Vam Sat Bird Sanctuary in Can Gio

Much has been written about the the Vam Sat Ecological Tourist Center (VSETC) in the Can Gio Biosphere Reserve (Vietnam) ... the bats, the crabs, the monkeys, the crocs but nothing much about the birds (at Vam Sat Bird Sanctuary) for the poor birders. I'm one of the poor birders poring over the internet to find out more about the bird sanctuary - is it worth a trip? Nothing much could be found except for some standard information rehashed over several websites. So finally, I decided to do the birding community a favour and check out the sanctuary from a birder's perspective. So this will be a blog entry covering mainly how to get there, what's there (meaning the birds) and a little side tracking to the other parts of the VSETC - be forewarned, it's a long-winded post ... could even be called an essay!

INTRODUCTION
Can Gio District is some 50km from HCMC. Can Gio forest covers about 75,000ha with its salt-marsh forest covering some 35,000ha. It is recognised as a biosphere reserve of the world by UNESCO.

Vam Sat in Can Gio lies between the rivers Vam Sat and Long Tau. During the Vietnam/American war, Vam Sat was destroyed by bombs and defoliants. Despite the odds, the reforestation efforts/programme from 1996 has raised it to the status of an international biosphere of mangrove forest - an impressive feat indeed.

But birders are only interested in the 100ha natural bird sanctuary so I'll blog mainly on that. I read that special bird food was used to induced the birds to roost in the bird sanctuary in the early days.


THE PLANNING
I dug out whatever I could find on the internet on the various ways to get there. I decided that I'll be adventurous and bike there on my own. Of course there are various other ways - you could follow a day tour, or get yourself a personal tour guide, or take a boat tour, or take the public buses-and-then-boat. For these, the internet has lots of advice - please look up on your own. TripAdvisor has a lot of info.

I planned my route on Google Maps (See my map here) and it looked rather manageable. Interestingly, I was able to locate some places on Google Maps which I couldn't find on my search in the internet. I even planned for a ride to the beach ... "planned"! The wee bit worrying part was the ferry crossing at Binh Khanh.

Ferries at Binh Khanh

TIMINGS
First the timings. I'm a poor and slow rider but this road trip took me a good more-than-3-hours each way when most people said they reached in about 2+ hours. I'll dwell on the reasons later.

0610h  Depart from Cong Hoa Street in Tan Binh
0710h  Reach ferry terminal (22km)
0810h  Reach turn-off at Rung Sac-Ly Nhon Road T-junction (35km)
0935h  Reach Vam Sat Bird Sanctuary (56km from the start)

1150h  Head back
1330h  Reach ferry terminal
1455h  Reach Cong Hoa


THE ROAD TRIP
It was smooth sailing from Cong Hoa to the ferry terminal, apart from the congestion that I marked out on Google Maps. There was a heavy downpour the night before and the roads were still wet. But the long road Huynh Tan Phat in District Nha Be was not good with various parts still slightly flooded on the sides. But surprisingly, traffic was rather smooth.

My worries about the Binh Khanh ferry crossing were just that. It was a breeze in the early morning. Monkey see, monkey do. I just followed where the VN bikers were going, paid 4,500vnd for the fare, waited with the rest for the ferry, and then rode onto the ferry just like everyone else. It was a very short sail, less than 10 minutes in all. Then again this monkey just followed the rest to disembark and I was on my way.

Going there - 100m from ferry terminal
on Huynh Tan Phat Street

Just follow the local bikes to the ticketing entrance on the right

Waiting to embark after paying ferry fare of 4,500vnd

Waiting to disembark 

Going back - 100m before the ferry terminal on Rung Sac Street 

All kinds of vehicles onboard the ferry

Passengers can sit above

Just after the ferry terminal is a little town centre (if you can call that a town) with some shops and food/drinks on both sides of the street. You can top up your supplies here if you like. Along the way, there are another 2 or 3 small little village centres where you can do that too. Someone warned about petrol - don't be fooled. There are ample petrol stations - I counted 2 along Rung Sac and 2 along Ly Nhon, so petrol is not a problem. There's also a bike repair shop along Ly Nhon should you need one.

Petrol station along Rung Sac Street

Turn off from Rung Sac to Ly Nhon

Streets clearly marked

Bridge along Ly Nhon

Petrol station along Ly Nhon

There are a few direction signs along the way. 

