Category

Long birding tours

Destinations

Kon Tum, Da Lat

Duration

9 days

Hotel

Standard to luxury

Price

1,552 to 1,990 $US

Central Highland (Da Lat & Kon Tum plateaus) is the hub of Vietnamese endemism including Collared Laugingthrush, Orange-breasted Launghingthrush, Black-hooded Laughingthrush, Chestnut-eared Laughingthrush, Golden-winged Laughingthrush, White-cheeked Laughingthrush, Vietnamese Cutia, Black-crowned Fulvetta, Indochinese Fulvetta, Black-headed Parrotbill, Grey-crowned Crocias, Black-crowned Barwing, Indochinese Wren Babbler as well as many specialites such as Red-vented and Indochinese Barbets, Blue and Rusty-naped Pittas, Indochinese Green Magpie, White-winged Mangpie, Rachet-tailed Treepie etc. See more

This tour is designed to cover as many endemic birds as possible during 9 days visiting Vietnam

Day 1: The tour start from Pleiku airport (you can depart either from Ha Noi or Sai Gon) to drive to Tu Mo Rong, a new small settlement  town for 2 nights stay. From here we can visit Mang Ri forest in the afternoon if time permit.

Night at Hoang Gia Trang hotel

Day 2: Full day exploring Ngoc Linh mt range where we look for our "big target", the new described species in the latest last century Golden-winged Laughingthrush, the species that so far less than 50 birders have seen. And Black-crowned Barwing which is much easier. Among these two targets, we also have chance for stunning Red-tailed Laughingthrush, near endemic Indochinese Fulvetta and some other more widespread such as Coral-billed Scimitar Babbler, Indochinese Barbet.

Night Hoang Gia Trang hotel

Day 3: Return to Ngoc Linh if necessary, otherwise drive to Mang Den for another 2 nights stay. From Mang Den town we will spend 2 fulldays birding at Mang Canh forest for Chestnut-eared Laughingthrush, Black-hooded Laughingthrush. After get success  of our targets, we will look for Yellow-billed Nuthatch, White-winged Magpie, Indochinese Green Magpie, Indochinese Wren Babbler, Rusty-naped Pitta and other more commonly species.

Night at Hoa Sim hotel

Day 4: Full day at Mang Canh forest

Night at Hoa Sim hotel

Day 5: After an early morning to finalise birding in Mang Den, we will take a long driving to Da Lat (11 hours including several stopovers)

Night at Hoang Anh Dat Xanh hotel

Day 6 & 7 & 8: Da Lat plateau

Three fullday exploring Da Lat area we will visit number of excellent birding sites including Ta Nung valley, Giang Ly, Cong Troi, Tuyen Lam lake and Langbian mt. We will have better chance to see some species that we might miss in Kon Tum plateau such as Indochinese Wren Babbler, Red-vented Barbet, Indochinese Green Magpie ... but our main target in Da Lat are many. Apart from endemism listed above we also looking for Red Crossbill, Black-headed and Rufous-backed Sibia, local subspecies of Black-throated Sunbird,  Hodgon's Frogmouth, Spot-bellied Eagle Owl

Night at Hoang Anh Dat Xanh hotel

Day 9: Departure from Da Lat airport

If your flight is in the afternoon, we can birding in the morning

Price:

Single supplement: $US 380

Including: accommodation, bird guide, private car with driver, meals and entrance fee, jeeps. Providing birding spotting scope, bird book.