Day 1: Arrival in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

After arrival in the southern capital and commercial center, you will be transferred to a hotel in center of this vibrant city. The tour starts with a welcome dinner at one of the many excellent restaurants near our hotel.

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*PLEASE NOTE: If you wish to visit areas of interest from the American War in Saigon (e.g. Reunification Palace/War Remnants Museum), this could be arranged as a half-day/full day on this day or a day earlier if you decide to arrive early. Please let us know and we can arrange this for you. This add-on won’t be possible if you join the Angkor Wat pre-trip instead, unless you do it at the end of the tour.

 

Day 2: Coastal Birding at the Mekong Delta

Though land birds will dominate this tour, it would be a mistake to ignore the throngs of waterbirds which gather at the mouth of the Mekong River each winter. To avoid that regretful circumstance, we’ll leave the city before dawn and drive two hours south to Tan Thanh Go Cong. There, after a short walk onto the flats, we’ll search for Tibetan and Greater Sand-Plovers, Kentish and White-faced Plovers, Eurasian and Far Eastern Curlews, Black-tailed Godwit, Terek Sandpiper, Common Redshank, Great Knot, Nordmann’s Greenshank, and Broad-billed Sandpiper. And, if we’re really lucky, we might glimpse Spoon-billed Sandpiper, though that depends more on winter-to-winter variation than anything else. As many as five were present in January 2024, so we’ll keep our fingers crossed! Beyond shorebirds, we can hope for Whiskered Tern, Little Cormorant, Chinese Pond-Heron, and Medium Egret in the adjacent marshes; scrubby thickets might hold Collared Kingfisher, Golden-bellied Gerygone, Malaysian Pied Fantail, Brown Shrike, Plain Prinia, Oriental Reed Warbler, or Yellow-vented Bulbul. We’ll lunch nearby and — if our hotel can accommodate us early — spend the early part of the afternoon there. The light will be rough for photography at that juncture and clients are likely to be tired after their international arrivals. For those with the energy, we will return to the delta in the late-afternoon. 

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Day 3: Coastal mop-up and drive to Tan Phu

We’ll return to the delta on this morning to suss out any species we missed yesterday. The lighting could be excellent at this early hour, and this bonus time should allow additional photographic opportunity for whatever we birds we find. We should have access to our hotel through mid-morning, so we’ll stop there to clean-up before beginning the four-hour drive to Tan Phu, lunch eaten en route. If we reach Tan Phu early enough, then we’ll might duck into a hide to end the day. This night and the subsequent two will be spent in/near Tan Phu.

 

Days 4-5: Tan Phu hides

There are five hides (bird blinds) at Tan Phu, and will we spend two full days (and a third morning) rotating through them. While the specific species which visit each hide is in constant flux, each blind tends to host two to three high-value targets plus a rotating bevy of more common birds. The goal will be to spend enough time at each hide to secure views and photos of whatever is visiting at that particular juncture. For instance, Germain’s Peacock-Pheasant, Black-backed Dwarf-Kingfisher, and Slaty-legged Crake might be frequenting one hide while Bar-bellied Pitta, Blue-rumped Pitta, and Scaly-crowned Babbler might favor another. In 2024, it took three visits to a particular hide before a twenty-minute flurry produced Siamese Fireback, Scaly-breasted Partridge, Red Junglefowl, and the virtually-endemic Orange-necked Partridge. The views were amazing and totally worth the wait! Beyond those targets, Ochraceous and Stripe-throated Bulbuls, Black-naped Monarch, Racket-tailed Treepie, Abbott’s Babbler, Pin-striped Tit-Babbler, Hainan Blue Flycatcher, Siberian Blue Robin, and Little and Purple-naped Spiderhunters are usually kicking around the hides. We will break the in-hide time up with some traditional birding at nearby sites. Birds we’ve encountered in the past include Violet Cuckoo, Green-billed Malkoha, Asian Barred Owlet,  Gray Nightjar, Banded Broadbill, White-throated Kingfisher, Black-naped Oriole, Scarlet Minivet, Large Woodshrike, Great Iora, Blyth’s Paradise-Flycatcher, Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker, and Ornate Sunbird.