The air is so fresh and clean in Can Gio after the town centre that I had no need for my mask the rest of the trip in Can Gio. Very few cars and buses, and few bikes by Saigon standard. But an unexpected problem cropped up ... the roads were bad, as in every bone of mine shook and rattled all the way to the sanctuary and back. I didn't dare go fast as my scooter is already 8 years old and might break down anytime like good "old" me. The residents were different - I think they probably had super-suspensions as they zoomed at double my speed. At times, I was down to 20km/h. And the pot holes ... there are too many to count. This probably accounted for a major part of my long-timing. Perhaps it was the rain that did much damage to the roads.

The other time-gobbling activity was to stop and look at/for birds from time to time ... which was the main reason for my going there in the first place. So I stopped to smell the flowers and see the birds. It's the journey and not the destination that's important, right?. There were also some interesting sites to stop and marvel, and that's the reason why I went alone. So I could stop anytime and anywhere I wanted without feeling obliged.

Rung Sac is a big road (3 lanes each side) but the road condition was bad. Ly Nhon is a smaller 2-way street and the condition was worse. I don't see how it could get any worse.

Rung Sac Street

Ly Nhon Street & its pock-marked road

Was I ever so wrong! When I came to the sign that indicated the turnoff to Vam Sat, and I turned, and ...

Take the left turn to Vam Sat;
road condition still bad but it's still a road

No, no, no! You gotta be kidding me.
Where's the road? 

It's no more a bitumen road; now it's just a gravel track and further in, a muddy track!

Gotta go in-between two water bodies

And from here, it was a good 2.6km on the gravel-that-will-turn-to-dirt track to reach VSETC!

VAM SAT BIRD SANCTUARY

So yes, you can get there by bike, car, bus or boat (for boat, disembark at VSETC and walk to sanctuary). I read so many accounts of visitors arriving at the VSETC/sanctuary by boat that I wondered whether it was on an island. So it isn't. It's about 200m before the VSETC entrance. There's an arch that says "Bird Sanctuary" (Khu Bao Ton Tram Chim). Walk through it and there's a shelter with information on the right, some boats on the left and a single track. 

(Note : There's no proper place to park your bike here. What I did was just parked at the side and locked up my bike with a bike lock - not that it's of much use if someone is intent on stealing the bike. So remember your bike lock. Or you could park at the shelter and chain your bike to the concrete seat or the beam - much safer. Otherwise, you could park at the ranger station at VSETC - safest option - and take a short walk here.)

And finally, the Vam Sat Bird Sanctuary!!

The signboard is barely visible, hidden in the shadows ... I almost missed it

The shelter just after the entrance above (on the right).
I didn't park my bike here.

There are some boats after the entrance above (on the left).
Must be for some paid boat tour but no one was there.

Walk/drive down the track for about 200m until you see a "Do Not Enter" sign (which leads to someone's house ... don't ask how I know ... lol). There's a small wooden bridge on your left. That's the entrance to Bird Heaven. 

Do not Enter means just that!
Believe me, that track is treacherous for foreigners on bikes! 

This "doorway" on the left is the entrance to Bird Heaven.
I parked my bike here - lucky I brought a bike lock.

After the doorway is this rickety bridge to Bird Heaven.
Bridge leads to Bird Observation Tower.

A single narrow footpath leads you to the Bird Observation Tower. You'll hear all the bird sounds at ground level but it's difficult to spot the birds. 

This is the stairway to Bird Heaven...the Bird Observation Tower

On climbing the tower to above tree top level, my jaws dropped. All the birds were sitting on the tree tops 360 degree with many swooping around!!! It was indeed a sight to behold for an amateur birder ... even though there are only a few species. The photos tell a better story. I spent the better part of an hour at the top but damn, damn ... had to run as the rain was coming. I would have loved to walk beyond the tower to see what else was in store. 

A short video here but apologies for the poor quality ... 

I'm into bird photography and as you can see, the birds are rather far away. You'll need a good camera with good zoom lens if you want to get decent photos. Mine's a G85 with 100-300mm lens (not much good) and an aging P600 (which was better with x65 zoom).

Actually one can either pay for a boat and guide, or put on hired boots & guide to explore the birding scene in the marshes, so I read. That way, you'll be able to get real close to the birds and their nests. And supposedly, birds flying back at dusk will drive birders wild with "birdal" estacy, and make for lovely bird photography. I guess for that, it will have to be an overnight trip. That'll be on my wish list if I ever return.

HOW'S THE BIRDING?

It was a bit disappointing for me. There weren't many different birds to "shoot" in the first place. I was so excited to see my first Collared Kingfisher in Vietnam (after the ferry terminal), only to find that they're a dime a dozen in Can Gio. The bird sanctuary only had the following as far as I can tell:

Black-crowned Night Heron

Little Cormorant

Little Egret

Laced Woodpecker (just happened to catch one flying around)

I caught sight of a Greater Coucal at the sanctuary but couldn't get my camera up on time. Got a very blur shot of what I thought was a Racket-tailed Treepie - I saw quite a few of them flying around along the way but couldn't get a shot in again ... damn! These were some of the birds I shot on the way there :

Is this a Racket-tailed Treepie? It's got blue eyes, and long, fan-like tail feathers.

