Introduction
It had been almost three years since I left my job in Vietnam to return home and spend time with my mother while I still could. I left on very short notice and never felt like I got closure with friends or with the country we had grown so fond of. This was about to change. As our plane touched down at Noi Bai airport outside of Hanoi a certain familiarity came over me. My heart was full.
Regarding the mission, had things gone according to plan, I would have stayed in Vietnam for a few months after my work contract ended and while my resident visa was still valid. We would use this time to visit areas we did not see while living there and of course, add substantially to my bird list, while birding Vietnam along the way. Reaching the Top 100 all time in eBird was not beyond possibilities. For this trip, it would be my mission.
My eBird count for Vietnam stood at 268. I needed 352 to make the list. The math says that 84 new birds would be the absolute minimum that I would need. It cannot be assumed that I would be able to do this. Especially considering I was planning on doing this almost entirely on my own. Let’s see how it goes!
Hanoi Stop-over
We would spend a couple days in the Old Quarter of Hanoi, our favorite section. Top item on the agenda, see the water puppet show. Somehow, we missed this on our previous visits. It is a definite must see. We loved it.
Sleeper Bus to Sa Pa
Our first birding location would be Sa Pa. It is a high-elevation location that is about a 6-hour drive northwest of Hanoi. We took the sleeper bus which leaves late in the evening and arrives early in the morning. These buses have beds instead of seats. They typically sleep 20 to 24 people. Unless you are 5’5” or less, you will need to bend your knees. We got to our homestay at 5am and crashed on their couches for a couple of hours until they started stirring. We arranged a motorbike for the time we were in Sa Pa and immediately began exploring.
The first new bird for the trip would be the Gray-breasted Prinia. I spotted it when we were walking around in front of our homestay. A good start!
American wanna-be influencers have nothing on the young Vietnamese girls and guys when it comes to wanting the perfect shot: pose, look, attire, background. In a mountainous area like Sa Pa, every beautiful view has places specifically created to get the perfect gram-worthy shot. There are vendors who rent clothes by the hour to enhance your look. I couldn’t convince Mirka to put on traditional Vietnamese or other local ethnic people’s fancy dress to capture one of those great shots. Maybe next time.
We spent the next few days motorbiking, sightseeing and birding Vietnam all over the Sa Pa area. This is a mountainous region that includes Mount Fanispan the highest point in Vietnam at about 10,000 feet. The scenery is breathtaking. There are some developed tourist spots and there are areas that are more natural. We enjoyed some of each.
Birding-wise the trip to Sa Pa was a success. I expected about 15 new birds and got 21.
Birding Vietnam on a Brief Hold
The next stop would not be about the birds. It would be about visiting friends and colleagues from our days in Vietnam and going to some of our favorite restaurants and hangouts. We spent three nights in Nghi Son. The Anh Phat resort which is on the grounds of one of the refinery’s company housing complexes is where we stayed.
We borrowed a motorbike from an old friend and toured around some of our favorite places during the day. On each night we had planned dinners with our closest friends and colleagues. It was a great time catching up on things. One special moment was when we went to a newly opened sushi restaurant because our favorite one, Tombo, had shut down. When we arrived, we see that our waitress was our favorite from the old Tombo sushi place. She recognized us, right away. It was warm hugs and good sushi all around.
To see details of the best birding locations in Thanh Hoa province, check out my blog on the Top 10 Places to Go Birding in the province. Click Here
So Much to See and Do in Da Nang Area
The next leg of the journey would be Da Nang. Da Nang is the number three city in Vietnam. It is a beach town and is far enough south that the water is clear and warm. The beach front area where we stayed has a real Miami Beach tourism vibe. We would spend 9 nights at the same hotel on Da Nang’s beach front road. There is so much to see and do around Da Nang that we could have easily kept busy for another week.
