Nature Trails 9 Days

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Joel Nichols
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1 Nature Trails 9 Days Please note: this is a tailor-made itinerary all elements can be fully customised Foreword: This nine-day tour covers a wide range of Vietnam s flora and fauna and designed to appeal to an equally wide range of people ranging from those with a general interest in nature to the amateur or professional specialist. For enthusiasts who wish to focus on a particular class, family or even a single species, we can customise the tour to accommodate your preference. All you need to do is tell us what you want, and we ll make the necessary modifications. There s no fee for making changes, and no limit on the number you make! Key B = Breakfast L = Lunch D = Dinner G = Guide GP = Guide pick-up DP = Driver pickup Please note: Accommodation in National Parks ranges from barely mid range to non-existent most are very basic. It s not a tour for softies - look upon it as an adventure! You ll also need suitable clothing, footwear and equipment depending on your itinerary and interests, we ll advise you what to bring and, if you wish, send you advance information about local circumstances. Itinerary: first draft Day 1: Arrival at Hanoi (GP) Arriving at Noi Bai airport in Hanoi, you ll be met and driven to your hotel. You ll have time to relax after your journey before having tickets for a performance of traditional Water Puppetry, an art form unique to northern Vietnam, and a good, light-hearted introduction to its rural culture. You ll spend the night in Hanoi. Day 2: Hanoi/Cuc Phuong (B, L, D, G) A morning drive takes you to Cuc Phuong National Park. You ll be able to wander through a subtropical forest, rich in flora and fauna with thousand-year-old trees and dripping vines, visiting the Prehistory Cave. You ll spend the night in the park. The Endangered Primate Rescue Centre is a temporary home for many gibbons and langurs that have been injured, or been orphaned by poachers. Among them are two of the rarest species in the world, Delacourt s Langur, now confined to two or three spots in north Vietnam, and the elegant Cat Ba Golden Langur, now reduced to a colony of around 50 individuals in Cat Ba Island National Park. Strenuous efforts are being made to conserve both species. When those in the rescue centre have regained their strength, a carefully staged programme will release them into the wild.

2 Day 3: Cuc Phuong/Xuan Thuy (B, L, D, G) In the morning, you ll be visiting the Endangered Primate Rescue Centre. After lunch, you ll drive to Giao Xuan Commune at the Buffer Zone of Xuan Thuy National Park. Upon arrival, you ll be met and arranged accommodation at a local family. In the afternoon, you ll pick up your bike for a short ride along country lane road to visit a local market thence to the dyke of Xuan Chau village to see the migrant birds returning to the sleeping place in the mangrove forest by the dyke. You ll stay the night with a local family. In January 1989 Xuan Thuy was declared Vietnam's first Ramsar site; a wetland of international importance. The Xuan Thuy Nature Reserve was established in 1995 and was upgraded to a national park in Located in the Giao Thuy district forming part of the UNESCO Red River Biosphere Reserve, it is a rich, biodiverse coastal wetland that houses about 220 species of birds (including nine endangered species), 110 aquatic plants and 500 other aquatic organisms. Many highly valuable types of seafood like shellfish, shrimps, fish, crabs and oysters are also found in this area. It is also a critically important staging area and wintering area for migratory birds visiting and passing through Vietnam from north-east Asia and Siberia to Australia. Giao Xuan is one of five communities located within the park's buffer zone. The communities rely heavily on the natural resources of the park for food, shelter an their livelihoods. Unfortunately over-fishing destructive fishing and the clearing of the mangrove forests for shrimp aquaculture have resulted in a loss of biodiversity. The national park is experiencing a loss of natural resource habitat and ecological productivity, as well as coastal accretion (sediment buildup). The combination of poverty, a dependence on aquatic resources and environmental degradation has created a situation that calls for immediate action. Since 2003, the Centre for Marinelife Conservation and Community development (MCD) has been working with coastal communities to address the need for alternative, sustainable livelihoods. Ecotourism has been identified as a constructive way to improve livelihoods and help restore Vietnam's marine ecosystem, and MCD is helping communities develop eco-business in a sustainable way working to ensure a future for all. Day 4: Xuan Thuy National Park/Hanoi (B, L, G) Wake up early in the morning and see how people start a day and listen to the sounds of the country life. You ll then have breakfast in the local style then leave village at 8.30 and spend whole morning to visit Xuan Thuy National Park by motor boat where you can watch migrant birds and some kinds of natural life in the Xuan Thuy Wetland reserve. After the lunch, you ll return to Hanoi for overnight accommodation. Day 5: Hanoi/Ho Chi Minh City (B, DP) Your morning will be free until your guide and driver arrive to take you to the airport for your flight to Ho Chi Minh City. When you arrive, a private car will be waiting to take you to your hotel in the city centre. After checking in, you ll be free for a preliminary wander around District 1. Your overnight will be in Ho Chi Minh City.

