Best of Vietnam’s Endemic Birds

18 Days: Ho Chi Minh City Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park

Bach Ma National Park ♦ Ngoc Linh ♦ Mang Den Cat Tien National Park ♦ Di Linh ♦ Dalat

Ho Chi Minh City

Golden-winged Laughingthrush by Le Manh Hung

Day 1: Arrive Ho Chi Minh City Arrive at Ho Chi Minh City’s Tan Son Nhat International Airport and transfer to hotel for the night. Overnight at Ho Chi Minh City. Day 2: Ho Chi Minh City to Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park via Hue An early transfer to Ho Chi Minh City’s Tan Son Nhat Airport for the morning flight to Hue in Central Vietnam. On arrival at Hue transfer by road to Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, four hours’ drive north. Late afternoon birding if time allows. Overnight at Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park. Day 3: Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park A full day to explore the limestone forest of Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park. The main targets here are the Indochinese endemic Sooty Babbler, which lives on the limestone outcrops, and the recently-split Limestone Warbler. Red-collared Woodpecker and Northern Brown Hornbill are among the other specialities at Phong Nha as well as an endangered primate, the Ha Tinh Langur. Overnight at Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park. Day 4: Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park to Bach Ma National Park There is time for some early morning birding at Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park before heading back down Highway One to Bach Ma National Park. After checking in at the accommodation at the summit of Mount Bach Ma there should be time for some late afternoon birding. Overnight at Bach Ma National Park.

Day 5: Bach Ma National Park A full day’s birding at Bach Ma National Park where targets include the endemic Annam Partridge and near-endemic Indochinese Wren-babbler. Overnight at Bach Ma National Park. Day 6: Bach Ma National Park to Dak To Early morning birding in the lowlands around the park HQ where the main target is the endemic Annam Partridge. Depart Bach Ma mid-morning for long drive south to the small town of Dak To. Overnight at Dak To. Day 7: Dak To to Ngoc Linh. Ngoc Linh to Mang Den An uncomfortable three-hour drive towards Mount Ngoc Linh on bone shaking, pot-holed roads begins at 4 am. On arrival at the site spend a few hours searching for the beautiful endemic Golden-winged Laughingthrush, seen only by a handful of birders since its discovery in the late 1990s. Two other rarities that can be seen here are the near-endemic Black-crowned Barwing and Indochinese Fulvetta. Return to Dak To around noon and continue south to Mang Den arriving in the late afternoon. Overnight at Mang Den. Day 8:Mang Den A full day birding near Mang Den where the main target is another seldom-seen endemic, Chestnut-eared Laughingthrush. Other specialities of the Mang Den area include the scarce Pale-capped Pigeon, Stripe-breasted Woodpecker, Yellow-billed Nuthatch, Grey-headed Parrotbill, Black-hooded Laughingthrush and Indochinese Wren-babbler. Overnight at Mang Den. Day 9:Mang Den to Cat Tien National Park via Pleiku & Ho Chi Minh City There is time for some early morning birding around Mang Den before transferring to Pleiku Airport in good time for the 13:25 flight to Ho Chi Minh City. Arrive at Ho Chi Minh City at 14:40 and transfer directly by road to Cat Tien National Park. Overnight at Cat Tien National Park. Days 10, 11 & 12: Cat Tien National Park Three days of birding at Cat Tien National Park. There are excellent trails starting right at the park headquarters and for areas further afield such as Crocodile Lake park jeeps are used. The 5 km walk through semi-evergreen forest to Crocodile Lake can be good for the near-endemic Germain’s Peacock-pheasant and Blue-rumped & Bar-bellied pittas while the beautiful Siamese Fireback can often be seen on an early morning drive to the start of the Crocodile Lake trail. Among the many other avian treats to be found at Cat Tien are Scaly-breasted Partridge, Woolly-necked Stork, Lesser Adjutant, White-bellied, Great Slaty, Pale-headed, Black-and-buff & Heart-spotted woodpeckers, three species of broadbill and the Indochinese-endemic Grey-faced Tit-Babbler. Overnight at Cat Tien National Park. Day 13: Cat Tien National Park to Di Linh There is time for some final early morning birding at Cat Tien National Park before heading up Highway 20 to Di Linh. A short drive from Di Linh town a forested mountain pass known locally as Deo Suoi Lanh is an excellent site to look for several Dalat Plateau specialities including Black-hooded, White-cheeked & Orange-breasted laughingthrushes and the near-endemic Black-crowned Parrotbill. After an afternoon’s birding at Deo Suoi Lanh return to Di Linh for the night. Overnight at Di Linh. Day 14: Di Linh to Dalat An early morning visit to Deo Suoi Lanh to look for other exciting possibilities that could include Blue Pitta, Indochinese Green Magpie, Spotted Forktail and Green Cochoa, before continuing along Highway 20 to the cooler climes of Dalat. Arrive at Dalat in the early afternoon and transfer to the hotel. The Dalat Plateau is home to several of Vietnam’s endemic bird species as well as many distinctive local subspecies. In the afternoon start exploring some of the exciting birding sites around Dalat. Overnight at Dalat. Days 15, 16 & 17: Dalat A full three days of birding includes visits to Mount Lang Bian, a 2,169 m high peak 20 minutes from Dalat, and the shores of Ho Tuyen Lam, a man-made lake just outside the town. Vietnamese endemics found at Dalat include Dalat Shrike-babbler, Vietnamese Greenfinch, Black-crowned Fulvetta, Orange-breasted & Collared laughingthrushes and Grey-crowned Crocias. Near endemics here include Grey-crowned Tit, Black-crowned Parrotbill, White-cheeked and Black-hooded

laughingthrushes, and Vietnamese Cutia. Other target birds in this bird-rich area are the elusive Blue & Rusty-naped pittas, Indochinese Cuckooshrike, Slender-billed Oriole, Hume’s Treecreeper, Yellow-billed Nuthatch and a very distinctive race of Red Crossbill. Overnight at Dalat. Day 18: Dalat to Ho Chi Minh City A final morning of birding around Dalat before transferring to Dalat Airport for the 16:45 flight to Ho Chi Minh City, arriving at 17:35.