl, Great barbet, common Hoopoe, Red-headed trogon, pied cuckoo, Hodgson’s hawk-cuckoo, Coral-billed ground cuckoo, Asian emerald cuckoo, Collared owlet, Spotted dove, Thick-billed green pigeon, Black kite, Japanese Sparrowhawk, black eagle, Long-tailed broadbill, Orange-bellied leafbird, Long-tailed shrike, Grey-backed shrike, Ratchet-tailed treepie, grey treepie, Grey-chinned minivet, Scarlet minivet, Small minivet, Rosy minivet, Spangled Drongo, Grey-headed canary-flycatcher, Asian paradise flycatcher, Orange-headed thrush, Blue rock thrush, Scaly Thrush, Green Cochoa, Japanese thrush, yellow-rumped flycatcher, Rufous-gorgeted flycatcher, Fujian Niltava, Golden-crested Myna, hill myna, Sultan tit, Japanese white-eye, Chestnut Bulbul, black bulbul, mountain bulbul, Lesser necklaced laughingthrush, Greater necklaced laughingthrush, Grey laughingthrush.

7.00am: Breakfast

8.00am: Transfer to Tam Dao National Park (150kms)

11.00am: Check in to Gia Le Hotel (Tam Dao Town) and have lunch

1.00pm: Drive to Tam Dao National Park for birding

6.00pm: Back to Gia Le Hotel for shower and rest

7.00pm: Dinner at the hotel

Day 8: Tam Dao National Park – Saigon – Cat Tien National Park (Dong Nai Region)

6.00am: Breakfast

6.40am: Check-out of the hotel

7.00am: Drive to Noi Bai (Hanoi) airport – 2 hours

10.50am: Fly to Tan Son Nhat airport (Saigon – Ho Chi Minh City HCMC)

12.40pm: Arrive in Saigon (HCMC), and drive to a restaurant for lunch

2.00pm: Drive to Cat Tien National Park – (4-5 hours approx.) through lovely landscapes and villages. The landscape rises gradually via a volcanic area.

7.00pm: Arrive in Cat Tien National Park – Upon arrival at the park, say goodbye to your vehicle as you cross the Dong Nai River on a small boat to the park

7.30pm: Dinner at Yellow Bamboo Restaurant, Cat Tien National Park

Day 9: Cat Tien National Park

Cat Tien National park is among the largest areas of lowland tropical forests left in Vietnam. The Park recorded 320 bird species is one of the best birding in Vietnam for orange-necked Partridge (Indochinese endemic) living in the forest.

Highlight species: Siamese Fireback, Germain’s peacock-pheasant, Green peafowl, Blue-rumped and bar-bellied Pitta, Dusky broadbill, Blue-winged pitta, Black-and-red broadbill, Great hornbill, Oriental pied hornbill, Purple Sunbird, Fork-tailed Sunbird, Crimson Sunbird.

6.00am: Morning coffee

6.20am: Birdwatching

8.00am: Breakfast at restaurant

9.00am: Birdwatching

12.00pm: Lunch

2.00pm: Visit Primate and Bear Rescue Station

3.00pm: Birdwatching

5.00pm: Back to the hotel for shower and rest

6.30pm: Dinner

Day 10: Cat Tien National Park

6.00am: Coffee and breakfast

7.00am: Bus transfer to Bau Sau Wetland for seeing water and wild birds. Bau Sau is the second Ramsar site in Vietnam. It is not only home to freshwater crocodiles but also many plant and animal species listed in the Red Book of Vietnam and the world.

12.00pm: Lunch in Bau Sau area

2.00pm: Birdwatching in Bau Sau

4.00pm: Back to your accommodation

6.00pm: Dinner

7.00pm: See nocturnal animals – After sunset enjoy a jeep safari for animal spotting at night – if you are lucky you might see Indian Gaur, Sambar deer and owls.

Day 11: Cat Tien National Park

6.00am: Coffee time

6.30am: Birdwatching at Park Headquarter area

8.00am: Breakfast at restaurant

9.00am: Birdwatching while learning about centuries-old trees like a 700-year-old redwood (Afzelia xylocarpa) tree, a 400-year-old Tung tree (Tetrameles nudiflora)

12.00pm: Lunch

2.00pm: Birdwatching

5.00pm: Return to your accommodation

6.30pm: Dinner

Day 12: Cat Tien National Park – Di Linh (Lam Dong)

6.00am: Breakfast and check out

8.00am: Transfer to Di Linh

12.50pm: Arrive at Di Linh Town, Check-in Bao Phu Hotel

1.15pm: Lunch

2.30pm: Transfer to the Deo Suoi Lanh (Nui San pass) for birding

5.00pm: Return to the hotel

6.30pm: Dinner

Day 13: Di Linh

Highlight species: White-browed piculet, Black-and-buff woodpecker, Indian roller, Dollarbird, Orange-breasted trogon, violet cuckoo, Green bee-eater, Blue-crowned hanging parrot, Red-breasted parakeet, Asian brown flycatcher, White-rumped shama, Golden-crested myna, Asian glossy starling, Great tit, Black Brown Tit, Black-crested Bulbul, Crested finchbill, Cutia, Chestnut-tailed Minla, Black-headed Sibia, Blue pitta.

6.00am: Breakfast

7.00am: Drive to Deo Suoi Lanh (Nui San pass) for bird watching

12.00pm: Lunch

1.40pm: Birdwatching

5.00pm: Back to Bao Phu Hotel

6.30pm: Dinner

Day 14: Private transfer to Lien Khuong airport

Breakfast at hotel. Check out and depart to airport in time for your flight home or onward travel.

Please note! Hotel check out time is from 12.00