Bar-bellied Antpilla 

Our Tour Itinerary

Days 1 - 2
Our tour begins with an overnight flight from London to northern Vietnam and the capital city, Hanoi. On arrival we shall drive to the foothills of South Tonkin, stopping at Van Long Nature Reserve close to our first base and we shall take a sampan to the dramatic limestone cliffs that are home to the largest population of the endemic Delacour Langur. Various waders, herons, bitterns and a breeding pair of Bonelli’s Eagle are often seen here and this will provide us with a gentle introduction to Vietnamese birding. We should reach Cuc Phuong National Park before dusk and check in at the Park HQ guest house for a 3 night stay.

Days 3 - 4
The first National Park to be established in Vietnam, Cuc Phuong is an area of dramatic limestone hills covered in primary rainforest and we will be staying in an ideal location to explore the forested valley that begins almost on our doorstep! Our 2 full days here give us plenty of opportunity to search for specialities such as Silver Pheasant, White-bellied Green-pigeon, Red-collared Woodpecker, Pied Falconet, Bar-bellied and Eared Pittas, White-tailed Flycatcher, Fujian Niltava, Limestone Wren-Babbler, Rufous-throated Fulvetta, Ratchet-tailed Treepie and White-winged Magpie. Walking quietly along the numerous forest trails we should find the beautiful Blue-rumped Pitta that is surprisingly common here, and amidst this pristine environment could also encounter Silver-breasted Broadbill, Buff-breasted Babbler, Black-breasted and Japanese Thrushes, Chinese Blackbird, Black-browed Fulvetta, Bianchi’s Warbler, Manchurian Bush-warbler and Large Scimitar-babbler, as well as numerous roving flocks of fulvettas, sunbirds, warblers and babblers to test our i.d. skills.

Days 5 - 7
There is time for some early morning birding at Cuc Phuong before leaving for Hanoi. After a lunch stop in Hanoi we continue to Tam Dao, an old French hill resort a couple of hours drive away where we shall spend the next 3 nights. We have two full days to explore the montane evergreen and bamboo forest that form the National Park above the town. Specialities here include the elusive Bar-backed Partridge, Blue-naped Pitta, Purple and Green Cochoa, Chestnut Bulbul, Grey Laughingthrush, Collared Babbler, Coral-billed, Red-billed and Streak-breasted Scimitar-babblers, and both Greater Rufous-headed and the localised Short-tailed Parrotbill. Other species here include Red-headed Trogon, White-gorgeted Flycatcher, Black-breasted and Japanese Thrushes, Eye-browed wren-babbler, Grey-cheeked Fulvetta, Black-chinned Yuhina, both Russet and Brownish-flanked Bush-warblers and possibly Tristram’s Bunting.

Day 8
This morning we will catch an early flight from Hanoi to another hill station, Da Lat, in the Central Highlands. The avifauna around the plateau is dominated by many Indochinese endemics and some of Vietnam’s most intriguing birds can be found here. We will make our first of several visits to the nearby Ta Nung Valley, an area of remnant evergreen forest which is the most accessible site for the rare and endemic Grey-crowned Crocias. Also here are Jerdon’s Baza, Blue Pitta, Black-hooded, White-cheeked and Orange-breasted Laughingthrushes, the recently split Black-headed Parrotbill, the very distinct local sub-species of Blue-winged Minla, Rufous-backed and Black-headed Sibias and the beautiful yellow-breasted form of Indochinese Green Magpie.

Days 9 - 11
We shall have 3 full days to explore the other surrounding bird-rich sites which also include the area below the 2,169m Mount Lang Bian. A full day exploring the pine and montane evergreen forests for target species such as Silver Pheasant, the resident form of Scaly Thrush, Indochinese Cuckooshrike, Yellow-billed Nuthatch, Grey-crowned Tit, Vietnamese Cutia, Black-crowned Fulvetta and Vietnamese Greenfinch. Other possibilities include Bar-backed and Rufous-throated Partridges, Grey-faced Buzzard, Rufous-bellied Eagle, White-throated Rock-thrush, White-tailed Leaf-warbler, Chestnut-vented Nuthatch and Black-collared Starling, whilst the beautiful and skulking endemic Collared Laughingthrush can be found at another spot. We can also visit the far side of the man-made lake at Ho Tuyen, where a track leads through pines to areas of remnant tropical evergreen forest, and we can search for Pale-capped Pigeon, Wedge-tailed Green-pigeon, Banded Bay Cuckoo, Black-browed and Golden-throated Barbets, Burmese Shrike, Rufous-browed Flycatcher, Chestnut-fronted Shrike-babbler, the endemic Black-crowned Fulvetta, Slender-billed Oriole, Vietnamese Cutia, Flavescent and Sooty-headed Bulbuls, Hill and Brown Prinias, Red Crossbill and Vietnamese Greenfinch, while the remnant evergreen forest is home to Yellow-billed Nuthatch, Black-hooded, White-cheeked and Orange-breasted Laughingthrushes, Grey-crowned Crocias and Black-headed Parrotbill. There is never a dull moment here and we can also anticipate the added excitement of experiencing large, mixed-species flocks passing through the forest. Each one contains a different mix of species, but the more regularly occurring species are Bay Woodpecker, Grey-chinned Minivet, Rufous-capped Babbler, Mountain Fulvetta, Blyth’s Leaf-warbler, Mugimaki Flycatcher and Mrs Gould’s Sunbird amongst many other possibilities. Nights at Da Lat.

