Indochina bird watching 30 days

Welcome to Indochina! The first destination of your Indochina bird-watching package is Laos, a peaceful country with no coastline, but around 70% of its territory is mountainous, making it home to a wide range of plant and wildlife species. 

Upon arrival at the airport in Luang Prabang, the ancient capital of Laos in the north, at the intersection of the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers, you are greeted by a tour guide and taken to your hotel. Have some free time to relax and recover from jet lag.

This morning, drive to the Elephant Village Camp, where you are warmly greeted by your guide and participate in a short briefing about elephants in Laos. Afterward, enjoy the impressive experience of feeding, bathing, and learning to communicate with the mammals! Then take a boat trip to the Tad Sae Waterfall. You will ride a traditional Laotian longboat to Tad Sae Waterfall and relax or swim in the clear water (swimsuit recommended). Have lunch at Elephant Camp restaurant.  

In the afternoon, enjoy a short guided tour of the city’s oldest temple, Wat Sene, and the magnificent Wat Xiengthong, whose roofs sweep low to the ground, representing classical Laotian architecture. Then climb to the top of Mount Phousi for an enjoyable exploration of the sacred, gilded stupa and a panoramic view of the city and the Mekong River. From there, you can explore the Night Market, where you can find a lovely selection of handmade textiles made by local and hill tribe people surrounding Luang Prabang.

Optional: Wake up early this morning and stroll to the street and join the Tak-Bath, or Alms giving ceremony in Luang Prabang, when the monks in saffron costumes process through the streets to collect dedications of food, sticky rice, and so on. Then, you will walk to the morning central market, where locals gather to sell various regional goods, such as vegetables, seasonings, herbs, beehives, rare animals, local rice cakes, breakfast, and so on. Then make your way back to the hotel for breakfast.

Today you will visit local villages of Lao ethnic minority groups at Ban Ouay, Hmong Village, and Ban Thapene, Khmu Village, then drive to the beautiful Khouangsi Waterfall, where you can cool off with a refreshing swim in the turquoise pools or walk along the forest trails. Return to the city by late evening to observe the sunset at Wat Phabath. Overnight in Luang Prabang

In the morning, have free time to stroll the town or relax at the hotel before catching the 45-minute flight to Vientiane. Upon your arrival in Vientiane, you will see your tour guide and drive to the hotel for check-in.

Explore Vientiane by visiting Wat Sisaket, the city's oldest temple. Constructed in 1818, Wat Sisaket is the most important heritage temple in Laos. It houses thousands of Buddha images from many countries, long-lost architectural styles, sculptures, and paintings. On the way to the famous and sacred That Luang Stupa, make a stop to see the imposing Patuxay Monument, Vientiane's own Arc de Triomphe.

Depart early for a drive towards Khammouane province. Along the way, you can make several stops to take wonderful pictures of the breathtaking scenery of the Lao Countryside. Depending on road and traffic conditions, you will arrive at Ban Na Hin, the gateway to Khong Lor Cave, by mid or late afternoon. On arrival, enjoy a short walk around this charming village to better understand local culture and lifestyle.

Three full days with Laotian bird watching to explore the 4 different types of forest. All birding sites are located close to your accommodation, so you have the luxury to do short trips and return for breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the resort restaurant. After familiarizing with the habitats and some general birding to build up a decent species list, you shall start to target the newly discovered 'bald' Bulbul, Limestone Leaf Warbler, Sooty Babbler and Lao Langur in the limestone forest while the evergreen forest should reveal a host of other specialties; Red-collared and Pale-headed Woodpecker, Red-vented Barbet, Spot-necked Babbler, Long-tailed Broadbill, Spot-bellied Eagle Owl and so on. 

Today you will take a short drive to Khong Lor Cave, the amazing cave of Khong Lor, 7.5km long, formed by the Hinboun River, which flows through the cave year-round. Make stops en route at Ban Na Hin for a walk to That Mouang and That Namsanam Waterfalls. You then embark on a small boat for an impressive excursion through the main cave to the valley beyond, stopping to observe the stalactite formations. The cave is still used by local villages as an access route.

Leave Ban Na Hin today and return to Vientiane capital in 5.5 hours. Upon arriving in Vientiane, you will have leisure time till rest of the day.

After breakfast, you will transfer to the airport for your flight to Phnom Penh. Upon arrival, you are welcomed by your local driver and tour guide, then travel to the hotel in Phnom Penh for check-in.

After the short rest, you will visit the impressive, colorful Khmer-style Royal Palace complex built in 1866 by the Predecessors of King Norodom. Nearby is the Silver Pagoda (the Emerald Buddha temple), which houses Buddha statues adorned with gold, diamonds, gemstones, and silver. Next off, stop at the Independence Monument and explore the National Museum, a beautiful Khmer-style building housing more than 5,000 works of art made of bronze, wood, gold, silver, copper, sandstone, and other materials. Passing through the riverfront park where 4 rivers meet, including the mystical Mekong, you then walk up to the sacred hill Phnom Daun Penh, also the name of a pagoda and the name of the capital nowadays. 

