What destinations will we spend our 8-day tour at?

Cat Tien National Park has a hot and humid climate with altitude below 300m above sea level. Then Bidoup Nuiba National Park has a cold climate with an average elevation of 1300-1500m above sea level.

If you are looking for the best bird watching tour in south vietnam for a week, then this is the perfect choice. Two national parks not too far apart, two different climates and habitats, a list of more than 300 bird species with more than 10 species endemic to Vietnam found,…

In Dong Nai nature reserve area, which is adjacent to Cat Tien National Park, there are currently bird-hides that are very successful with many species of birds visiting, including spciealities species, beautiful birds, and birds that are difficult to find in the Cat Tien National Park. such as: Banded kingfisher, Blue eared kingfisher, Indochinese green magpie, Laced woodpecker, Pitta… all easily have their beautiful images in this NR.

In Cat Tien National Park, visitors can experience the hot and humid evergreen broadleaf forest, or the type of bamboo forest mixed with broadleaf trees, sometimes crossing the deciduous dipterocarp forests of Asia.

Di Linh humid tropical forest, home to many beautiful birds, has been very famous for many years. This place has an altitude of about 800-1100 m above sea level, the cool and pleasant climate helps you feel comfortable and relaxed after hot and stuffy days in the lowlands. There are some bird species that you cannot miss: Indochinese green magpie, Blue pitta, Black-headed Parrotbill, Red-vented barbet…

In Bidoup National Park, visitors can discover a completely different forest type, high mountain humid tropical forest habitat, cold air, clouds and drizzle make the forest more dense, You will also go to the vast green pine forests, visit the lakeside forests on the plateau. This national park surrounds Da Lat city, which is a famous tourist city of Vietnam. We will also have time to explore the cuisine and night markets in Da Lat city.

What is the birds we find in the birding – photography tour 8-days?

In Dong Nai Nature reserve and 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, Banded Kingfisher, Blue eared kingfisher, Silver breasted Broabill, Black and Red Broadbill, Banded Broadbill, Orange-breasted Trogon, Green peafowl, Indochinese Green Magpie, Indochinese Babbler, Indochinese Cuckoo-shrike, Indochinese blue flycatcher, …

More with specialities : Common flameback, Laced woodpecker, Lesser yellownaped, Heart-spoted woodpecker, Black and buff Woodpecker, Great slaty woodpecker, Black-hooded Oriole, great Iora, Van hasselt’s Sunbird, Ruby-cheeked Sunbird, Great-eared Nightjar, Lineated Barbet, Pied hornbill…

While at Bidoup Nuiba National Park and Dalat city, we will encounter list of endemic birds such as: Grey-crowned Crocias, Black-hooded Laughingthrushes, White-cheeked laughingthrush, Vietnamese Cutia, Vietnamese Greenfinch , Collared Laughingthrush, Black-crowned Fulvetta, Dalat bush-warbler, Indochinese barbet, Plain minla, Langbian Sunbird, Langbian Tit, Annam Sunbird, Necklaced Barbet, Grey crowned Tit …

Other you have change to photography for : Pygmy Wren-babbler, Grey-bellied Tesia, Rufous-throated Partridge, Spotted forktail, Slaty-backed forktail, Black headed Sibia, Streak spiderhunter…

In Di Linh forest, the list will be : Blue Pitta, Indochinese green Magpie, Black-headed parrotbill, Bar-backed partridge, Long-tailed broadbill, Red-vented barbet, Red-headed Trogon, Red-billed Scimitar-babbler, …

A bird watching tour that combines travel to learn about local culture and traditional cuisine?

In addition, visitors can also learn about the indigenous culture of many ethnic minorities such as the Ma and Koho people, as well as the traditional culinary culture of Vietnam, especially, Da Lat city is a tourist city famous in Vietnam. When you coming to Da Lat in the bird watching tour, you are not only gain interest in birds, but also enjoy a relaxing and friendly Vietnam travel experience.

ITINERARY

We have 2 itineraries for visitors to choose that suits them:

1. Schedule 1: HCMC – Dong Nai NR – Cat Tien NP – Di Linh – Bidoup Nui Ba NP – Dalat city.
   With this schedule, the tour will end in Da Lat city on the afternoon of the 8th day of the journey.
2. Schedule 2: HCMC – Dong Nai NR – Cat Tien NP – Dalat city – Bidoup Nui Ba NP – Di Linh – HCMC city.
   In this schedule, the tour will end in Ho Chi Minh City on the afternoon of the 8th day of the journey.

Schedule 1 as followed:

Day 1: Hochiminh city – Dong Nai NR – Cat tien National park

• Pick you up from your hotel in HCM city – 5:30 am , go to Dong Nai nature reserve – breakfast and rest on the way, arrive to the park 7:30 am;
• First bird-hide for : Bar-bellied Pitta, Blue-rumped pitta, Blue-eared Kingfisher, Banded Kingfisher, Silver-breasted broadbill, Common flameback, Laced Woodpecker, Puff-throated babbler, Abbott’s babbler,…
• Other hide for: Indochinese green magpie, Racket-tailed Magpie, Black and red broadbill, Lesser yellownape, Buff-breasted babbler, Indochinese Babbler, Indochinese Blue Flycatcher, Striped-throated bulbul, Ochraceous Bulbul, Grey eyed bulbul, Black crested bulbul, Van Hasselt’s Sunbird,…
• Finish the day at Cat Tien NP hotel

Accommodation: the best around Cat Tien NP.