Day 12
After a final morning’s birding at one of the local hot-spots we shall have to tear ourselves away and head to a mountain pass near to the town of Di Linh, a two-drive from Da Lat. The surrounding evergreen forest here is home to several Da Lat Plateau specialities including Black-hooded, White-cheeked and the endemic Orange-breasted Laughingthrush, as well as the Indochinese endemic Black-headed Parrotbill. After an exciting afternoon’s birding we will continue to Bao Loc for an overnight stay.

Day 13
We return to the mountain pass at Di Linh early in the morning to look for other exciting possibilities such as Yellow-vented Green-pigeon, Blue and Rusty-naped Pittas, Long-tailed Broadbill, Plain-tailed Warbler, Rufous-backed Sibia, Indochinese Green Magpie and Green Cochoa before continuing along Highway 20 towards Cat Tien National Park, where we should arrive in plenty of time for some late afternoon birding. Night at Cat Tien HQ.

Days 14-16
Cat Tien is one of Vietnam’s premier birding destinations and is home to several species confined to this area as well as remote eastern Cambodia. It contains the largest remaining area of lowland tropical forest in southern Vietnam and it has an incredible diversity of birds and mammals including over 330 bird species. This beautiful forest supports almost a full spectrum of Cochinchinese avifauna and a rich and diverse mosaic of habitats contributes to a wealth of bird life. This is an amazing location within which to birdwatch and even before we wake up in our beds we will hear the magical sounds of the surrounding forest come to life. Our main focus here will be to search for the numerous special and endangered birds to be found here including Germain’s Peacock Pheasant, the very elusive Orange-necked Partridge, Bar-bellied Pitta and Red-vented Barbet. The 5 km walk through the forest to Crocodile Lake is one of the best places to look for Blue-rumped Pitta, as well as Red-and-Black and Banded Broadbills and Orange-breasted Trogon amongst others. Other specialities at Cat Tien include Scaly-breasted Partridge, Silver Pheasant, Siamese Fireback, Blyth’s Frogmouth, White-bellied, Great Slaty, Pale-headed and Black-and-Buff Woodpeckers and Grey-faced Tit-Babbler, whilst we could also encounter more widespread species like Black Baza, Great Eared Nightjar, Heart-spotted and Laced Woodpeckers, Wreathed Hornbill, Green-eared Barbet, Banded Kingfisher, Ochraceous Bulbul, Great Iora, Rufescent Prinia, Dark-necked Tailorbird, Scaly-crowned Babbler, Golden-crested Myna and Vinous-breasted Starling.

We can take jeeps to visit areas further afield and visit the seasonal wetlands which hold a huge variety of herons, egrets and other assorted water birds and visiting waders, Lesser Adjutant, Lesser and Grey-headed Fish-eagles, Collared Falconet are all possibilities and we may also witness the spectacle of Green Peafowl calling from the tops of the large trees. Wintering Palearctic migrants from northern Asia are also present including Siberian Blue Robin, Black-browed Reed-warbler, Two-barred, Lanceolated, Thick-billed and Radde’s Warblers and Siberian Rubythroat. Mammals that may be seen along the trails include Leopard Cat, Wild Boar, Lesser Oriental Chevrotain, Sambar, Muntjac and Gaur as well as two endangered primates, Black-shanked Douc Langur and Buff-cheeked Gibbon. 4 Nights at Cat Tien HQ.

Day 17
A final morning of birding along the forest trails or the surfaced road through Cat Tien National Park where Green-eared, Blue-eared, Lineated and Red-vented Barbets can often be seen perched high up in the roadside trees. After an early lunch we will have to leave and drive to Ho Chi Minh City in order to connect with our overnight flight to London where the tour concludes on Day 18.

Leaders: Nick Bray and Richard Craik

VIETNAM                                                  Booking Form>> Sunday 29th November – Wednesday 16th December 2009 TOUR PRICE: Hanoi/Chi Minh City £2295.00 per person London/London flights £700 (provisional) Single supplement: £350.00 Deposit: £400.00 Maximum group size: 10 Excluding leaders Included in cost: All meals, accommodation in twin rooms en-suite, transport in air-conditioned coach throughout the tour, all reserve entrance fees, entrance fees to National Parks and services of the leaders. Not included: International flight, insurance, drinks, tips, items of a personal nature, visa, airport departure tax and optional tips for the local guides.