Moonlight Safari: Vietnam's Nocturnal Wildlife
One of the most popular wildlife tours in Vietnam, our Moonlight Safari invites you to discover the hidden world of the country’s nocturnal creatures. Departing from Ho Chi Minh City in the afternoon, you’ll journey to Nui Dinh, where pristine old-growth forests come alive after dark. Here, encounters with the rare Southern Pygmy Slow Loris are virtually guaranteed, along with opportunities to see rare owls, nightjars, pit vipers, leopard cats, civets, and a host of other fascinating nocturnal species. An incredible and unforgettable adventure for nature lovers, wildlife photographers and families alike.
Details
Summary
— 1-Night Safari Tour (approx. 8hrs)
— Bookings Available Year-Round
— Departs from Ho Chi Minh City
— Private tours for individuals or small groups with options for larger groups available upon request
Prices From:
Single Person: $300 per person
Group of 2: $187 per person
Group of 3: $143 per person
Group of 4: $123 per person
Overnight options in Vung Tau are also available. Contact us for the price details.
Moonlight Safari: Vietnam's Nocturnal Wildlife
Code: HCSD06 | Categories: Mammal Watching & Primate Tours, Birding, Spotlighting & Nocturnal Wildlife Tours | Locations: Ho Chi Minh City
Summary:
Join us on the ultimate wildlife adventure, our signature Moonlight Safari.
Departing from Ho Chi Minh City, this night expedition ventures deep into the old-growth forests of Nui Dinh, one of southern Vietnam’s least-explored lowland forest areas. Just a few hours’ drive from the city, these forested hills offer easy access, rich biodiversity, and a remarkable chance to encounter rare nocturnal wildlife including the elusive Southern Pygmy Slow Loris and Oriental Bay Owl to nightjars, kraits, pit vipers, frogs, geckos, civets, leopard cats, and much more.
Your adventure begins around 3:00 PM, with convenient pick-up from your district in Ho Chi Minh City. After a relaxed drive and light dinner stop near Vung Tau, we ascend into the forested slopes of Nui Dinh as night falls.
From dusk onward, the forest comes alive. We’ll start by scanning for Eastern Barn Owl and Collared Scops Owl, often the first species of the evening. Once inside the forest, we continue on foot along wide, clear trails, with each participant equipped with high-quality headlamps and red-light torches for safety as well as ethical wildlife observation.
The focus of the night is to find our two “star” species, the Southern Pygmy Slow Loris and Oriental Bay Owl. Alongside our big two, we’ll target the dragon-like Great Eared Nightjar and its cousin the Large-tailed Nightjar, as well as brilliant herps such as Blue Krait, Ruby-eyed Pit Viper, Small Spotted Coral Snake, Ma Da Paddy Frog, and the spectacular Tokay Gecko (you’ll hear it before you see it!). Other highlights often include Asian Palm Civet, Common Giant Flying Squirrel, and occasional appearances by Indochinese Horseshoe Bat, Black Golden Orbweaver, or even the Chinese Swimming Scorpion.
Over several hours, we’ll explore key sections of trail, focusing on diverse microhabitats across the mountain’s slopes, each spot offering a different set of species and encounters. By around 9:30 PM, we wrap up and begin the drive back to Ho Chi Minh City, usually arriving before midnight. (Overnight options in Vung Tau are also available for those who wish to stay longer.)
Tour Pace
This tour is conducted at an easy to moderate pace, suitable for both relaxed walkers, bird listers, and photographers. Most of our route follows reasonably flat, well-maintained tracks, though we also spend time walking through forest, scrublands, occasionally muddy areas, and wetlands/agriculture areas.
Key Target Species
Núi Dinh is home to an impressive diversity of wildlife, far too many species to list in full here. For a comprehensive checklist or if you have specific targets in mind, please contact our team directly. Below is a selection of regularly encountered highlight and representative species, organised by family group.