In the morning, visit Choeung Ek museum, where between 1975 and 1978, about 17,000 men, women, children, and infants were detained and tortured at S-21 and transported for extermination. You then continue to Tuol Sleng prison, which is now the Genocide Museum, the most secret part of the Khmer Rouge regime. It’s also called S-21 (abbreviated for Security Office 21), a Khmer Rouge's premier security camp, specifically designed for the interrogation and extermination of anti-Angkor elements. The rest of the day is at your leisure to chill out in Phnom Penh.

After breakfast, departure by overland to Kampong Cham, also called "The Garden City" and the main town in the province of Kampong Cham. Your first stop will be Skuon Land for the Spider Village. In the afternoon, you will visit the archaeological site of Sambor Prei Kuk by national Road No.6. Overnight at the hotel in Kampong Thom. 

After breakfast, pick up at your hotel and transfer by 4WD to the Stung District located in Kampong Thom province. Get off the National Road No.6 for a few more kilometers before reaching the grasslands area to search for the critically endangered Bengal Florican. Raptors, including Eastern Marsh Harrier, Pied Harrier, and Greater Spotted Eagle, are often seen cruising over the grasslands here. You might also be able to see the Manchurian Reed Warbler and the Oriental Plover. On the way back, visit Kampong Kdei Old Bridge on the Angkor Ancient Road. Upon arriving in Siem Reap, you will check into the hotel and enjoy some leisure time.

In the morning, you’ll explore the fantastic Angkor Temples. The first stop is the South Gate of Angkor Thom, renowned as "Big Angkor," a 3 km² walled and moated royal city that was the last capital of the Angkorian Empire. Then move to the mysterious Bayon Temple, which was an architectural muddle, in part because it was constructed piecemeal over a century. From Bayon Temple, you walk for a while to find the impressive Terrace of the Elephants. The terrace is two and a half meters tall, a 300-meter-long terrace wall adorned with carved elephants and a gradual slope that spans the heart of Angkor Thom in front of Baphuon, a huge temple mountain in the heart of Angkor Thom, the Royal Palace Area, and Phimeanakas, an impressive rite and sandstone pyramid. Terrace of the Leper King is at the north end of the Terrace of the Elephants, a double terrace wall with deeply carved nagas, demons, and other mythological beings.

In the afternoon, you will visit the Angkor Wat temple. The temple was founded by Suryavarman II, who reigned in Cambodia from 1113 to 1152 and built the five towers in the 12th century to dedicate to the Hindu God Vishnu. The pyramidal plan of the temple, combined with its spaces, alleys, and ditches, is an ancient masterpiece of architectural design and construction. It is time to visit the Pre Rup temple for a romantic sunset view. After the short rest, you will have a welcome dinner with Apsara, a traditional Khmer dance-drama performance that is not merely a dance but also tells a story.

This morning, you will travel through the countryside in Siem Reap toward Tonle Sap Lake to pay a visit to Kompong Phluk Village. Get on a boat and ride downstream into the main village - home to approximately 3000 people earning a living from the waters. There are schools, a large pagoda, and stilted homes that tower 9 meters above the ground to adapt to water levels. It is a lovely, peaceful place to visit at any time of the year, and you can see how the vast majority of Cambodians live as fishermen or farmers, gaining insight into their way of life. You then move to smaller boats and row through the flooded forest of Kompong Phluk on Tonle Lake. The houses in a small floating village move in and out with the water levels, as the community works around the seasonal variations of the great lake, whose actual level can vary by up to 10 meters.

In the afternoon, you’ll be visiting the fascinating jungle-clad temple of Ta Prohm, Banteay Kdei, the Citadel of Chambers, the mountain temple of Takeo, the elegant Hindu temple of Thommanon, the badly ruined temple of Chau Say Tevoda, and the Royal Bath of Sras Srang.

The Indochina Bird Watching Tour itinerary will take you to the Prek Toal bird sanctuary today. During the wet season, the rising water level of the Mekong River backs up into the lake, causing the lake to expand from 2,500 sq km to more than 13,000 sq km. This seasonal flow of water also moves vast quantities of nutrients, making Tonle Sap an incredibly rich spawning ground for fish. The lake is the largest inland fishery in the world. Once arrive at the lake, you will board a motor-powered sampan for the journey to Prek Toal Bird Sanctuary. Along the way, you will wind through floating villages and flooded forests and have a chance to observe the different fishing methods used on the lake. Have a packed lunch. The bird sanctuary and biosphere reserve of Prek Toal protects some of the rarest water birds in Southeast Asia, and if lucky, you could see both lesser and greater adjutant storks, spot-billed pelicans, milky storks, and perhaps even a saris crane. Besides the big wading birds, the sanctuary is home to a host of other bird species, and the concentrations can be staggering. Return to Siem Reap in the early evening for an overnight.