Note : if the first day you arrive at the airport in the morning, so will only an afternoon for the hide in this area will not enough, you need the next morning in the second day in this place, and the first night your team will be in Dong Nai NR hotel.

Day 2:  Cat Tien NP

• Morning start from 6:00am (option1) to birding at other hide for Germain’s peacock pheasant, Siamese fireback, Green-legged Partridge, Greater coucal, Greater racket-tailed drongo, Bulbuls, Babblers, …
• birding for late of the morning with some nice birds in this park : Olive-backed sunbird, Ruby-cheeked sunbird, bronze drongos, Great Iora, Common iora, blue-winged leafbird, Black-hooded Oriole, Common flameback, Brown-rumped minivet, Indochinese cuckooshrike …
• Afternoon in the hide for endemic and specialities: Bar-bellied Pitta, Blue-rumped Pitta, Indochinese Babbler, Indochinese Blue Flycatcher, Green legged partridge…;

 

• After Dinner, we go to find some Owls: Brown hawk-owl, Asian barred owlet,…

Accommodation: Cat Tien NP.

Day 3: Cat Tien national park 

• Morning visit to Grassland for Pigeons, Hornbill, Lapwing, Green peafowl, doves …
• All the day on the trail for other birds : Golden breasted trogon, Banded broadbill, Black and puff woodpecker, heart spotted woodpecker, Little spiderhunter, Green-eared barbet, blue-eared barbet, Lineated barbet…
• Night can go to find Oriental bay-owl, nightjars if have time.

Accommodation: Cat Tien NP.

Day 4: Cat Tien NP- Dilinh town.

• Morning birding in Cat Tien NP to 9:30 am, then transport to Dilinh forest, for first bird-hide in the afternoon.
• Dilinh forest in the afternoon at the hide for: Blue-pitta, Bar-backed partridge, Long-tailed Broadbill,Black-headed Parrotbill, Erpornis, puff-throated bulbul, ashy bulbul, Red-headed Trogon, orange-headed thrush…
• Night for : Collared scops owl; Large-tailed nightjar.

Accommodation: Dilinh town.

Day 5: Dilinh plateau – Dalat city.

• Morning will continue birding at other hide in Dilinh
• Birding on the trails for Red-vented barbet, Vietnamese cutia…
• Afternoon time move to Dalat city for the first spot : Langbian tit, Langbian sunbird, Vietnamese greenfinch, Plain Minla…
• Accommodation : Dalat city.
• Night action : Dalat city culture tour.

Day 6: Dalat city – Bidoup Nuiba NP.

• Moring birding around the city spots for rare endemic: Grey-crowned Crocias; Dalat shrike babbler,
• Other spots for: Indochinese Barbet, Annam sunbird, Langbian sunbird, Vietnamese greenfinch, Langbian (Green-backed) Tit, Grey-caped pygmy woodpecker, Sooty-headed bulbul, Silver-eared mesia, Flavescent bulbul, Bay woodpecker, Kloss leaf warbler…
• Late of the day move to Bidoup Nuiba NP for Red-crossbill, Annam minivet, Slender-billed Oriole, Burmese shrike…
• night spot-light for Oriental Scops owl,
• Accommodation: Bidoup Nuiba

Day 7: Bidoup Nuiba – Dalat city.

• Morning go to the Bird-hide in full day for beautiful species with endemic: Collared laughingthrush, Black-hooded laughingthrush, White-cheeked Laughingthrush, Black-crowned fulvetta, Indochinese green magpie, Then visit other hide for: spotted forktail, slaty-backed forktail, Grey-bellied Tesia, Pygmy wren babbler, Chestnut-crowned babbler, Rusty-naped Pitta, Large Niltava, White-tailed Robin, Mountain fulvetta, Black-headed Sibia…
• Birding on the trail for : Necklaced Barbet, Maroon Oriole, Blyth’s leaf warbler…
• Back to Dalat city,
• Night spotlight for Grey nightjar.

Accommodation: Dalat city

Day 8: Dalat city

• Morning visit other spots in Bidoup Nuiba NP for : Vietnamese cutia.
• Afternoon : other spots in Dalat and Ho Tuyen Lam for Dalat bush warbler
• End your trip at the hotel at 17:30 pm or drop to the Dalat airport.

Note:

• Your trip in a package with the included: Good transport by private Van or Car, foods (3 main meals and side meal with Vietnam’s fruits); all kind of tickets (entry tickets, ranger allowable for entry forest in night time, bird-hide …); bird-guide.
• Exclude: flight-tickets from Dalat to Hochiminh city at the last day.
• Kind of foods (main meals and side meals) in the trip of Vietnambirds you have chance to have many special Vietnamese foods.
• The bird-list and bird-spots maybe not like this itinerary, It depend to the time and real situation which the guide will update to clients.

