ITINERARY FOR ENDEMIC BIRD SPECIES TOUR IN VIETNAM
(23 days hard core birding trip)

Day 1. Arrival Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
A warm welcome at Ho Chi Minh City (Tan Son Nhat Airport) and transfer to Majestic hotel by our friendly leaders. If arriving early in the morning, we offer an optional guided Cu Chi Tunnel tour. Cu Chi Tunnel is a renowned historical site, located 50km from Ho Chi Minh City center, where the guerrillas (known as Viet Cong) hide from underground and fought the Americans in the Vietnam War. If arriving late in the afternoon or evening, the rest of the day is at leisure, we will have a welcome dinner with briefing.
Overnight at Majestic hotel

Day 2. Sai Gon - Cat Tien National Park
This morning we will drive northwards from Saigon to Cat Tien National Park, stop en route at Tan Phu Forest Enterprise Special Use where the rare endemic species, Orange – necked Partridge can be found. Other specialities here are Indochinese Green Magpie, Bar-bellied and Blue-rumped Pittas.
Drive to Cat Tien, commence exploration of this fabulous reserve during the afternoon.
Overnight at Cat Tien National Park HQ (3 nights)

Days 3 & 4. Cat Tien National Park
Two full days birding at the top birding site in Vietnam, we walk along the road, trails in the forest and also use jeeps to visit some areas such as Crocodile lake, Heaven rapid for a long list of targets such as Germain's Peacock Pheasant, Siamese Fireback, Green Peafowl, Wreathed Hornbill, Lesser Adjutant, Woolly-necked Stork, Blue-rumped and Bar-bellied Pittas, Pale-headed and Black-and-buff Woodpeckers, Black-and-red, Banded, Dusky Broadbill, Blyth’s Frogmouth, Grey-faced Tit Babbler.

Day 5. Cat Tien - Da Lat
After early morning birding at Cat Tien, we will drive northwards through the cultivated lowlands before climbing up onto the Lang Bian Plateau and the charming town of Da Lat. We will make several stops along the way at any patch of interesting-looking habitat, including some very attractive waterfalls. The hill resort of Da Lat, perhaps the most attractive large town in Vietnam, is located at 4,900 feet (ca. 1,475 meters) in a temperate region dotted with lakes and waterfalls and surrounded by evergreen forests, including various native pine woodlands.
Overnight at one of the following hotel Ngoc Lan/Cam Do/Novotel/Da Lat - Sai Gon hotel (3 nights)

Days 6, 7 . Da Lat Plateau Endemic Bird Area
Two full days exploring Da Lat plateau, first of our visits is Ta Nung, a small private evergreen forest but is the most accessible site for the rare and endemic species Grey-crowned Crocias. Other goodies endemic such as Orange-breasted, Black-hooded Laughingthrushes, Vietnamese Cutia, Vietnamese Greenfinch may also be found here.
The second visit is Langbian Mt, the high peak at 2,169 m asl. This forest support to the most sought-after species, the beautiful and skulking endemic Collared Laughingthrush. The Black-crowned Fulvetta (split from Rufous-winged Fulvetta) is the common endemic among other targets: Wintering Mugimaki Flycatcher, Yellow-billed Nuthatch, Yellow-cheeked Tit, Grey-crowned Tit (Black-throated Tit), Vietnamese Cutia,...

Day 8. Da Lat – Di Linh
The third visit of Da Lat plateau is Tuyen Lam Lake in this morning for Yellow-billed Nuthatch, Burmese Shrike, Slender-billed Oriole, Indochinese Cuckooshrike, Vietnamese Cutia, Red Crossbill. Later the morning, we drive to Mt. pass Di Linh, about 2 hours to the south of Da Lat. A good road leading to the coast (Phan Thiet) branches off from Di Linh and a forested mountain pass 20 minutes along this road is home to several Dalat Plateau specialities including Black-hooded, White-cheeked Laughingthrush and Orange-breasted Laughingthrush as well as the Indochinese endemic Black-headed Parrotbill. The afternoon is spent birding along the road returning to Di Linh for the night for one night stay.
Overnight at standard hotel in Di Linh town (1 night)

Day 9. Di Linh – Ban Me Thuot
An early start to the mountain pass at Di Linh where other exciting possibilities include Blue and Rusty-naped Pitta, Indochinese Green Magpie, Spotted Forkail and Green Cochoa. Later in the morning we drive to Ban Me Thuot city the center of Central Highland for one night stay, via National road No. 27.
Overnight at Dam San hotel (1 night)

