Date: August 31, 2025
Time: Half Day Tour (6:30 AM – 12:00 PM)
Guide(s): Tiên Nguyễn
Car Driver: Vũ
Group size: 3x PAX. April, Max and Zeke
What Tour: Explore Son Tra: Wildlife & Nature Walk (Half Day)
Guide’s Notes:
- Wildlife highlights: Red-shanked Douc Langur, Rhesus Macaque, Pallas’ Squirrel, Oriental Honey Buzzard, White-throated Kingfisher, Puff-throated Babbler, White-crested Laughingthrush, Green-eared Barbet, Indochinese Blue Flycatcher, Greater Racket-tailed Drongo, large butterfly diversity, and more.
- Weather & Conditions: Sunny and pleasant until late morning; birds became less vocal after 10:30 AM when temperatures rose to around 31°C.
- Recommendations: During late summer, best birding activity usually occurs before 10:00 AM. This route offers a strong mix of primates, birds, and invertebrates — ideal for both birders and general wildlife enthusiasts.
Forest and Habitat: Located to the northeast of Đà Nẵng City, Sơn Trà Peninsula is bordered by Đà Nẵng Bay to the northwest, the East Sea to the northeast and southeast, and the mainland to the southwest. Most of the area belongs to the Sơn Trà Nature Reserve, a special-use forest established in 1977. There are two types of habitats that dominate the peninsula: evergreen broadleaf forest and coastal forest scrub. In general, it offers a healthy diversity of habitats, including towering evergreen canopies, fruiting trees, flowering shrubs, lower scrublands and streams, making Sơn Trà one of central Vietnam’s most important biodiversity hotspots.
Detailed Tour Report:
The day began bright and clear as we set off at 6:30 AM. By the time we reached the Sơn Trà Security Booth (7:10 AM), the sun was soft and perfect for morning photography. As we enjoyed bánh mì and coffee, there was a loud “laughing” sound, the short three-syllable call of the White-crested Laughingthrush echoing from the forest, unfortunately a long distance from where we stood.
As we began our drive into the mountain, the first highlight came when we encountered a troop of 15–20 Rhesus Macaques crossing the power lines. It was a great start to watch as the mothers carried their babies tightly clutched to their bellies, juveniles hesitating mid-way before scampering across.
From there, we strolled around half a kilometre along the edge of the Sơn Trà Nature Reserve. This short walk was filled with birdsong and butterflies flittering everywhere! Guests (especially our birder April!), were delighted to add some more lifers like the Dark-necked Tailorbird, Stripe-throated Bulbul, Pin-striped Tit-Babbler, Green-eared Barbet, Indochinese Blue Flycatcher, Greater Racket-tailed Drongo, and Puff-throated Babbler. Meanwhile, Max and Zeke practiced scanning treetops constantly searching for new birds and monkeys. Butterflies were abundant and dazzling: Glassy Tiger, Dark Blue Tiger, Chocolate Tiger, Vagrant, Black and White Helen, Common Rose Swallowtail, Common Archduke, and the magnificent Golden Birdwing among them. Along the walk, our guide also shared about the use of some common medical plants of Vietnam and also how plants like White beggar-ticks and Siam weed have long been used in traditional Vietnamese medicine.
Not long after, Son Tra’s main prize came into view! It was a troop of Red-shanked Douc Langurs. Guests watched in awe as 5–7 individuals fed calmly on young leaves. One juvenile, perhaps six months old, followed its mother but was bold enough to experiment on its own, nibbling away on leaves and leaping between branches with surprising agility. Just across the road the mammal list jumped ahead, a small Pallas’ Squirrel bounding from tree to tree.
At our next spot, the group’s patience was rewarded with another collection of local birds. A flash of yellow and olive revealed a female Ornate Sunbird when we actually tried to pssh in a Dark-neck Tailorbird, and then Max spotted an Oriental Honey-buzzard soaring above (sharp eyes that impressed everyone!). We also observed Scaly-breasted Munia, Common Kingfisher, and after some effort, managed to glimpse a Greater Coucal slipping through dense undergrowth, its rufous wings flashing briefly before vanishing.
To end the trip, we visited the one of our favourite lowland hotspots, complete with lowland forest, a babbling stream and scrubby canal. Here, we hoped to see bee-eaters and kingfishers. Our patience was quickly rewarded: after a short walk a White-throated Kingfisher perched confidently on a power line, its vivid blue wings glowing in the sunlight. Nearby, we spotted a Blue-tailed Bee-eater and 2x others swooping low across the canal. Once again, Max’s sharp eyes picked up the same raptor that he had seen – Oriental Honey-buzzard, which gave us a longer and clearer look than earlier, confirming the identification.
By 12:00 PM, we wrapped up our half day tour. The guests left with smiles, telling me they had seen “all kinds of wildlife” and were amazed by the diversity of Sơn Trà’s forest! For April, the morning meant a list of lifers; for Max and Zeke, it was the beginning of a birding journey.
If you have enjoyed reading about our outing (and are ready to experience for yourself!), please feel free to visit our tour page (Explore Son Tra: Wildlife & Nature Walk) or send us an email for more details! This is perfect tour for those that are after that expert-led nature experience but have limited time or are travelling with friends or family.
