Home and away - late 2012

This occasional Birding World feature highlights interesting reports from Britain, Europe and beyond. To contribute to future editions of this column, please contact the editor. Photographs, illustrations and sketch maps are welcomed

Vietnam is a popular country to visit for many tourists from Britain, and it is now possible to fly direct to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) from London with Vietnamese Airlines. On a trip to Vietnam in November 2012, my wife and I travelled through much of the country, with the aim of seeing as many species of birds as possible. We arranged our itinerary with Wildtour, a travel company based in Saigon (www.birdwatchingvietnam.net), and our excellent main guide was Bao Nguyen. After arrival in Saigon, we took an internal flight to Da Nang, in the north, and from there we drove south over the next two and a half weeks, visiting many different environments, reserves and national parks, before finishing back in Saigon.