3 Day 6: Ho Chi Minh City/Nam Cat Tien (B, L, DP, G) In the morning, your driver will arrive at your hotel to take you to Nam Cat Tien National Park. After lunch at the canteen in the park centre, you ll drive 9 km in a Jeep and then hike for three kilometres through the rainforest to Crocodile Lake - you may see some of the typical wild fauna en-route. You ll be able to watch the wildlife around the lake in the evening when the wild animals come to the lake to drink. From your hide, you re likely to see monkeys, deer and other small mammals, and with a good pair of binoculars, there s a good chance of spotting less familiar fauna, such as the Siamese crocodiles after which the lake is named. When darkness falls, you ll row quietly on the lake with a large flashlight to see some of the nocturnal visitors to the lake and listen to the sounds of the forest. You ll stay in the park guesthouse in the Crocodile Lake area. About 150km from Ho Chi Minh City, Nam Cat Tien is one of Vietnam s largest protected areas a complicated network of wetlands and tropical forest nearly 74,000 hectares in two sections bisected by a river, the larger about fifty or sixty kilometres across in both directions. Its biodiversity is considerable with over fifty endangered species listed in the Red Book including the Javan Rhinoceros, the Siamese Crocodile and the Indochina Tiger. Of particular interest is its large bird population well over three hundred species have been identified so far. There are several trails through the forest. Although they avoid the deeper areas that are the habitat of the rarer species, they are well designed and offer good opportunities to see a wide range of flora and fauna. The best time to visit Nam Cat Tien National Park is the dry season from December to late May. The Bird Lake is a good alternative for the Crocodile Lake for those who like bird watching. The Orange-necked Partridge is one of the rare bird species that live in the park. The best time for bird watching is from February to April. Day 7: Nam Cat Tien (B, L, D, G) If you can manage a pre-dawn visit to the lake, you ll have another opportunity to spy on the park s wildlife. If you d prefer just normal early, your row on the lake will be mainly to watch the park s feathered inhabitants. You ll then hike back to the main road and drive seven kilometres westwards for another one-kilometre hike along the forest trail to the giant Ficus Tree which covers over two hectares. Fortified by a canteen lunch, a cruise down Dong Nai River on a motor boat takes you to Ta Lai village to visit the farms and houses of S Tieng and Chau Ma ethnic minorities. You ll stay overnight in the guesthouse. The flora in the Ficus Tree area was heavily depleted by defoliation during the war, thus allowing fast growing bamboo to take over. Somehow, the Ficus tree that you ll see survived, and has become one of the most spectacular trees in the park. The people of Ta Lai village are now committed to protecting the forest by returning to their traditional weaving skills instead of hunting and logging. You can contribute to this sustainable development by purchasing their products. Day 8: Nam Cat Tien/Ho Chi Minh City (B, L, G) In the early morning, you ll cycle to the nearby Ben Ngu area. After wandering around the massive trees, dripping vines, and visiting the rapids (water level permitting), it ll be time for lunch in the canteen and your return to Ho Chi Minh City. Day 9: Ho Chi Minh City departure (B, DP) Your time will be your own until your private car and driver arrives to take you to Tan Son Nhat airport for your departure flight.