One place that I had to visit was Bach Ma National Park. This park is in a mountainous area about a one-hour drive from our hotel. We hired a driver for the day to take us there. The road up the hill was steep and winding but otherwise in good condition. The summit was an important base for the US Army during our Vietnam War or their American War. Some of the infrastructure remains with some signage explaining the history. It was a good day and yielded seven new birds including some amazing looks at Orange-bellied Leafbirds.
We also did some exploring of the Son Tra peninsula right outside of Da Nang. There are some great trails on this extensive natural area. I picked-up another five birds including the Blue-tailed Bee-eater.
Tourism wise, we had to go see the fire-breathing dragon on Dragon Bridge. We also did a tour up to Ba Na Hills. Ba Na Hills is a highly developed tourist location that can best be described as the EPCOT of Vietnam. It is perched up on some high hills and requires a cable car to get up to it. They actually have a microbrewery up there and live music (a country band opened for a traditional German folk group). I think every day is Oktoberfest there. I liked that.
We also did a trip to Hoi An to the old town. OMG, this place was packed like no place I have ever been before. On one hand the old town is beautiful, on the other hand it was hard to appreciate through all the people.
Off the Beaten Path to Mang Den
It was hard to leave Da Nang. We were getting very comfortable being in the same luxury hotel room for so many nights, but birding Vietnam to complete the mission was the priority. We would go off the beaten path of foreign tourists and go to a more remote and local tourist area, Mang Den. Mang Den is a village that can be reached by flying into Pleiku and getting a driver to take you the almost two hour drive up into the Central Highlands past Kontum and on to Mang Den. Mang Den is about 3700 ft above sea level.
I picked this area because of the birds. It is becoming more popular for people birding Vietnam. The Central Highlands carries certain birds that are less common than in other locations. At this point I was still 43 birds away from the Top 100 list with two birding stops left after Mang Den. We stayed at Mang Den Discovery homestay. The young couple running it was very friendly and spoke some English. They did not get many westerners there. In fact, we only saw one other non-asian couple in the village the whole time we were there.
As usual, we arranged our motorbike through the homestay so that we would be able to travel where we wanted and when we wanted. The cool temperatures were quite refreshing after the stifling heat of Da Nang. A light jacket was required in the morning while riding the motorbike.
As mentioned previously, Vietnamese people love their gram-worthy photo ops. The road into Mang Den is one of those iconic spots. It is a straight, two-lane road, with a slight uphill slope and having tall pine forest on either side with the crowns of the trees going over the road. It gives this long, straight tunnel look. The young girls and couples go early in the morning when there is almost no traffic and pose in the middle of the road to get their perfect picture. Traffic coming towards them must wait and traffic coming behind them must go past to give a clean shot.
Mang Den has a wonderful night market in the woods with a real camping, rustic feel. There are restaurants and vendors and traditional music playing. The whole thing is very family oriented. We really enjoyed this.
We mostly birded on Tran Kien road but also at Pa Sy waterfalls which is worth the trip whether you bird or not.
Mang Den yielded another 13 birds including the Blue-bearded Bee-eater, Velvet-fronted Nuthatch and Stripe-breasted Woodpecker.
Birding Vietnam in Its Most Iconic Location
So far, I have been completely on my own for birding. As far as birding Vietnam goes, no place is more popular than our next stop and we would have a guide. Cat Tien National Park is a few hours north of Ho Chi Minh City.
Cat Tien National Park is 100% secondary growth. It was completely defoliated by the Americans in that war. The land is resilient and is now beautiful forest which holds an incredible number of species of birds. It also is home to many mammals and other creatures. Here we would stay in the National Park, which is much pricier than staying just across the river in the village, but the convenience for a hard-core birder is worth it. You see, there is not a bridge across the river. It is a small ferry with a rather unpredictable schedule.
Here I hired a guide, Dat, for three days. Keeping it in the family, he is the brother of Tinh Dinh, a guide I have previously used. Dat is much like his brother, exceedingly knowledgeable and truly loves what he does. He wore me out. Early mornings, late nights. One day I really thought I was going to die of exhaustion.