Collared Kingfisher (shot from tower at VSETC)

The best I could do for this pix of what looks like a Japanese or Oriental White-eye

Need ID for this birdie!

There were some Bulbuls (yellow-vented and olive-winged if I'm not wrong), swifts/swallow's, munias (looked like scaly-breasted), sparrows, doves (looked like either zebra or spotted from far) and one quail-like bird.

Here's an impressive list of birds that you can find in Can Gio. Based on this list, sure looks like it's worth going. But the reality may be quite different. 

Would I visit again? Not on bike, that's for sure. I might consider the boat trip if it's just to see the birds, and trekking through the marshes to catch the birds up close sounds interesting ... but I'll think twice about a second trip there. Will probably go Dalat but that's an essay for another day. 

Note : I read that the bird-watching season in the sanctuary is from May to October. If you're visiting, please do check that again to ensure that you won't be disappointed. You don't want to come here and see only tree tops!

LINKS ON VAM SAC BIRD SANCTUARY
Vietnamtourism.info
Vietnamnet
List of birds in Can Gio

VSETC (VAM SAT ECOLOGICAL TOURIST CENTER)

Decided to come here to seek shelter from the rain and see what the place is about (please see the photos). The rain stopped when I reach here ... damn again! Anyway, the tours, if you book them, involves more than just this place. You'll have boat rides along the rivers and streams to the other eco-destinations to see the bats, monkets, crabs etc. This is like the main center to start off from. Thought I'd walk the track to the crocodile enclosure to see if there were any birds along the way. It's 850m from the ranger station where I had to park my bike (it's free parking!). Nothing much there except for some tourists trying to feed the poor crocs with miserable bits of chicken meat/innards. There's a tram that brings paid tourists to the croc enclosure and back though. I climbed the tower that was there and had a lovely view of the place. Other than that, I didn't explore the other parts as I wasn't interested. And so I headed back to HCMC as I had an engagement in the evening. 

Signboard shows the various activities available at VSETC

Map of VSETC

End of the track is the jetty below

The jetty where tourists taking boat tours disembark

The Tower at VSETC

The pretty decent-looking restaurant

Signages tell you where to go. WC is the most important.

The road running through the main part of VSETC

View of the river from the Tower. The river tours will be along here.

Bird's eye view of VSETC

Crocs waiting to be baited

Even the monkeys are bored!

SIGHTS ALONG THE WAY

This reminded me of a similar scene in Lake Tikapo, New Zealand

The concrete swift house is meant for swifts to build nests so that
locals can harvest the expensive bird nest delicacy

A lovely local kindergarten with no students ... sad!

Really like these thatched houses ... so unique

There are some other interesting places to check out as can be seen on my Google Map. I decided to give them a miss because of the road condition and some time-constraint on my part. So if you want to see both VSETC (and take the tours) as well as check out the 30/4 beach and surrounding areas, the I would suggest a 2D1N stay if you have the time. Otherwise, it would be a very rushed tour.

All about getting to and from Cat Tien National Park

Made a solo visit to Cat Tien National Park from 1 to 3 June 2016. Read that it has many birds so thought I'd make a trip and see if I can catch myself some birds on digital film. I love to "shoot" birds on my cheap Nikon DSLR-wannabe camera. Spent quite some time trying to dig out info on getting there from HCMC and more importantly, getting back. Nothing much could be found, esp on getting back. So the details are here for anyone who wants to make a trip there.

Please note : PT=Phuong Trang, GBL=Green Bamboo Lodge, BX=Bus Station, QL=Highway, VN=Vietnamese/Vietnam

GETTING THERE FROM HCMC

Note : You will travel from HCMC along QL1A and then turn off to QL20 – that’s the way to Dalat. You’ll have to alight somewhere along QL20 to take a xe-om (motorbike taxi). If I’m not wrong, those with no prior arrangements will usually drop at 125km mark. Those who made arrangements with their accom can be picked up at the 142km mark.

