Bach Ma 3-Day Primates & Mammals Tour
Discover one of Vietnam’s most rewarding primate and mammal-watching destinations, Bach Ma National Park. Home to a spectacular array of Annamite Range endemics, rarities, and sought-after species, you’ll wake to the sound of gibbons singing, venture deep into the forest after dark for civets, and spend your days exploring this vast and magnificent mountain range in search of everything from giant squirrels to muntjacs.
Details
Summary:
— 3-Day / 2-Night Tour
— Bookings Available Year-Round
— Departs from Da Nang & Hoi An with other locations on request
— Private Tours for Individuals or Small Groups, with Options for Larger Groups Available Upon Request
Prices From:
Single Person: $875 per person
Group of 2: $523 per person
Group of 3: $440 per person
Group of 4: $379 per person
Bach Ma 3-Day Primates & Mammals Tour
Code: HUMD03 | Categories: Mammal Watching & Primate Tours | Locations: Da Nang / Hoi An, Hue
Summary
Join us on one of our most popular tours, our 3-Day / 2-Night comprehensive primate and mammal-watching tour of the spectacular Bach Ma National Park, located in the biodiversity hotspot, the Annamite Ranges.
This is the ideal mammal-watching experience, both for specialists, photographers and wildlife watchers, is designed to connect you with the region’s rich and endemic mammal life. This trip is designed to allow for great experiences with highlight and key species, but also with time to track down some of the most sought-after and tough-to-find targets and ensure spectacular photography along the way. Though we follow a general itinerary, each tour is tailored to your priorities, whether that’s specific species, photography, field pace, or other interests.
The trip can begin from Hue, Da Nang, Hoi An or other nearby locations upon request. Over three days, you’ll enjoy world-class mammal-watching across a diverse array of habitats including high elevation montane and evergreen forests, lowland forests, paddy fields, and grasslands. Extensive spotlighting with thermal equipment and red-light torches is included on both nights, targeting cryptic nocturnal species.
Bach Ma National Park (and this section of the Annamite Ranges) has a notable list of target species, living up to its reputation as one of Vietnam’s premiere wildlife watching locations. Some of our most frequently targeted and encountered (in approximate taxonomic order) species include Pygmy Slow Loris, Northern Yellow-cheeked Gibbon, Red-shanked Douc Langur, Rhesus Macaque, Northern Pig-tailed Macaque, Stump-tailed Macaque, Cambodian Striped Squirrel, Maritime Striped Squirrel, Indochinese Ground Squirrel, Pallas’ Squirrel, Asian Red-cheeked Squirrel, Black Giant Squirrel, Common Giant Flying Squirrel, East Asian Porcupine, Oriental House Rat, Lang Bian White-bellied Rat, Lesser Richfield Rat, Mainland Leopard Cat, Asian Palm Civet, Small-toothed Palm Civet, Owston’s Civet, Javan Mongoose, Yellow-throated Marten, Small-tooth Ferret Badger, Annamite Muntjac, Serow, Asian House Shrew, Intermediate Horseshoe Bat, Pearson’s Horseshoe Bat, Ratanaworabhan’s Fruit Bat, Black-bearded Tomb Bat, and many more.
Accommodation is in original French-style villas near the summit, with clean rooms and basic amenities. All meals and non-alcoholic drinks are included.
This tour can be customised with additional days and/or linked with other Next Continent tours upon request. Most often, our guests choose to add an extra evening for additional spotlighting opportunities. This can be very rewarding, as many species occupy different elevations and habitats, allowing us to target a greater diversity more thoroughly with the extra night.
Experience the best of Bach Ma mammal watching and natural beauty in this expertly crafted, flexible wildlife tour. If your time is short, we can customise this tour to fit a 2-Day / 1-night itinerary. Complete our booking form or get in touch with us and we’ll be happy to help! If time is extra short, you may wish to consider our Explore Bach Ma: Waterfalls, Wildlife and Natural Wonders.
Itinerary
Day 1:
- Early pick-up from your accommodation (Hue, Da Nang, or Hoi An)
- Enjoy a takeaway Vietnamese breakfast en route
- Arrive at Bach Ma early morning and begin slow descent (searching for primates, particularly Northern Yellow-cheeked Gibbon, Red-shanked Douc Langur and Stump-tailed Macaque)
- On the way, set up Elliot Traps at key target locations
- Check-in at your villa accommodation near the summit & enjoy lunch with forest views
- Afternoon searching for Annamite Muntjac & diurnal targets such as giant squirrels
- Dinner at the villa
- Spotlighting, focussing on high elevation species (civets, ferret badger etc)
Day 2:
- Full day of tailored mammal watching across varied habitats in the park
(customised to your pace, interests, and key species) - Dawn usually begins at key sites for Northern Yellow-cheeked Gibbon and checking small mammal traps from the night before
- Opportunities for both summit and mid-elevation trails
- Lunch provided within the park
- Return to the villa for rest and dinner
- Night walk or spotlighting session / now targeting bamboo thickets and lower elevation area for different target species to night before
Day 3:
- Morning mammal-watching around the summit trails + checking small mammal traps from the evening before
- Breakfast at the villa
- Late morning descent to lower elevations for additional mammal-watching and lunch
- Early afternoon return to your accommodation. Tour ends late afternoon / early evening
Tour Pace
Conditions in Bach Ma are typically moderate in difficulty with some nice, well-maintained paths and roads for straightforward walking. However, it should be noted that there are some optional steep climbs and more-demanding tracks. As we make our way through your tour, we’ll adapt to the best spots for you, your pace and target species.
