Our Nature Trails adventure tours begin with....
..... time to recover and a night in Hanoi. Once you've settled in and rested after your flight, we'll meet you over dinner to say "hello", and provide you with some gentle entertainment in the form of water puppetry
Meals: one dinner
Escort/guide: transfer from airport to hotel and evening
Two Days in Cuc Phuong National Park
Cuc Phuong, about 140 km south of Hanoi by road, is one of Vietnam's oldest national parks and consequently one of the best managed. It's approximately 22, 000 ha of subtropical forest and karst limestone scenery, and home to an extraordinary range of unique species. Apart from exploring the forest, you'll visit the park's Endangered Primate Centre, where you'll be able to see two of the rarest species in the world, the critically endangered Delacour and Cat Ba langurs.
Unlike most national parks in Vietnam, there is some decent accommodation including some chalets with such luxuries as air conditioning.
The best time for Cuc Phuong is from October to May. Avoid the summer as the parks biodiversity includes a large contingent of leeches that get hungry in hot humid weather. April to May sees clouds of millions of butterflies spiralling in pockets of sunshine.
Meals: two breakfasts, two picnic lunches and one dinner
Guide: both days.
A free morning in Hanoi and a day and a half Bach Ma National Park.
Bach Ma, 22, 000 ha of forest and granite mountains about 60km south of Hue, is also well-managed. The staff members are committed to good conservation practice, Bach Ma is one of the few locations in Vietnam where the term 'eco-tourism' is more than a marketing slogan.
The park is dominated by a single 1, 448m peak wrapped in tropical monsoon forest below and topped by sub-tropical vegetation. The park's guesthouse accommodation is in renovated colonial holiday villas, remnants of the original French hill-station, stunning views across to the sea 17km away!
The park has beautiful scenery and many endemic species, and is particularly rich in birdlife. The best time to visit is from December to September, the leeches make their appearance in October and November.
Meals: two breakfasts, two lunches and two dinners
Guide: from airport pick-up to return
Three days in Nam Cat Tien National Park and back to Ho Chi Minh City.
At 74, 000 ha, Nam Cat Tien is one of Vietnam's larger National Parks and the largest tropical rainforest in the country. About 150km north of Ho Chi Minh City, the park is bursting with wildlife, so much so that there are moves afoot to expand it. Endemic species abound, and the discovery of previously unknown species are frequent. Among the larger critically endangered species are the Javan Rhinoceros, the Siamese Crocodile and the Indochina Tiger. The park also boasts Vietnam's second largest herd of Asian Elephants, another imperilled specie.
Its unusual diversity has much to do with the wide range of habitats, evergreen and semi-deciduous forest areas, freshwater wetlands, lakes, large areas of bamboo, grassland and flooded forest. Accommodation is basic, and a visit involves plenty of walking in the deeper forest areas.
Meals: three breakfasts, three lunches and two dinners
Guide: from hotel pick-up to return
Time to leave!
You'll be free until your car arrives to take you to Ho Chi Minh City's Tan Son Nhat airport.
Meals: one breakfast
