Siamese Fireback, Cat Tien National Park, Vietnam— Photo: K. David Bishop

"Enchanting," perhaps more than any other adjective, aptly describes the lush, verdant country of Vietnam. The extraordinary nature and beauty of its forests and wildlife is a feature of our tour, but our exploration of Vietnam is so much more than just a natural history tour. A country that reflects such a fascinating, long, and convoluted history demands that any visit here also pay proper heed to its absorbing culture and antiquities. Thus, unlike most birding tours, VENT will include visits to must-see sights such as the Imperial Palace of Hue. The birds and other wildlife will, of course, be our primary focus, however, and we will work very hard to share with you some of the splendid specialties (especially the endemics and near-endemics) of this relatively little-birded Indochinese nation.

The recent development of a superb new lodge at Cat Tien National Park enables us to stay longer and in great comfort at this superlative destination. We now have three full days in which to explore this reserve. Some of the specialties we hope to see include the surprisingly common Bar-bellied Pitta—arguably one of THE most gorgeous of all its kind; with a bit of luck, Blue-rumped Pitta; Germain's Peacock-Pheasant; the splendid Siamese Fireback; globally endangered Green Peafowl; possibly the endemic buff-cheeked gibbon and black-shanked Douc leaf-monkey; and pygmy slow loris, in addition to large numbers of more widespread species including a diverse selection of some of Asia's loveliest woodpeckers, several barbets—including the near-endemic Red-vented Barbet, the monstrous Great Hornbill, and a host of fascinating babblers.

One day at Dui San Pass will give us a rare opportunity to seek out a suite of completely different and desirable species including Blue Pitta, Green Cochoa, and Red-billed Scimitar-Babbler, to mention but a few.

Our final destination will include several sites on the Dalat Plateau. This isolated massif has evolved several very attractive endemics and these will be the focus for our exploration of this area. Here, among the cool of pine-clad mountains and lovely sub-montane forests, we will seek out such species as the incomparable Gray-crowned Crocias, Collared Laughingthrush, Gray-crowned Tit, and Vietnamese Greenfinch to mention a few.

Excellent to good accommodations; famously great, delicious food; travel by comfortable 19-seater bus and plane; pace moderate with mostly roadside birding, one delightful boat trip, and some easy to moderate walking; midday breaks on most days; warm and moderately humid in the south, occasionally cool and rainy on the plateau.