Depart very early this morning for Ang Trapeang Thmor Sarus Crane Reserve (ATT) for great Cambodian bird-watching experiences. Located about an hour and a half northwest of Siem Reap, the reservoir and flooded fields of ATT provide critical habitat for more than 200 bird species, including the endangered and charismatic Sarus Crane. Up to 350 Sarus Cranes forage in this reserve, which is also home to a great diversity of other water birds such as Painted, Milky, Woolly-necked and Lesser Adjutant Storks; Comb Ducks and Cotton Pygmy Geese; Black-headed Ibis; Spot-billed Pelican; and many species of herons, bitterns and cormorants. Pied and Eastern Marsh Harriers often course over the grasslands looking for prey. The grasslands and reed beds also play host to a wide variety of songbirds. Beyond the avian attractions, ATT is home to an important population of endangered Eld’s Deer, and we will do our best to see this special mammal during our visit. You will have breakfast along the way, and after a full morning of birding, you will have the opportunity to visit the Phnom Srok Village, which is famous for its silk weavings. After the visit to the village and a chance to shop for silk handicrafts, you will have lunch at the Wildlife Conservation Society’s reserve headquarters. After lunch, continue your explorations of ATT, looking for any species that you might have missed in the morning. Travel back to Siem Reap and your hotel at around 5:00.

Have leisure time on your own until transfer to the airport for your flight to Saigon, Ho Chi Minh City's former name. Upon arrival, you will be greeted by your tour guide and driven to the hotel.

Lately, have had a short visit to have a glimpse of Saigon City. Start the city tour at the Reunification Palace, where the Vietnam War ended in 1975. The grand building today is a Museum and a hall for official receptions. Nearby the Palace is the colonial-styled Post Office, built between 1877 and 1883, and one of the city’s major landmarks. Finish the tour at Ben Thanh Market – a wholesale market, to intermingle with the local lifestyle.

Your day trip to the Mekong Delta this morning offers a scenic landscape of southern Vietnam's countryside, with luxuriant gardens and green rice fields. Arriving at My Tho, you will visit Vinh Trang pagoda, take a leisurely boat ride along the Mekong River, and view the stilt houses, fruit plantations, and fishing villages along the riverbank. The boat journey proceeds to Tortoise Island. Then you will take a boat ride to An Khanh – a less touristy attraction in Ben Tre- and cruise on a hand-rowed sampan under the shade of water coconut trees along natural canals, then enjoy seasonal fruit & honey tea to the sound of "Southern Vietnamese folk music" performed by locals.

Visit a family business which epitomizes the idyllic rural lifestyle, taste the delicious coconut candy & observe the pastoral life as you roam through the fruit plantation and village. Meet the bus and return to Ho Chi Minh City. This trip offers an insight into daily life in the Mekong Delta.

You will leave Ho Chi Minh City today for Cat Tien National Park. On arrival, cross the Dong Nai River to the park center, check into your room, and get ready for your wildlife experience.

Cat Tien, one of the impressive destinations in the Indochina Bird Watching journey, is blessed with fantastic birds, including green peafowl, orange-necked partridge, Siamese fireback pheasant, and numerous hornbills, broadbills, and babblers. This afternoon, go on a three-hour trek through the Reserved Core Area, where you will see many trees of different species that are hundreds of years old. Then return to the center. In the evening, transfer by boat to the TaLai buffer zone for animal spotting (view animals at night).

Wake up to the uplifting songs of the native birds. After breakfast, transfer 10km inside the park to the junction where you turn off the main route and trek 5km to Crocodile Lake Station. Along the route, if lucky, you would see primates and fantastic birds such as Germain’s peacock-pheasant, bar-bellied pitta, orange-breasted trogon, and red-and-black broadbill. You might also see gliding lizards along this trail as they cling to tree trunks and extend their dewlaps in territorial displays.

Short break at the lake watch tower. Then trek back to the main route. Boat pick up, transfer back to the center to check out. After leaving Cat Tien Park, you will take a ferry across the river and drive back to Ho Chi Minh City.

Transfer to the Airport to catch the morning flight to Hue, a province in central Vietnam. This afternoon, you will take a relaxing ride with a Hue traditional dragon boat on the "River of Wealth" to the well-known Thien-Mu Pagoda (45 minutes), which is consecrated to the heavenly mother. Carry on your visit to the mausoleum of King Tu Duc (1 hour), one of the most beautiful works of royal architecture in Vietnam. Finish our tour at around 5:30 pm, and transfer back to the hotel. At leisure till the rest of the day.