Schedule 2 as followed:

Day 1: Hochiminh city – Dong Nai NR – Cat tien National park

• Pick you up from your hotel in HCM city – 5:30 am , go to Dong Nai nature reserve – breakfast and rest on the way, arrive to the park 7:30 am;
• First bird-hide for : Bar-bellied Pitta, Blue-rumped pitta, Blue-eared Kingfisher, Banded Kingfisher, Silver-breasted broadbill, Common flameback, Laced Woodpecker, Puff-throated babbler, Abbott’s babbler,…
• Other hide for: Indochinese green magpie, Racket-tailed Magpie, Black and red broadbill, Lesser yellownape, Buff-breasted babbler, Indochinese Babbler, Indochinese Blue Flycatcher, Striped-throated bulbul, Ochraceous Bulbul, Grey eyed bulbul, Black crested bulbul, Van Hasselt’s Sunbird,…
• Finish the day at Cat Tien NP hotel

Accommodation: the best around Cat Tien NP.

Note : if the first day you arrive at the airport in the morning, so will only an afternoon for the hide in this area will not enough, you need the next morning in the second day in this place, and the first night your team will be in Dong Nai NR hotel.

Day 2:  Cat Tien NP

• Morning start from 6:00am (option1) to birding at other hide for Germain’s peacock pheasant, Siamese fireback, Green-legged Partridge, Greater coucal, Greater racket-tailed drongo, Bulbuls, Babblers, …
• birding for late of the morning with some nice birds in this park : Olive-backed sunbird, Ruby-cheeked sunbird, bronze drongos, Great Iora, Common iora, blue-winged leafbird, Black-hooded Oriole, Common flameback, Brown-rumped minivet, Indochinese cuckooshrike …
• Afternoon in the hide for endemic and specialities: Bar-bellied Pitta, Blue-rumped Pitta, Indochinese Babbler, Indochinese Blue Flycatcher, Green legged partridge…;
• After Dinner, we go to find some Owls: Brown hawk-owl, Asian barred owlet,…

Accommodation: Cat Tien NP.

Day 3: Cat Tien national park 

• Morning visit to Grassland for Pigeons, Hornbill, Lapwing, Green peafowl, doves …
• All the day on the trail for other birds : Golden breasted trogon, Banded broadbill, Black and puff woodpecker, heart spotted woodpecker, Little spiderhunter, Green-eared barbet, blue-eared barbet, Lineated barbet…
• Night can go to find Oriental bay-owl, nightjars if have time.

Accommodation: Cat Tien NP.

Day 4: Cat Tien NP – Dalat city.

• Morning birding in Cat Tien NP to 9:30 am, then transport to Dalat city.

• Dalat city bird-spots for: Indochinese Barbet, Annam sunbird, Langbian sunbird, Vietnamese greenfinch, Langbian (Green-backed) Tit, Plain Minla, Sooty-headed bulbul, Kloss leaf warbler…
• Accommodation: Dalat city.
• Night action : Dalat city culture tour.

Day 5: Dalat city – Bidoup Nuiba NP.

• Moring birding around the city spots for rare endemic: Grey-crowned Crocias; Dalat shrike babbler, Indochinese Barbet, Grey crowned Tit, Silver-eared Mesia, Vietnamese Greenfinch, Grey-caped pygmy woodpecker, …
• Late of the day move to Bidoup Nuiba NP for Red-crossbill, Annam minivet, Slender-billed Oriole, Burmese shrike…
• night spot-light for Oriental Scops owl,
• Accommodation: Bidoup Nuiba NP.

Day 6: Bidoup Nuiba – Dalat city.

• Morning go to the Bird-hide in full day for beautiful species with endemic: Collared laughingthrush, Black-hooded laughingthrush, White-cheeked Laughingthrush, Black-crowned fulvetta, Indochinese green magpie, Then visit other hide for: spotted forktail, slaty-backed forktail, Grey-bellied Tesia, Pygmy wren babbler, Chestnut-crowned babbler, Rusty-naped Pitta, Large Niltava, White-tailed Robin, Mountain fulvetta, Black-headed Sibia…
• Birding on the trail for : Necklaced Barbet, Maroon Oriole, Blyth’s leaf warbler…
• Back to Dalat city,
• Night spotlight for Grey nightjar.

Accommodation: Dalat city

Day 7: Dalat city – Di Linh forest.

• Morning visit other spots in Bidoup Nuiba NP for : Vietnamese cutia, then other spots in Dalat city for Dalat bush warbler.
• Transport to Di Linh town, lunch in this town;

• Dilinh forest in the afternoon at the bird-hide for: Blue-pitta, Bar-backed partridge, Long-tailed Broadbill,Black-headed Parrotbill, Erpornis, puff-throated bulbul, ashy bulbul, Red-headed Trogon, orange-headed thrush…
• Night for : Collared scops owl; Large-tailed nightjar.

Accommodation: Dilinh town.

Day 8: Dilinh plateau – 

• Morning will continue birding at other hide in Dilinh
• Birding on the trails for Red-vented barbet,
• Lunch then check-out, transport to Ho Chi Minh City.
• Accommodation : No

End your trip.