PT Booking Office. Having read TripAdvisor and other sites, I decided to take the Phuong Trang bus (PT; English name FUTA Bus). Buy your bus tickets at 202, Le Hong Phong Street, Dist 5 – that’s what I was told when I called the hotline. I wanted to leave at 7am and so went to book my ticket the night before. Unfortunately, only the 8.30am bus was available. The rest were sold out, I think. So you might want to book a day or two earlier, or do an online booking. I made the trip out there to make sure I know where it is the next day – don’t want to be late. Mind you, there are several prominent orange Phuong Trang offices along Le Hong Phong Street and they all look alike. 202 is the one along Le Hong Phong that is between Tran Phu and An Duong Vuong.

I was fortunate that the reception girl spoke a little English. It’s best to get a Vietnamese to write down what you want to say in Vietnamese, or at least the destination. My poor VN pronunciation almost landed me at the wrong place. Fortunately, I had my VN friend write it down for me as back-up. You would have read that you have to stop somewhere along the way to Dalat. I booked the ticket to Dalat which usually cost 210,000vnd one way. But because I told her I was going to Nam Cat Tien, she charged me only 190,000vnd – so tell her where you’re going. If you book online, I think you’ll pay the full price – not that it’s a big difference. I realized that most Vietnamese will understand “Nam Cat Tien” and not “Cat Tien”. For foreigners, it’s known as “Cat Tien” to us. Told me to come one hour early. Why, I wonder, as most tours in Pham Ngu Lau only ask for us to go 30 minutes early. By the way, it would be good to put all those things you need on the bus in a bag (water, snacks, jacket, travel pillow, travel sickness med, book, phone … whatever you think you need) as your back-pack will be kept in the luggage hold.

The next day. I was lucky that I was obedient. Went there an hour early and sat to wait for the bus. Something made me asked the counter staff about the time of the bus. Thank God I did because I had to take their shuttle bus to BX Mien Tay (Bus Station Mien Tay) in Dist 6. That’s a good 20 minutes away. By then, I had missed one shuttle bus. It was already 8am when my shuttle bus left and I was wondering if I could make it on time. I did, fortunately. When you reach BX Mien Tay, look for a PT Room with the sign Dalat. Wait inside. An announcement will be made when it’s time to board. The people there are mostly taking the same bus as you, so you just follow them. Anyway, the PT staff will check your ticket first. Then he will lead everyone to the designated bus. More of the FUTA bus later.

I booked my accom with Green Bamboo Lodge (GBL – separate review). Upon my query in their facebook (which they were very prompt in replying), they asked me to get in touch with Mr Vung, their manager who will help me with the transport to GBL. He helped me to arrange a xe-om (motor bike taxi).

125km and 142km mark. You’ll find this all round the internet – some stopping at 125km, others at 142km. Mr Vung said I should tell the PT bus driver to stop at the 142km mark (important - write this down in VN and show to bus driver/asst). This is a petrol kiosk just before the Tan Phu Toll Station. 142km is nearer to Cat Tien and takes about 30 min by xe-om. 125km is at the small town Tan Phu and will take a longer distance/time to reach Cat Tien (and so you pay more for the xe-om). There was only my xe-om waiting for me at 142km so I guess that isn’t the place to stop unless you have arranged transport.

Stone Markers along QL20. There are stone markers along QL20 (Highway 20). These stone markers mark the distance along QL20 from the turnoff at QL1A (Highway 1A – the main highway you will take from HCMC – it actually goes all the way to Hanoi). 142km refers to the distance from HCMC. Do not be deceived like me. I was waiting for the 142km marker. Actually I should be looking at about the 50km mark – I didn’t note down the exact km mark because I was stunned when the asst to the driver said we had reached 142km mark. I guess it was the right place to drop as the toll station (main point of reference) was just in front. Anyway, my xe-om driver was already waiting there and flagged down the bus. Do remember to bring your glasses/sun-glasses when you ride the xe-om. Otherwise your eyes might get teary, also protection from small stones and dust. I brought my mask but didn’t use it as the air was fresh. And if you’re particular, then a cap too. Wear the helmet (comes with the xe-om) on your cap as you don’t know how many hundreds have worn that helmet!

Xe-om Price. My mistake was not asking Mr Vung to tell the xe-om driver the price. I ended up paying 200,000vnd (instead of 130,000vnd which I saw later on the GBL namecard). But seriously, I didn’t really mind. He has to make the trip out and wait for me. And then drive me all the way in. In HCMC, you’ll pay 50,000vnd just for a short distance. At times, I think we should not be too calculative where the livelihood of the locals is concerned.

Schedule :

0730 : Reach 202 LHP

0800 : Shuttle bus left for BX Mien Tay

0820 : Reach BX Mien Tay

0845 : Depart BX Mien Tay

1030 : Stop at PT Office in Bien Hoa to pick up passengers. Toilet break too.

1130 : Stop near turnoff to QL20 for lunch.

