5 days in the 2 largest national parks in southern Vietnam: Cat Tien National Park and Bidoup National Park

Description

With this Birding and Birds Photography tour schedule, we will experience 5 days in the 2 largest national parks in southern Vietnam: Cat Tien National Park and Bidoup National Park. The most obvious difference between the two largest national parks in southern Vietnam is geography and climate.

What are the birds’ targets of this bird-watching trip? 

Different forest types and climates create different, almost separate bird features.

In Cat Tien National Park, we will meet some typical birds such as Bar-bellied Pitta, Blue-rumped Pitta, Germain’s Peacock Pheasant Siamese Fireback, Orange-necked Partridge, Scaly-breasted Patridge, White-rumped Shama, Banded Kingfisher, Black, and Red Broadbill, Banded Broadbill, Orange-breasted Trogon, Green peafowl, Lesser yellow-naped, Bay woodpecker, Great slaty woodpecker.

While at Bidoup Nuiba National Park, we will encounter some typical birds such as Indochinese Wren-babbler, Grey-crowned Crocias, Orange-breasted and Black-hooded Laughingthrushes, Vietnamese Cutia and Vietnamese Greenfinch, Collared Laughingthrush. The Black-crowned Fulvetta, Pygmy Wren-babbler, Grey-bellied Tesia, Rufous-throated Partridge

And more nice birds around Dalat city like:

Black-headed Sibia, Snowy-browed Flycatcher, Mugimaki Flycatcher, Yellow-billed Nuthatch, Yellow-cheeked Tit, Black-throated Tit, Spotted Forktail, Slaty-backed Forktail…

Itinerary

With 5-Day Birding and Birds Photography in Cat Tien National Park and Bidoup Nuiba National Park, Dalat city.

• Day 1: Hochiminh city – Dalat city
• Day 2: Bidoup Nui Ba National Park
• Day 3: Bidoup Nui Ba National Park – move to Cat Tien National park
• Day 4: Cat Tien National park
• Day 5: Cat Tien National park back to Ho chi Minh city

As followed:

Day 1: Ho Chi Minh City flight to Dalat city, Bidoup Nuiba NP

You will fly from Ho chi Minh city to Dalat city, the short flight will take you 45 minute then land at Dalat city around 8:00 am, we will move to the Bidoup Nuiba National Park for birding: easy Birding in the center headquarter some nice birds: Vietnamese Greenfinch, Red-crossbill, Chestnut-vented Nuthatch,…

Lunch at the Da Nhim town. A half-day time birder will follow trails under the canopy of tropical forest, cross rocky streams with crystal clear water, and step over fallen trees lying on the ground covered with moss, in a fairy-tale setting of broadleaf forests on high mountains.

Targets List: Collared laughing thrush, Black-hooded laughing thrush, Indochinese Green Magpie, Black-crowned Fulvetta, Rusty-naped Pitta, Grey-bellied Tesia, Large Niltava, White-browed Scimitar Babbler, Rufous-throated Partridge, Pygmy Wren-babbler…

• Meals: Breakfast at Hochiminh City, Lunch, and Dinner in Bidoup NuiBa NP.
• Accommodation: in Bidoup NuiBa NP hotel.

Day 2: Birding in Dalat city, Langbian Plateau, Vietnam

Continue for Day 1 targets in other trail and hide, we start at 5:00 am and spent until 3:00 pm in bird-hide and trails (if we have time to finish all targets in hiding soon)

• Meals: Breakfast and Lunch at Bidoup NuiBa NP; and Dinner at Dalat city.
• Accommodation: in Dalat city 3 star hotel standard.

In the nighttime, we have time to go to the Night-market, and your team will have a short time to go around the city tour at night.

Day 3: Birding in Bidoup Nui Ba National Park, Vietnam

Starting at 6:00, We will do birding and bird photography in another spot in Dalat: Datanla waterfall which is a nice place for sunbird photography and lunch.

Target birds: Vietnamese Cutia, Chestnut-vented Nuthatch, Grey-cheeked Laughinhthrush, Grey Bushchat, Flycatchers, Annam (Mrs. Gould’s) sunbird, Langbian sunbird, Oriental white-eye, Blue-winged Minla, Black-throated Tit, Green-backed Tit, Black-drongo, Ashy Drongo, Burmese Shrike, Grey-capped Woodpecker …

We will move to Cat Tien National park at 15:00, and arrive at this park at 6:00 pm.

Accommodation: Green Bamboo Lodge – Best hotel in Cat Tien NP.

Day 4: Birding in Cat Tien National Park, Vietnam

At 6:00 am, we go around in trail for early birds, then go to the bird hide at 8:00 am. At the bird-hide for highlight targets in Cat Tien: Bar-bellied Pitta, Blue-rumped Pitta, Green-legged Partridge… in the bird hide tent. Moreover, you can see some kinds of bulbul groups, babbler groups, warbler groups, woodpecker groups…

In the afternoon we will in other bird-hide for Germain’s peacock pheasant, Siamese fireback, Red-jungle fowl, Greater Coucal, emerald dove, …

After Dinner, we go to find some Owls: Asian barred Owlet, Brown hawk owl, Collared Scops Owl, and Large-tailed nightjar.

Accommodation: Green bamboo Lodge – Best hotel in Cat Tien NP.

Day 5: Cat Tien National Park

We start at 5:30 to go to the grassland, using a pick-up car to go a long way to the watch: Green peafowl, Coucals, Green imperial pigeon,… and some mammals: sambar deer, red muntjak …

At 8:30 we will go back to the bird hide (for some miss-targets) or go on the trails for some nice birds: Orange-breasted Trogon, Black and Red broadbill, Dusky broadbill, Banded Broadbill…

We will check out at 2:00 pm, the car will arrive at the International airport at 6:00 pm.

Meals: breakfast and lunch at the park, special Vietnamese food “Pho” at Ho Chi Minh City for Dinner.

Note:

If you have more time, arrange a 6-day schedule to fully experience these 2 National Parks or a better itinerary of 7 days for 3 destinations: Bidoup – Di Linh – Cat Tien.