After checking out of the hotel, you will visit The Citadel and the Imperial Palace. Afterward, follow the coast for 45 km south down Highway One before turning inland on the road that leads to Bach Ma National Park, 20 km away. The road from the park entrance to the park guesthouse near the summit is scenic with sweeping vistas of undisturbed rainforest and the coastal plain. The park accommodation is in renovated colonial villas, and the ruins of once grand holiday homes and hotels are scattered along the trails from this point up to the summit. There are many good trails for birders and for non-birders alike, with several waterfalls and small lakes.

Spend a full day bird-watching in Bach Ma National Park. A knowledgeable park tour guide will assist us with our birding tour at Bach Ma. Over 330 species of bird have been recorded at Bach Ma and specialties include the endemic Annam Partridge, the Crested Argus, Edwards pheasant, Coral-billed Ground-Cuckoo, Blyth's Kingfisher and the Ratchet-tailed Treepie.

After checking out of the hotel, head to the coastal town of Hoi An (a 2.5-hour drive). The views on the way are fantastic - the steeply sloping mountains seem to pounce literally into the sea! En route, visit the huge, beautiful marble mountains, with five mountains, where you will find spectacular caves containing pagodas, shrines, and temples dating back centuries. Lately, continue your drive to Hoi An Ancient Town; check into the hotel in Hoi An and stay at leisure for the rest of the day.

After breakfast at the hotel, ride a bicycle to Hoi An’s colorful central market. Here, you will have the opportunity to interact with local sellers and learn about the ingredients used in cooking. So, make sure your camera is handy. Cycle to Tra Que vegetable village. Welcome drink for rest, and then you will walk through the vegetable gardens where local farmers work on their fields, using the traditional methods of hundreds of years ago, no electrical machinery here. Go to the restaurant & work together with the chef. Learn the traditional ways of preparing and cooking Vietnamese Banh Xeo, or sizzling cake. After the lesson, enjoy what you have cooked.

This afternoon, around 3:00 pm, you will visit the Hoi An Heritage site on foot, including the cultural and historical museum, the Japanese bridge, and the Chinese assembly hall.

At leisure till appointed time, transfer to the airport and take a domestic flight to Hanoi. Welcomed by our tour guide in Hanoi and transferred to the hotel in the city center (40-minute driving).

This afternoon, take an orienting tour exploring Hanoi. Let's start from the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum (from outside), his simple house-on-stilts, and the One-Pillar pagoda near Ba Dinh Square, where the most solemn ceremonies of Hanoi take place. Go on to the Temple of Literature, the very first high school of Vietnam Scholars. Lately, have had an overall view of the capital on a “cyclo” tour that starts around the Old Quarter of Hanoi. In the evening, enjoy a unique, fascinating Water Puppetry show, a traditional stage art form of Northern Vietnam.

Around 8:00, depart Hanoi and head southward, reaching Van Long Nature Reserve, which covers an area of 3000 ha and is home to rich biodiversity and spectacular rock formations.

Upon our arrival, let’s embark on a boat trip along this beautiful reserve and through a cave. Lunch is served at a local restaurant. Afternoon finds you in the floating village of Kenh Ga. Here you can walk around open rice paddies, enjoy a leisurely boat ride along Hoang Long River, and watch the village life unfold, before descending to the cave of Van Trinh, a two-storied, spacious cave, well-known for its unique stalagmites and stalactites. Travel to Cuc Phuong National Park for an overnight.

Today you will experience bird watching in Vietnam with a full day on the trails of Cuc Phuong National Park. Birding is good at Cuc Phuong, with over 308 species recorded in the park. Apart from the rich bird species, there are also endangered mammals such as the Indochinese Tiger, Clouded Leopard, and the rare Delacour Langur in the forests of Cuc Phuong. Other possible bird species include Spot-bellied Eagle-Owl, Ruddy Kingfisher, Silver-breasted Broadbill, and White-tailed Flycatcher. The rest of the day will be at your leisure; overnight at the guest house in Cuc Phuong National Park.

After breakfast, check out and drive to Ha Long Bay, taking 3.5 hours. As soon as you arrive in Halong Bay, you will board our junk and embark on a relaxing cruise exploring its stunning waters, a must-visit on your Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos tour packages. Get to know the crew with a refreshing welcome drink! Halong Bay was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1994 and is known for the 2000 rocks of all sizes and shapes that rise from the blue-green water. In the afternoon, arrive at a particularly beautiful part of the bay, which is perfect for swimming, relaxing, and discovering caves and lagoons with paddle boats.

After a lovely night at sea and a rich breakfast, the cruise continues through the bay. Relax on the deck as the boat dives into the largest cave in Halong Bay, the "Cave of Surprise". At noon, you will say goodbye to the crew and drive to Hanoi in 2.5 hours, and head to the airport for your departure flight to your next destination.