It was worth it. After two days of birding in Cat Tien, we decided to move to his house and bird his feeding stations. We met his family and slept in a tent at his house next to his owl feeding station. The Spot-bellied Eagle Owl is a nuisance bird to anyone with chickens around. The owls were under attack by farmers and at risk of being wiped out of the area. Dat started paying the farmers for lost chickens and hired the top owl hunter to teach him about birds and help maintain his feeding stations. He then moved to buying his own chickens and luring the owls to his feeding station where he puts up a chicken every night.
At 3am, after we were long asleep, the owl arrived for his nightly chicken. Dat woke us and we stumbled as quietly as possible to the blind. I managed only a couple of shots before I dropped my darn camera lens cover on the floor making a ridiculously loud noise and causing the incredible owl to say goodbye for the night. Needless to say, neither Mirka nor Dat were very happy with me. Oh well, at least I did not come away empty handed.
Did I mention that when I saw a Rufous Woodpecker the day before near Dat’s house that I was now Top100 lifetime for Vietnam? It was a real high-five moment. I would add a few more before leaving Dat’s house the next morning.
The Rest Is Icing on the Cake
The drive from Dat’s house to HCM City was the worst drive I have ever been on. It was 140 km from Dat’s house to the airport and the drive was just over 5 hrs. Stop and go most of the way. We thought we would have hours at the airport, but we ended up barely making our flight.
Our last stop would be the island of Phu Quoc. This is a large resort island. We enjoyed our four nights here and traveled by motorbike all over the island. Our very touristy snorkel adventure to some of the outer islands including a very nice feast at a lovely restaurant was worthwhile. We attempted to go into one of the national parks but it was closed and rudely guarded for some inexplicable reason. Phu Quoc was the only place in Vietnam where we seemed to consistently run into unfriendly people. I can’t explain it. None the less we did have a very nice time here. We circled the island by scooter and stopped at some very lovely viewpoints and nice little restaurants. One feature of Phu Quoc is massive developments that are basically unoccupied. I can’t imagine the capital invested to just be sitting there doing nothing.
I got seven additional birds to close out the birding Vietnam trip with 363 birds. The last bird was a Black Bittern that flew over my head while drinking my final Bia Saigon, over ice, at a very local restaurant. A perfect close to an amazing trip.
Mission Accomplished!
Thanks, Joel, for your post on this amazing country with beautiful bird pics.
Best from Liz B. xo
What an amazing trip and pics! It is always so nice to get to see you friends and enjoy your adventures. Thanks a lot for sharing them! I felt nostalgic watching Vietnam’s landscape and old friends. And so glad for being part of your trips.
So looking forward to visit sooner than later.
Keep the great job!
Glad you enjoyed the read!
It was really nice being back in Thanh Hoa for a few days!
Joel and Mirka, I thought I had seen your best before……..but this definitely is the most exciting, emotional and beautiful report you have presented. Most of us gringos have no idea how Viet Nam has recovered from that horrible war and how they have discretely and quietly enabled foreigners to visit and see their incredible accomplishments and successes. I have never known of anyone complaining during visits in recent years. You and Mirka have proven my point by making such impressive friendships with new generations.
If only I was younger!!
My congratulations for making the top 100–hard work that paid off, so strut your feathers like a Green Peafowl. Your other photos are breathtaking, as usual.
Thanks Clyde! You’re only as old as you feel!
Thanks, Clyde!
There were so many of these beautiful birds that I was seeing for the first time. What an incredible trip!
Your photos are absolutely stunning! And your writing is excellent! I felt like I was right there with you and Mirka! Congratulations on your newest accomplishment!
Thanks, Pam.
Wonderful write up! Makes me want to go there. Thanks Joel
awesome Joel! Miss you!
Thank you for the comment, Lotte. Hope you are well and looking forward to my next trip to the Netherlands. We will definitely look you up!
Wow! Very entertaining to start with the mission. I had faith in the ending! And so glad that you got the owl pic before the noisy drop, and that your camera survived.