 

Day 6: Tan Phu to Cat Tien National Park

We’ll use this morning to mop-up whatever we’ve missed at Tan Phu before undertaking the seventy-five-minute drive to Cat Tien National Park. Located just across the river from the park entrance, our hotel will provide the perfect base of operations as we explore the park this afternoon, all of tomorrow (Day 7), and the morning of the following day (Day 8). The park is a two-minute boat ride from the front of the hotel, so we’ll be able to come and go at our leisure. We will do some walking on the main park road and use open air jeeps to explore farther afield. As to the park, upwards of 350 species have been recorded within it. We could be looking at Great Hornbill and Chestnut-headed Bee-eater in one moment and Heart-spotted Woodpecker and Black-and-red Broadbill in the next. The possibilities will make your head spin: Square-tailed Drongo-Cuckoo, Orange-breasted Trogon, Blue-eared Barbet, Banded Kingfisher, Great Slaty Woodpecker, White-browed Piculet, Green Peafowl, Dollarbird, Vernal Hanging-Parrot, Golden-crested Myna, Crimson Sunbird, Blue-beared Bee-eater, Gray-faced Tit-Babbler, and Black-winged Cuckooshrike. But wait - there’s more - mammals! Black-shanked Douc-langurs and Golden-cheeked Gibbons explore the treetops while Sambar, Red Muntjac, Leopard Cat, and ferret-badger stalk the understory. You never know what is going to reveal itself, the proof of that point coming in 2024 when a Sunda Pangolin walked across the road in the middle of the day! While we can’t count on that happening again, Cat Tien is a special place loaded with birds and wildlife. This night and the next will be spent just outside the park.
 

Day 7: Cat Tien NP

We will make morning and afternoon excursions into the park, again using a mix of walking and open air jeeps. In between those outings, we’ll return to the hotel and relax through the middle/heat of the day.

 

Day 8: Cat Tien NP to Di Linh

After a final morning at Cat Tien, we’ll undertake the two-and-a-half-hour drive to a low-lying mountain pass near Di Linh. There we’ll enjoy another hide session targeting Indochinese Green-Magpie, Silver-breasted Broadbill, and Black-headed Parrotbill beyond the more-expected species like White-bellied Erpornis, Gray-headed Canary-Flycatcher, Mugimaki Flycatcher, White-throated Rock-Thrush, and and Siberian and Orange-headed Thrushes. This night will be spent in Di Linh.

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Day 9: Di Linh to Da Lat:

The habitat around Di Linh hosts some very interesting birds, so we’ll invest a few hours searching for those before heading moving towards Da Lat, our base of operations for the final phase of the tour. Walking roads above Di Linh, specifically at Deo Nui San Pass, our primary targets will be Indochinese and Red-Vented Barbets, both restricted to isolated pockets within Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. Barbets are usually very vocal, so we stand a good chance at finding the prized pair. In looking and listening for those, we could also bump into Banded Bay Cuckoo, Yellow-vented Green-Pigeon, Green Imperial-Pigeon, Bay Woodpecker, Small Minivet, Red-headed Trogon, Long-tailed Broadbill, Kloss’s Leaf Warbler, Green-backed Tit, Clicking Shrike Babbler, Maroon Oriole, Black-throated Sunbird, Velvet-fronted Nuthatch, or Asian Fairy-bluebird. Over 300 species have been recorded in the vicinity, so it’s a great place to spend a morning. When we’ve had our fill at the pass, we’ll drive 90 minutes towards Da Lat, lunch had en route at a restaurant holding Mrs. Gould’s Sunbird and Streaked Spiderhunter in the adjacent garden. Continuing on full stomachs, we hope to enjoy another hide session, where we might find Indochinese Green-Magpie, Rufous-browed Flycatcher, and Black-throated and Black-hooded Laughingthrushes. We’ll continue into Da Lat after the hide session. It’s worth noting that Da Lat is a major city and tourist destination; it has a cosmopolitan vibe and offers an excellent selection of restaurants. While the Vietnamese food to this point will have been excellent, it’s always nice to throw Indian, Italian, or vegan into the mix when the opportunity presents. This night and the subsequent two will be spent in the center of town.