Birds:
Oriental Bay Owl, Collared Scops Owl, Eastern Barn Owl, Great Eared Nightjar, Large-tailed Nightjar
Mammals:
Southern Pygmy Slow Loris, Small-toothed Palm Civet, Southeast Asian Palm Civet, Mainland Leopard Cat, Common Giant Flying Squirrel, Oriental House Rat, Greater Short-nosed Fruit Bat, Wild Boar, Hardwicke’s Woolly Bat
Snakes:
Blue Krait (Bungarus candidus), Indo-Chinese Spitting Cobra (Naja siamensis), Small Spotted Coral Snake (Calliophis maculiceps), Malayan Pit Viper (Calloselasma rhodostoma), Ruby-eyed Pit Viper (Trimeresurus rubeus), Asian Whip Snake (Ahaetulla prasina), Golden Tree Snake (Chrysopelea ornata), Painted Bronzeback (Dendrelaphis pictus), Green Cat Snake (Boiga cyanea), Gunther’s Kukri Snake (Oligodon cinereus), Rainbow Mud Snake (Enhydris enhydris), Reticulated Python (Python reticulatus), Sunbeam Snake (Xenopeltis unicolor)
Frogs and Toads:
Burmese Squat Frog (Glyphoglossus guttulatus), Striped Sticky Frog (Kalophrynus interlineatus), Ma Da Paddy Frog (Micryletta erythropoda), Painted Frog (Kaloula pulchra), Malcom Narrow-mouth Frog (Microhyla malcomi), Ninhthuan Narrow-mouth Frog (Microhyla ninhthuanensis),
Lizards and Geckos:
Crowned Pricklenape (Acanthosaura coronata), Vietnamese Blue Crested Lizard (Calotes bachae), Cattien Bent-toed Gecko (Cyrtodactylus cattienensis), Tokay Gecko (Gekko gecko), Stump-toed Gecko (Gehyra mutilata)
Group Size
This is a private tour, available for individuals or small groups, with options for larger groups available upon request.
Photography Opportunites & Notes
Excellent wildlife photography opportunities are available, both for serious camera users and sometimes even those equipped with smartphones. For those aiming to photograph nocturnal birds and mammals, we recommend a telephoto lens of 300mm or more. In low-light conditions, a shorter-range lens (250–400mm) can sometimes perform better, especially with faster apertures.
For guests interested in photographing reptiles, amphibians, and insects, a standard macro lens is ideal. If you’re unsure what to bring or want tailored advice based on your gear, feel free to contact our expert team, we’re happy to help you prepare for the best possible shots.
Discover More in Southern Vietnam
If this tour caught your eye, you might also enjoy some of our other amazing wildlife 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 Ho Chi Minh City and Southern 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.
Our most popular 1-day birding experience from Vietnam’s largest city. Explore the rich birdlife of Can Gio’s pristine mangrove and coastal biosphere. Expect large numbers and an extraordinary diversity of Indochinese specialists, including parakeets, bitterns, and bee-eaters, as well as global rarities such as Nordmann’s Greenshank and more!
Discover the extraordinary biodiversity of Cát Tiên National Park — Vietnam’s premier destination for wildlife watching. We provide the widest range of expertly curated experiences available, from exclusive multi/single-day tours, tailored expeditions and safaris, to custom adventures focused on birding, mammal and primate watching, herping, natural history, and conservation. Whether you’re a seasoned wildlife watcher, an expert photographer, a big lister, or a curious traveler, we ensure a world-class wildlife experience for everyone.
Join our short but rewarding birding expedition into the heart of the Mekong Delta. Centered on Tram Chim, one of Vietnam’s last remaining lowland wetland reserves, this tour offers excellent opportunities to observe waterbirds, grassland specialists, and seasonal migrants, including Sarus Crane, Pied Harrier, Blue-eared Kingfisher, Asian Golden Weaver and more. Highlights include private guided boat cruises, spotlighting, and a coastal extension to search for the world’s rarest wader, the Spoon-billed Sandpiper. Perfect for birders & photographers and available year round.
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
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