Notes On Targets
Mammal & Primate Watching can be a rewarding yet challenging pursuit, often requiring a variety of techniques to locate and identify a high diversity of species. To provide context and clarity, our guiding team has compiled a few notes outlining the key species we encounter and the methods we use to find them.
To date, we have connected with six different primate species during our tours to Bạch Mã National Park. Currently, two troops of Northern Yellow-cheeked Gibbon are regularly encountered in specific areas known to our staff. These gibbons are most vocal and active at dawn, so we typically target them early in the morning on Days 2 and 3 of our itinerary.
Red-shanked Douc Langur and Stump-tailed Macaque are found across various parts of the park and are best located either by road cruising or walking in key areas. The Pygmy Slow Loris prefers lower elevations and bamboo thickets or lowland forest, and we spotlight for this elusive nocturnal primate on the second night.
Both Large-antlered Muntjac and Annamite Muntjac occur within Bach Ma, offering rare and exciting opportunities for visiting mammal-watchers to connect with these elusive and remarkable species. Due to ongoing poaching concerns and behaviour of other tourism providers, we are unable to share further detailed information publicly. However, we can say that our Annamite Muntjac site has proven to be highly reliable and is quickly becoming one of the most consistently observed mammals during our 3-day tours.
All squirrel species can be encountered throughout the park and are best spotted either on foot or during road cruises. A notable exception is the Common Giant Flying Squirrel, which we locate using thermal scopes during our spotlighting sessions.
Other nocturnal mammals such as East Asian Porcupine, Small-toothed Ferret Badger, and a variety of civet/viverridae species are found across different elevations and habitats. To maximise species diversity, we typically spend one night at higher (summit) elevations and the second night in mid- to lower-elevation zones. Most of these nocturnal species are best detected using our thermal scope technology.
Small rodents and mammals are abundant but vary with habitat and elevation. We ethically use Elliot Sherman traps to observe these hard-to-see species, which has proven to be a highly effective and responsible method for study and photography.
Lastly, bats are a major highlight for many of our visitors. We visit known colonies in caves and disused mines, and our team also employs echolocation detectors to help track and identify microbat species.
Other Wildlife Highlights
It’s no secret that where mammal watching is spectacular, other wildlife experiences often follow and Bach Ma is no exception. Beyond primates and other mammals, the park is best known for its outstanding birding and herping, with over 430 species of birds and herpetofauna recorded so far. Butterfly watching, rare orchids, and tropical invertebrates add even more depth to the experience. The entire Next Continent team is thoroughly trained across major wildlife groups, so whether you want to add a bit of herping, track down a Silver Pheasant, or search for rare tropical moths during your birding tour, we’re ready to help.
If you want to learn more, visit our Bach Ma Wildlife Tours page, or get in touch with our team directly.
Group Size
Private tours for individuals or small groups with options for larger groups available upon request.
Climate & Weather Conditions
Cool and temperate year-round. Misty mornings with frequent fog in the highlands. Humid conditions with regular rain showers, especially from October to December.
Tour Inclusions
- Private guide specialising in mammals, primates, natural history and other wildlife
- Specialist Torches, Thermal Scope & Other Equipment
- Dedicated driver for convenience
- Accommodation Included
- All meals during your tour
- Non-alcoholic beverages throughout the day
- Water bottles and snacks available in the vehicle
- All necessary entrance tickets and permits
- Comprehensive insurance coverage
- First aid and a COVID-safe environment
Photography Opportunites & Notes
Superb photographic opportunities, though conditions can be moderately challenging due to typical forest terrain. As photo opportunities vary greatly depending on target species and time of year, we recommend discussing your goals with the Next Continent team in advance so we can tailor the best possible plan for your photography experience.
Discover More in Central Vietnam
If this tour caught your eye, you might also enjoy some of our other experiences in the region, each with its own unique focus and highlights. Below are some of our most popular and recommended options, perfect for discovering more of what Central Vietnam has to offer. Thinking of doing more than one? Let us know and we’ll be happy to create a customised package to suit your journey.
Join our Kingdom of the Doucs tour for an unforgettable two-day primate photography adventure, featuring both the critically endangered Grey-shanked and striking Red-shanked Douc Langurs. This private, all-inclusive experience offers exceptional wildlife encounters, exclusive access to key habitats, and the chance to work alongside local conservationists. Perfect for photographers, primate enthusiasts, and anyone passionate about ethical wildlife travel.
Hatinh Langur: 3-Day Primate Conservation Tour
The Hatinh Langur is a critically endangered primate, found in the limestone cliffs of Quảng Bình province, Central Vietnam. On this exclusive Next Continent tour, you’ll see, photograph, and study these rare animals in one of their last wild habitats, an area with no formal protection.
This tour goes beyond wildlife viewing. You’ll join local villagers and conservationists working to protect the langurs, with part of your tour fee funding reforestation and rewilding efforts. It’s a rare chance to actively support conservation while experiencing a unique, hands-on ecotourism adventure.
Primates of Central Vietnam: 7-Day Expedition
One of our most sought-after tours, this immersive journey showcases the very best of primate viewing in Central Vietnam. Beginning in Da Nang and ending in Dong Hoi, the all-inclusive itinerary offers the rare opportunity to encounter up to nine primate species, including four critically endangered ones. Traverse an incredible variety of landscapes, from the sweeping Annamite Mountains and jagged limestone karsts of Quảng Bình to the lush coastal forests near Da Nang. Perfect for both wildlife watchers and photographers.
Tailor Your Experience
Looking to enhance your experience? Whether it’s adding an extra day, making an additional stop, arranging pick-up from a distant location, hiring a camera, or combining your tour with another one of our amazing experiences, we’ve got you covered. Get in touch today, and let our experts craft a private, customised itinerary with dates and prices tailored to your needs
Tour Reviews
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