 

Days 10-11: Da Lat and surroundings

Da Lat is a very comfortable base from which to explore the nearby forest areas of the Da Lat/Langbian Plateau. The plateau holds a number of endemic species, some of which are only found there, or are only shared with a small area of Cambodia or Laos. This day and the next will be a mix of hides and birding, the exact balance to be determined by what is (and isn’t) showing at the local blinds. Possibilities at those, beyond the common/expected species, include Silver Pheasant, Blue and Rusty-naped Pittas, Gray-bellied Tesia, Lesser Shortwing, White-browed Scimitar-Babbler, Black-headed Sibia, and Mountain and Black-crowned Fulvettas. While Orange-breasted and Collared Laughingthrushes, two highly prized endemics, are in the area, their presence at hides has become highly unpredictable.  If we receive word that either of these birds is coming to hides, we’ll be sure to invest time into it. But neither is a bird which can be counted on. Away from the hides, Da Lat offers excellent birding. The pine forest above town holds Oriental Cuckooshrike, White-browed Shrike-Babbler, Chestnut-crowned Warbler, Vietnamese Cutia (endemic), Slender-billed Oriole, Hume’s Treecreeper, Chestnut-vented Nuthatch, Vietnamese Greenfinch (endemic), and the endemic race (species?) of Red Crossbill. Lower, in more deciduous surroundings, the Ta Nung Valley hosts Mountain Imperial-Pigeon, Jerdon’s Baza, Burmese Shrike, Gray-cheeked Warbler, Mountain tailorbird, Dalat Bush Warbler (endemic), White-throated Fantail, Hill Prinia, Annum Privia (endemic), Rufous-backed Sibia, Olive-backed Pipit, and a variety of bulbuls (Ashy, Black, Flavescent, and Black-crested). However, the bizarre and beautiful Gray-crowned Crocias — an endemic which eBird describes as ‘a three-way cross between a shrike, a sibia, and a laughinghthrush’ — is the true prize. The speckled-chested bird often joins mixed flocks, so we’ll comb the hillsides in search of concentrated bird activity. Temperatures should remain mild in the elevated surroundings, so we have the option of staying out all day with a field lunch on one or both days.

 

Day 12: Morning in Da Lat; afternoon flights back to Ho Chi Minh City

This final morning will be used to plug whatever holes remain in our Da Lat resume. We might end up in hides, walking more habitat, or — depending on the precise timing of our flight — have time for a bit of both. Any way you cut it, we’ll use every minute available to us before heading to the airport and flying back to Ho Chi Minh City for the night.

 

Day 13: Departure
Our local agent will arrange airport transfers to the international airport. There is no birding planned for today.
 

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Cambodia/Angkor Wat Pre-Tour Extension

We offer this five-day mini-tour as a pre-trip to Southern Vietnam. Why do we do this? Three reasons. First, our time in Siem Reap will allow us the opportunity to explore the ancient temple complex at Angkor Wat. Anyone with the slightest interest in history or archeology will find this site magnificent and fascinating. And it has decent birding to boot! Second, and as we don’t bird any inland wetland areas on the Southern Vietnam BwC tour, this pre-trip will afford clients the opportunity to see species beyond what we’ll see in Vietnam. Lastly, this pre-trip brings the total trip length to 17 days and extends the time which clients spend in SE Asia. And the best part? All four nights are spent in the same Siem Reap hotel. Convenience to the max. It’s also worth mentioning that Siem Reap is very clean, cosmopolitan, and fun!

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A note on photography: This extension is designed for birding and culture, and photography will not be as productive as the main tour. You of course are welcome to bring your camera into the field, but photography will be tough since — as in Vietnam — birds in Cambodia are shy because of hunting and trapping. It’s possible to see a lot of birds on this extension, but most will be too far away for decent photos. That’s why we’ll spend lots of time in hides on the Vietnam main tour.
 

