Vietnam is home to one of the richest avifaunas of any Southeast Asian country, with a number of endemic, near-endemic, and highly threatened species found there. Indeed, no other mainland Southeast Asian country can boast as many endemics. Although intense agriculture, population pressures, and the long era of strife have taken their toll, several fine reserves and national parks dot the length of the country and shelter some of Southeast Asia's rarest birds and mammals.

Our three weeks will allow us to sample some of the richest sites that are accessible to tourists. We'll commence in Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon), and from there we'll visit three of the richest stops in the south: Cat Tien NP, arguably the richest lowland forest birding site in the country; the Di Linh area, home to a number of range-restricted birds unlikely to be seen elsewhere; and the mountainous Da Lat area, one of the most important centers of endemism in the country.

Near Hanoi, the lovely forests of Cuc Phuong NP will provide us with a few days of exciting birding in lovely limestone karst forest, and a short visit to the coast at Xuan Thuy NP will surely produce a number of stars among the more common wintering waterbirds. And Tam Dao NP, our last stop, gives us a taste of an avifauna with strong Himalayan affinities. Join us in November for this intriguing offering.

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