Day 10. Yok Don National Park
An early morning start to Yok Don national park, which borders north-western Cambodia, where it is a 50 km drive from Ban Me Thuot to the park. Yok Don’s dry dipterocarp forest has a similar avifauna to that of north-western Cambodia. This day we will find chances to see some birds that are otherwise difficult or impossible to find at other sites in Vietnam such as Yellow-footed Green Pigeon, Black-headed Woodpecker, Alexandrine Parakeet, White-rumped Falcon, Pied Falconet, Red-billed Blue Magpie, Rufous Treepie and Mekong Wagtail.
Overnight at Ban Don Tourism area (1 night)

Day 11. Yok Don – Kon Tum
After a morning at Yok Don, we will take a longish driving to Kon Tum town (about 6 hours).
Overnight at Indochine hotel (1 night)

Day 12. Kon Tum – Lo Xo (Ngoc Linh)
Almost three hours driving in the early morning to reach Lo Xo pass, we spend a full day birding around nearby the pass in search f the Black-crowned Barwing, an Indochinese endemic that was only discovered in 1996. Other specialities of the area include Brown Hornbill, White-winged Magpie, Yellow-billed Nuthatch and Red-tailed Laughingthrush.
Overnight at Kham Duc hotel (1 night)

Day 13. Lo Xo – Bach Ma National Park
After a final morning visit to the Lo Xo Pass transfer by road to Bach Ma national park. It is a drive of around four hours to Bach Ma, where the Annamite Mountain Range meets the sea, is home to several Vietnamese and regional endemics including Annam Partridge, Silver Pheasant, Red-vented Barbet, Blyth’s Kingfisher, White-winged Magpie and Indochinese Wren Babbler, formerly known as Short-tailed Scimitar Babbler.
Overnight at Bach Ma National Park HQ (3 nights)

Days 14 & 15: Bach Ma National Park
Two full days of birding at Bach Ma National Park

Day 16. Bach Ma – Phong Nha Ke Bang
Early morning birding then leaving Bach Ma National Park after breakfast, it is a drive of around five hours to Phong Nha.
Overnight at Sai Gon – Phong Nha hotel (2 nights)

Day 17. Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park
A full day to explore the limestone forest of Phong Nha National Park. The main target here is the Indochinese endemic Sooty Babbler, which lives on the limestone outcrops. Siamese Fireback, Red-collared Woodpecker and Brown Hornbill are among the other specialities of Phong Nha.

Day 18. Phong Nha – Cuc Phuong
Leave Phong Nha after breakfast for the long drive north to Cuc Phuong National Park.
Overnight at Cuc Phuong National Park HQ. (3 nights)

Days 19 & 20. Cuc Phuong National Park
The first national park to be established in Vietnam, Cuc Phuong is an area of limestone hills covered in primary rainforest. The best birding is in the centre of the park where there are several excellent trails including the Loop Trail and the Valley Trail. The main road through the park can also be very productive especially for over-wintering thrushes early in the morning. There are two full days to search for Cuc Phuong specialities such as Pied Falconet, Bar-bellied, Blue-rumped and Eared Pitta, Silver-breasted Broadbill, White-winged Magpie, White-tailed Flycatcher, Fujian Niltava and Limestone Wren-Babbler.

Day 21. Cuc Phuong – Tam Dao
A full morning of birding at Cuc Phuong before heading back to Hanoi and then on to the hill station of Tam Dao.
Overnight at Green World Hotel (2 nights)

Day 22. Tam Dao
A full days to explore the trails above Tam Dao town leading through nice montane evergreen and bamboo forest. Specialities at Tam Dao include Purple and Green Cochoas, Chestnut Bulbul, Grey Laughingthrush, Coral-billed and Streak-breasted Scimitar Babblers and Greater Rufous-headed and Short-tailed Parrotbills. Winter visitors that may turn up here between December and March include Black-breasted, Japanese, Eyebrowed and Grey-backed Thrush and Fujian Niltava.

Day 23. Tam Dao – Noi Bai airport – Tour conclusion
It is depend on flight time, if fly in the afternoon we have a morning birding at Tam Dao, otherwise we drive to Noi Bai airport in the morning for flight home and conclude our amazing tour.