Day 1: Arrival in Siem Reap

Flights arrive at Siem Reap International Airport, and you will be transferred to a hotel in the center of this fun and funky city. We will have a welcome dinner to get acquainted. If anyone would like to arrive a day early to rest and to help mitigate the effects of any travel or luggage delays, please let us know and we can help make the arrangements. 

 

Day 2: Angkor Wat

We will spend this entire day exploring Angkor Wat, which means ‘City of Temples’. Though originally constructed to Hindu ends in the 12th Century, the massive complex eventually became synonymous with Buddhism. We’ll experience sunrise at the main temple — still considered the largest religious building in the world — and afterwards explore the adjacent grounds for Asian Barred Owlet, Great and Oriental Pied Hornbills, Lineated Barbet, Ashy Minivet, Black-naped Oriole, Common Iora, Blue Rock-Thrush and others. Over 300 species have been recorded in the vicinity, so there are a lot of possibilities. Moving to Ta Phrom, another part of the complex, we’ll look for Alexandrine and Red-breasted Parakeets as we navigate the crumbling, vine-covered ruins. Long-tailed Macaques are common, and we might find Black-naped Monarch, Shikra, White-throated Rock-Thrush, Forest Wagtail, or Brown Boobok as we extend into the afternoon. When we’ve had our fill of history and birds, we’ll return the short distance to our Siem Reap hotel.

 

Day 3: Ang Trapeang Thmor

We’ll make and early start and drive an hour-and-a-half to reach Ang Trapeang Thmor. Scanning the water and adjacent marshes, we’ll hope for Lesser Whistling-Duck, Cotton Pygmy-Goose, Knob-billed Duck, Gray-headed Swamphen, Pheasant-tailed and Bronze-winged Jacanas, Medium Egret, Purple Heron, and Eastern Marsh Harrier. The majestic Sarus Crane is often around, and we could intersect Eurasian Hoopoe, Black-capped Kingfisher, Ashy Woodswallow, and Asian Green and Blue-tailed Bee-eaters. Moving to remnant dipterocarp forest, we might find Spotted Wood-Owl, Freckle-breasted Woodpecker, or Rufous Treepie. Depending on our pace and bird-finding luck, we might spend the whole day at Ang Trapeang Thmor or return to Siem Reap and explore some nearby paddies in the late-afternoon.

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Day 4: Prek Toal and Tonle Sap

Today we’ll visit Tonle Sap Lake, the largest fresh water lake in Southeast Asia. We’ll use a medium-sized boat to reach across the lake and a small, low-slung craft to explore the weedy channels that feed it. Combing through hordes of Asian Openbills, Painted Storks, and Oriental Darters, we’ll hope for Spot-billed Pelican, Milky Stork, and/or Greater and Lesser Adjutants. Other possibilities include Whiskered Tern, Brown-headed Gull, Little and Indian Cormorants, Black-headed Ibis, Yellow Bittern, and Gray-headed Fish-Eagle. And if the birds aren’t enough, we’ll eat lunch at a floating restaurant, the establishment part of a massive floating community. It must be seen to be believed! After lunch, we’ll hop back into the big boat and return to our starting point on the other side of the lake. In the afternoon, and depending on timing, we may visit an area of scrub near the port which holds Ruddy-breasted Crake, Burmese Shrike, Lanceolated Warbler, Chestnut-capped Babbler, Striated Grassbird, and Baya and Streaked Weavers.

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Day 5 (same as day 1 of the main tour): Florican Grasslands and flights to Vietnam

Leaving Siem Reap, we’ll head to the floodplain grasslands of Tonle Sap to search for the critically endangered Bengal Florican. Populations of these birds have halved in the past few years, and our visit will support conservation efforts by using local people to help us locate the birds. With luck, we may see their unique flight display! Other birds here include Small Buttonquail, Oriental Pratincole, Bluethroat, Oriental Skylark, Singing Bushlark, Richard’s and Oriental Pipits, Siamese Pied Starling, Red Avadavat, and the scarce Manchurian Reed-Warbler. When the late-morning heat inevitably gathers, we’ll make our exit, and head to lunch before continuing to the airport for afternoon flights to Ho Chi Minh City, where we begin the main tour.

