Photo Gallery
Susan Myers
Vietnam is home to some of the most spectacular birds in Southeast Asia. Many colorful beauties are found here, including this gorgeous Blue Pitta…
…and many of them are endemic to Vietnam, including this wonderful Collared Laughingthrush.
It’s also a fantastic country for breathtaking pheasants. Here, the Siamese Fireback…
…and the more subtle, but even more secretive, Germain’s Peacock-Pheasant.
And then there are some more that are more cryptic… Here a Rufous-tailed Robin…
…and here, the migratory Japanese Thrush.
We start our tour in the north. For those arriving a little early, they can enjoy some charming scenes, food and hospitality of the northern capital, Hanoi.
We’ll visit Cuc Phuong National Park, Vietnam’s oldest national park, not far from Hanoi.
The scenery in the north is often breathtaking…
…here we explore the limestone karsts…
…which is the last stronghold of the rare and beautiful Delacour’s Langur.
As well, there are many waterbirds, such as this Asian Openbill stork.
Moving to Central Vietnam, we’ll visit Phong Nha National Park.
This beautiful reserve…
…is famous amongst birders for the recently discovered and charming Sooty Babbler, a bird with a very restricted range…
…and even more for its incredible cave systems, the largest in the world.
Venturing into the drier zones, we may encounter a different suite of birds, with luck the scarce White-rumped Falcon.
As we bird our way southwards…
…we’ll find there’s never a dull moment! Here, the striking Black-hooded Laughingthrush…
The stunning Indochinese Green Magpie is restricted to central Vietnam.
This male Large Niltava is more subtly gorgeous.
Some strategically placed hides will allow us views of some shy beauties, such as this Slaty-backed Forktail…
…or this Blue-rumped Pitta.
Vietnam is known for its diversity of laughingthrushes, many of them endemic, including the very secretive Orange-breasted Laughingthrush.
Vietnam is a great adventure! Here we make the short river crossing to Cat Tien National Park in the south.
At Cat Tien we will make use of hides, which are great for Siamese Fireback…
…and the ground dwelling bejewelled Bar-bellied Pitta.
Migratory Blue-winged Pittas can often be found…
…and we’ll have more chances to track down another pitta - Blue-rumped Pitta.
We often encounter so many exciting birds. Here a Green-billed Malkoha…
…some more widespread from the region, here a Common Tailorbird…
…and we will always be on the look out for other creatures, such as this Hampton’s Slug-eating Snake…
…or this charming Buff-cheeked Gibbon…
…and some other intriguing mammals, like this Northern Treeshrew.
And there are some breathtaking insects - elegant butterflies…
…of many different types…
…and this little forest jewel, a tiger beetle.
The hides in Vietnam are five star!
At the end of the day, we’ll relax with…
…some amazing meals! Vietnamese cuisine is famous throughout the world.
And around every corner we’ll get glimpses of Vietnam’s rural life…
…and culture…
On our journey we may get to try the world’s most notorious fruit - the wonderful Durian!
On our birding adventures, we’ll certainly meet some of the friendly local people…
We will see many examples of the legacy of the French occupation, including this Catholic cathedral.
Mealtimes are always fun on WINGS tour. Here’s our after birding dinner party
Birding in Vietnam is unforgettable…
There is vibrant culture. As we travel we will stop for breaks en route to enjoy Vietnam’s lively cafe culture.
There is fascinating culture.
that will certainly leave a lasting impression.
As, of course, will the birds. Let’s leave with this Green-legged Partridge…
…and Blue Whistling-thrush…
…Snowy-browed Flycatcher…
…and the lovely White-browed Scimitar-Babbler. See you in Vietnam!