Vietnam Bird Watching tour 12 days

Day 1: Arrival at Ho Chi Minh City (D)

Arriving at Tan Son Nhat airport in Ho Chi Minh City, you'll be driven to your hotel. Rest of the day, you'll be free to stroll around the city as you wish.

19.00 - 20.30: You'll a Welcome dinner at one of a famous restaurant.

You'll spend the night in Ho Chi Minh City.

You'll spend the night in Ho Chi Minh City.

Day 2: Ho Chi Minh City/Nam Cat Tien (B, L, D, Park G)

8.30 - 11.00: You'll be driven to Nam Cat Tien National Park which is one of Vietnam�s largest protected areas � a complicated network of wetlands and tropical forest nearly 74,000 hectares in two sections bisected by a river, the larger about fifty or sixty kilometres across in both directions. Its bio-diversity is considerable with over fifty endangered species listed in the �Red Book� including the Javan Rhinoceros, the Siamese Crocodile and the Indochina Tiger. Of particular interest is its large bird population � well over three hundred species have been identified so far.

There are several trails through the forest. Although they avoid the deeper areas that are the habitat of the rarer species, they are well designed and offer good opportunities to see a wide range of flora and fauna. The best time to visit Nam Cat Tien National Park is the dry season from December to late May.

The Bird Lake is a good alternative for the Crocodile Lake for those who like bird watching. The Orange-necked Partridge is one of the rare bird species that live in the park. The best time for bird watching is from February to April.

11.00 - 12.15: You'll take a boat trip to cross the river to the Park centre and have lunch at the park restaurant.

12.15 - 13.45: You'll drive 9 km in a Jeep and then hike for three kilometres through the rainforest to Crocodile Lake - you may see some of the typical wild fauna en-route.

13.45 - 17.00: You'll be able to watch the wildlife around the lake in the evening when the wild animals come to the lake to drink. From your hide, you're likely to see monkeys, deer and other small mammals, and with a good pair of binoculars, there�s a good chance of spotting less familiar fauna, such as the Siamese crocodiles after which the lake is named.

You'll be able to watch the wildlife around the lake when the wild animals come to the lake to drink.

You'll spend the night at the guesthouse in the park.

Day 3: Nam Cat Tien (B, L, D, Park G)

You'll have all day to visit around the park for bird watching. You'll spend the night in the park.

Day 4: Nam Cat Tien/Dalat (B, L, D, Park G)

7.30 - 8.00: Breakfast at your guest house

8.00 - 11.00: You'll cycle to Ben Ngu cycle to the nearby Ben Ngu area. After wandering around the massive trees, dripping vines, and visiting the rapids and bird watching in there.

11.00 - 16.00:  You'll have your time for lunch in the canteen and drive to Dalat. When you arrive, you'll be free to stroll around in Dalat market. You'll spend the night in Dalat.

Day 5: Dalat (B, L, G)

8.0 - 8.30: Breakfast at your hotel

8.30 - 11.30: You'll ride a cable car to Truc Lam Pagoda and Tuyen Lam Lake to visit attractive Flower Garden. You'll have all day for bird watching surround the lake. You'll spend the night in Dalat.

Day 6: Dalat (B, L, G)

In the morning, you'll take a jeep to Lang Bian Mountain where you can see lots kind of birds. You'll return to the city in the afternoon. Spend the night in Dalat.

Day 7: Dalat/Hanoi (B, L, G)

Your morning free until you'll be picked up to the airport for your flight to Hanoi. When you arrive, you'll be transferred to the hotel in the city centre.

17.15: You'll be picked up to watch the Water Puppet show an art form unique to northern Vietnam, and a good, light-hearted introduction to its rural culture. You'll spend the night in Hanoi.

Day 8: Hanoi/Cuc Phuong (B, L, D, Park G)

7.30 - 8.00: Breakfast at the restaurant, you'll drive to Cuc Phuong National Park. 

11.00 - 15.30: You�ll be able to wander through a subtropical forest, rich in flora and fauna with thousand-year-old trees and dripping vines, visiting the Prehistory Cave and the Endangered Primate Rescue Centre en-route. The Endangered Primate Rescue Centre is a temporary home for many gibbons and langurs that have been injured, or have been orphaned by poachers. Among them are two of the rarest species in the world, Delacourt�s Langur, now confined to two or three spots in North Vietnam, and the elegant Cat Ba Golden Langur, now reduced to a colony of around 50 individuals in Cat Ba Island National Park. Strenuous efforts are being made to conserve both species. When those in the rescue centre have regained their strength, a carefully staged programme will release them into the wild. You'll spend the night at a bungalow in the middle of forest.

Day 9: Cuc Phuong (B, L, D, Park G)

All day bird watching in the park. You'll spend the night at the park center.

Day 10: Cuc Phuong/Hanoi (B, L, Park G)

Half day bird watching in the park and lunch at the park. You'll then drive back to Hanoi to spend the night.

Day 11: Hanoi/Tam Dao (B, L, D, Park G)

You'll travel to Tam Dao National Park (80 km). All day bird watching in there. You'll spend the night in Tam Dao.

Day 12: Tam Dao/Hanoi (B, L, Park G)

Morning bird watching. You'll return to Noi Bai airport for your departure flight.

Prices per person in US$:

Valid until December 31, 2012

Surcharge for peak season of hotels are not inclusive in the prices above.

Hotel list for Five Stars standard

• Ho Chi Minh City: Majestic Hotel (**** overlooking the Saigon River)
• Nam Cat Tien: Park Guest House (local standard)
• Dalat: Sofitel Dalat Palace (***** colonial building)
• Hanoi: Melia Hotel (***** modern high-rise building in one of Hanoi’s leafy boulevards in the city centre, uninspiring bland architecture, but high-quality facilities, restaurants, and service, ten-minute stroll from the city centre, Deluxe room)
• Cuc Phuong: Park Guest House (local standard)
• Tam Dao: Mela Hotel (**** the best standard hotel in Tam Dao)

Hotel list for Three Stars standard

• Ho Chi Minh City: Elios Hotel (*** city centre)
• Nam Cat Tien: Park Guest House (local standard)
• Dalat: Royal hotels and Villas Dalat (**** city centre)
• Hanoi: Thang Long Opera Hotel (*** in the city centre)
• Cuc Phuong: Park Guest House (local standard)
• Tam Dao: Mela Hotel (**** the best standard hotel in Tam Dao)

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