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Trip Considerations

PACE: Moderate. Early starts are required on most days (5:00-5:30am) to get to the birding areas at dawn, when activity is at is daily peak.

 

PHYSICAL DIFFICULTY: Easy to moderate. The heat and humidity of the southern section of the trip (i.e. Saigon and Cat Tien) is a consideration, but 1) much time is spent in the blinds, where fatigue isn’t likely to be an issue and 2) we’ll return to the hotel to rest through the middle/heat of the day whenever possible. For the most part, walks will be less than 2 miles. These will be on wide-open tracks, some narrow forest trails, and paved and unpaved roads. Some of these walks will have an incline to them, but nothing that would prevent someone in decent walking shape from participating. Elevation is not a major issue on this trip. Da Lat, the highest area we will visited, is at ~5,000 feet (lower than Denver).

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CLIMATE: Vietnam’s climate is varied; in the coolest area, the highlands at Da Lat, daytime temperatures typically very between 55-77°F, 12-25°C; in contrast, temperatures in Cat Tien, the hottest site, can reach 95°F, 35°C. Levels of high humidity are expected in Ho Chi Minh City and Cat Tien in particular, often reaching 80%. For those joining the Angkor Wat pre-trip, conditions will (roughly) be like those described for Cat Tien in Vietnam.

 

ACCOMMODATION: The accommodations in southern Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh, Cat Tien, and Da Lat) are all good to very good. All hotels have hot water, full-time electricity, en-suite bathrooms, wi-fi, and air-conditioning (where needed). For those jointing the Angkor Wat pre-trip, know that Siem Reap is a major tourist destination and, as such, features top-notch accommodations.

 

PHOTOGRAPHY: The photo opportunities on the main tour are stupendous, with many species visiting the hides (blinds) we visit. The hides are all in heavily shaded areas, so consider bringing a tripod to mitigate the shake from slow shutter speeds and to  avoid having to hold the camera in your hands for long periors. With an f/5.6 lens, you can expect to shutter speeds ranging from 1/50 to 1/500, depending on the ISO which you select. Most shooting is done between ISO 1600 and ISO 6400 - as such a full-frame camera works best, but is not required.

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WHEN TO GO: This tour is best in the northern winter (November-March), when temperatures are at their lowest and rain is at a minimum. The presence of wintering Palearctic migrants also elevates bird lists as this season compared to the summer.

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Other Information

TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS: A valid passport is required; the passport must be valid for at least six months past your intended stay. MOST VISITORS TO VIETNAM ALSO NEED A VISA. While it it still possible to secure an old fashioned visa on arrival, there is no point in waiting to do that in an age when Vietnam has an effective eVisa application/protocol up and running. We suggest applying for an eVisa several weeks before the tour starts. Turnaround is usually less than a week, but having leeway will alleviate any time pressure. FOR THOSE JOINING THE PRE-TRIP, YOU MUST OBTAIN A CAMBODIAN EVISA; that process is almost identical to applying for a Vietnam eVisa.

 

WHAT’S INCLUDED?: Tips to drivers and lodge staff; accommodation from the night of day 1 to the night of day 12, and if taking the extension, the night of day 1 to the night of day 4 of the extension; meals from dinner on day 1 to breakfast on day 13, and if taking the extension, from dinner of day 1 to lunch on day 5; safe drinking water throughout; Tropical Birding tour leader with scope and audio gear from the evening of day 1 to the evening of day 12, and if taking the extension, from the evening of day 1 to the afternoon of day 5; ground transport for the group to all sites in the itinerary in suitable vehicle(s) with local driver(s); entrance fees to sites mentioned in the itinerary; a printed and bound checklist to keep track of your sightings (given to you at the start of the tour – only electronic copies can be provided in advance).

 

WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED?: Optional tips to the Tropical Birding tour leader; tips for luggage porters in hotels (if you require their services); flights; snacks; additional drinks apart from those included; alcoholic beverages; visa and passport fees; travel insurance; excursions not included in the tour itinerary; extras in hotels such as laundry service, minibar, room service, telephone calls, and personal items; medical fees; other items or services not specifically mentioned as being included.