4 The prices for this sample tour are per person in SG dollars: These prices are valid until September 30, Number in group *Supplement for single occupancy Mid-range 2,215 1,918 1,596 1, star hotel 2,191 1,890 1,570 1, Single room occupancy refers to the accommodation element of the programme only, and applies to someone who is travelling with others but requires an additional room for him or herself. Single traveller prices are available on request Our prices include: Breakfast and accommodation sharing a twin or double room. Pick-ups and transfers by private air-conditioned vehicle as specified in the itinerary above (Please note: pick-ups will be by a guide and driver or, where a guide is not necessary, a driver only. All unaccompanied drivers will be briefed in advance, and will carry a mobile phone to ensure smooth transfer arrangements) Domestic flight tickets: Hanoi Ho Chi Minh City, including domestic airport taxes. Travel in an appropriate private air-conditioned vehicle with an experienced safe driver. Where necessary, entry fees for all visits as mentioned in the programme. Jeep transfer in the Nam Cat Tien National Park Boat cruises and rowing boat as programme. The use of bicycles The services of one of the park s English-speaking guides as indicated in the itinerary Lunches and dinners (as specified in the itinerary) in the best local restaurants, or picnics where no suitable restaurant is available, and in the park s canteens VAT and other taxes Our prices do not include: International flight tickets and airport tax Visas Dinners, except as specified above Drinks, gratuities and personal expenses Camera fees (if any) Insurance

5 Hotel list for Mid-range standard: Hanoi: Gondola Hotel (***a new hotel by Hoan Kiem Lake Superior room) Cuc Phuong: National Park accommodation complex on two main sites with rooms in blocks and stand-alone chalets. The latter are reasonably comfortable with air conditioning and a hot water shower, with a snack restaurant nearby. There s also an evening meal delivery service. (We use the Chalet rooms) Xuan Thuy: homestay with a local family in Giao Xuan Commune or at National Park s Guesthouse (basic accommodation) Nam Cat Tien: National Park accommodation complex on single site with large villa-style blocks and single storey terraces. Rooms have hot water showers and air-conditioning the higher standard rooms are quite comfortable. There s a large swimming pool, tennis courts, table tennis, and so on. (we use the best rooms in the terraces) Ho Chi Minh City: Queen Ann Hotel (*** city centre Superior room) 2* Hotel list: Hanoi: Luminous Hotel (** boutique hotel, situated in the heart of Hanoi s Old Quarter, a short walk from Hoan Kiem Lake - Superior room) Cuc Phuong: National Park accommodation complex on two main sites with rooms in blocks and stand-alone chalets. The latter are reasonably comfortable with air conditioning and a hot water shower, with a snack restaurant nearby. There s also an evening meal delivery service. (We use the Chalet rooms) Xuan Thuy: homestay with a local family in Giao Xuan Commune or at National Park s Guesthouse (basic accommodation) Nam Cat Tien: National Park accommodation complex on single site with large villa-style blocks and single storey terraces. Rooms have hot water showers and air-conditioning the higher standard rooms are quite comfortable. There s a large swimming pool, tennis courts, table tennis, and so on. (we use the best rooms in the terraces) Ho Chi Minh City: Saigon Europe Hotel (** city centre Superior room) Please note that Vietnam hotels do not recognise provisional reservations, so specific hotels cannot be guaranteed until you have booked your chosen tour. As many of the better hotels are often full during the October to April peak season, early booking is advisable.

Domestic Flights Ho Chi Minh City - Da Nang and Hue - Hanoi (Economic Class of Vietnam Airline)

Domestic Flights Ho Chi Minh City - Da Nang and Hue - Hanoi (Economic Class of Vietnam Airline) BestPrice Travel., JSC Address: 12A, Ba Trieu Alley, Ba Trieu Street, Hai Ba Trung District, Hanoi, Vietnam Email: sales@bestpricevn.com Tel: +84 436-249-007 Fax: +84 436-249-007 Website: https://bestpricevn.com