Bird Watching in Vietnam
Most of these notes are taken from HannoStamm.com – Birding in Vietnam. And also VietnamBirding.com , as well as Birding in Vietnam
Bird Watching Sites
Hue – boat trips on river. Phong Nha Hotel ~$10. Get there by bus or train. Hire a bicycle or motorbike.
Bach Ma National Park
1 hour from Hue and 4 kms from PhuLuc. Between Da Nang and Hue. 3km from Cau Hai town. You can book accommodation at the park’s guest houses, costing from 100,000-300,000VND. (Around $10). Guides per day cost 200,000VND.
Cat Tien National Park
3 hours and 150 kms north of Ho Chi Minh City. Get off at Tan Phu, and take the last 15kms by bike. Also see the nearby Tan Phu Forest Enterprises. 3-day tours cost from $50-300. There is a tree house in the middle of the forest. Accommodation available at park HQ and Bau Sau ranger station.
Dalat Plateau
Try for accommodation in Dalat at Peace 1 Hotel ~$10. Maybe hire a bike. Phuong Huy Hotel.
1. Mount Lang Bian – 12 km from Dalat.
2. Ta Nung – a forest valley on the road 15km from Dalat to Ta Nung
3. Ho Tuyen Lam – a lake near Dalat. 3km from Da Lat. An Excellent map by Florian Klingel
4. Deo Suoi Lanh – on road from Di Linh to Phan Thiet at 80km mark.
Ho Chi Minh City – Blue River Hotel.
Mekong Delta
1. Can Gio Biosphere Reserve – 40km South-east of Ho Chi Minh City. Its an island at the mouth of the Saigon River. Take a bike to Binh khanh and get the ferry. Guest houses at Can Gio Beach Resort.
2. Tram Chim National Park – 40km from Cao Lanh. Hire a boat. Guest houses at Tam Nong town and in park HQ. Guide is required.
3. U Minh Thuong National Park – 365km south-west of Ho Chi Minh City. Go from Rach Gia to An Minh, and get a boat. Contact park authorities before. Accommodation is basic, probably within park?
4. Ca Mau and Bac Lieu Bird Sanctuaries – Accommodation in Ca Mau and Bac Lieu towns.
5. Tra Su – 1 hour from Chau Doc, 15km north-east of the Mekong River. From Chau Doc go 17km to Nha Ban, then to Cam Mountain. Try a boat trip for about 300,000VND. Accommodation at Chau Doc at Thuan Loi or Trung Nguyen Hotels for ~$10.
6. Mui Ca Mau National Park – hotels in Ca Mau. Than Son Hotel.
My Tho – Rang Dong Hotel.
Ben Tre – Nha Khach Ben Tre Hotel – 38km to San Chim Vam Ho Bird Sanctuary by boat.
Cao Lanh – Binh Minh Hotel. Go to White Stork Sanctuary by boat. Then to Tram Chim NR.
Ha Noi – Thu Giang Guest House ~$5-10, City Gate Hotel. Book buses the day before. Cuong motorbike hire $5 per day.
Buon Ma Thuot – COFFEE! – Nguyen Nhi Hotel.
Yok Don National Park
Located in western Dak Lak province bordering Cambodia about 40km by bus from Buon Ma Thuot. There is guest house at park HQ or stay at Banmeco Tourism Area, 2 km from HQ. Lak Resort.
Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park
Get there from Dong Hoi town. A guest house at park HQ. Must have official guide.
Xuan Thuy National Park
150 km south-west of Hanoi in Red River delta. Take boat from park HQ, watch tides. Guest houses at park or Ngo Dong town or Quat Lam(40k away).
Tam Dao National Park
A hill resort near Hanoi. Guest houses range from >$8. Accommodation is available within park at Tam Dao town. Huong Lien Hotel, Green World Hotel. Buses run from Ha Noi to Vinh Yen, then hire bike to NP.
Haiphong – Hotel Du Commerce ~$10-20, There is no need to stay here. Catch bus from Ha Noi, get hydrofoil to Cat Ba.
Cat Ba national Park
On Cat Ba island in Hai Phong city, at southern edge of Ha Long Bay. Take boat from Hai Phong. You can rent a bike in Cat Ba for about $5 a day. Also hire kayak or rowboat. Guide fee ~$5/day. Several guest houses in Cat Ba. My Ngoi ~$5-10, Phong Lan Hotel.
Ban Be National Park – guesthouse ~175,00VND. Stilt house at Pac Ngoi village ~60,000VND.
Van Long Nature Reserve – 2km from Tran Me, get there from Ninh Binh from Cuc Phuong NP.
Cuc Phuong National Park
3 hours from Hanoi, has basic accommodation at the park from $5-25. From short walks to 3 day jungle treks. Go to National Park Road and Bong Substation as well as Headquarters.
Ba Vi National Park
50 km west of Hanoi. Guest House in park, hire a bike.
Sa Pa – Hoang Lien National Park
400 kms from Hanoi, catch overnight train to Lao Cai, then one hour to Sa Pa. Near China. Many hotels in Sa Pa. Lotus Hotel, bike hire.