1205 : Depart

1330 : Reach 142km mark

1335 : Depart 142km mark on xe-om

1405 : Reach GBL

GOING BACK TO HCMC

Local or PT Bus? GBL Ms Men said that I could either take the local bus, or she could get a xe-om to drive me out to QL20 and help me hail the PT bus. When I asked, she said the local bus was quite alright. So I took her advice. If you think about it, you need to get someone to arrange with PT about the bus, ride the xe-om out 20+ km, and then wait for the PT bus to come. You don’t even know whether the xe om driver will wait with you. And you pay a lot more comparatively. But the local bus will pick you at the doorstep and send you all the way right into HCMC. Which will you choose? You, the reader, can decide after reading my adventure in the local bus.

Local Bus. The local bus comes to the Cat Tien entrance on the hour every hour, so I was told. It was quite on time – 8am. Just wait at Ms Le's stall or the Ticketing Booth. It costs 80,000vnd – you get what you pay for as you will see. I thought it was a big tour bus. Wrong, it’s a mini-bus. It announced its arrival in style - with horns blaring. Little did I realize that was an indication of what’s to come. Up the bus I went up with my pack and off the young driver went. Just waved at me to sit down, pack and all. The seats were small with little leg space. I’m 1.78m tall and thin and already found it tight. And there were more mosquitoes in the bus than in the Cat Tien jungle! I had to dig deep into my pack to retrieve my repellent. As written in the internet, the bus will go around the place to pick up more passengers. The way he drove, I think the driver was high. We had a jolly time speeding, twisting and turning all along the small country roads. Add the blaring VN music accompanied by the blasting horn and we’re all in for a hell of a ride … literally! At one stop, his assistant went over to the back to load some luggage bags. I took the opportunity to throw my backpack there. No, the boy said … and there were even chickens clucking their lives away in the “boot”. No choice so I went back. Driver signaled to put my pack under one of the front seats – thank goodness.

The bus zoomed around picking up more and more pax, even when all the seats were taken. The next few passengers were really taken for a ride. It goes like this. The asst will wave for an unsuspecting passenger to come on board. He steps up and the bus zooms off before he can change his mind. He looks round and finds no seat. The asst happily gives him a plastic chair to sit along the aisle. Now for the next victim. We were packed like sardines. In my row alone, we have 5 adults and 1 baby. It’s already cramped with 4 pax, let alone 5+1! I can’t even move my shoulders – we were all seated shoulder to shoulder, a royal feast for the mosquitoes. It’s going to be like that all the merry way to HCMC. What could be worse? Ah yes, there’s now this kid in front throwing up!

After an hour of looking for more victims, the mini bus finally makes it way out to QL20. We started at 8am, travelled along Ta Lai road and reach the turnoff to QL20 after an hour. (I think that’s the 125km mark but I’m not sure). After another hour, we reach the turnoff at QL1A and took a break at a local place. I climbed over an obstacle course of people and things just to get off the bus. Followed the toilet sign and almost ended up at the ladies toilet when I saw this VN guy at the “Gents”. Ladies have toilets with zinc doors. Gents … that wide open space with trees, it’s all yours … just pick your fav spot. I chose mine by the papaya tree!! Closer to HCMC, some pax got off and others got on. We finally reached the BX Mien Dong at 11.55am ... almost 4 hrs

Schedule :

0800 : Boarded the local mini-bus to HCMC

0900 : Reached Ta Lai/QL20 intersection

1005 : Reached QL20/QL1A intersection

1010 : Toilet break

1023 : Depart for HCMC

1155 : Reach Mien Dong Bus Station

GBL Ms Men said that if I should think of visiting again, I could buy the local bus ticket at Counter No 5 at BX Mien Dong. I went to check it out and true enough, Counter 5 sells bus tickets all the way to Cat Tien doorstep. So if anyone wants to travel VN-style and experience what it’s like to travel long-distance the VN way, just book a ticket from here.

ABOUT PHUONG TRANG BUS

The PT bus I took was a sleeper bus. Never took one before. I was concerned about “legs and feet” as Vietnamese have a habit of putting their feet everywhere. My fears were unfounded as our legs are tucked inside a plastic enclosure. The space was just a little too short for me after some time, but it didn’t really bother me (I’m 1.78m). I was asked to choose my seat when I booked my ticket at their office. Choose those window seats on the opposite side of the driver – so that you can look out at the streets. You’ll find cars zipping in the opposite direction if you sit at the window seats on the driver’s side, thus blocking your view at times. As for the middle row, need I say anything? It’s a no-no for me. Next question, up or down. I prefer the lower deck. There’s a blanket with every seat if you dare to use. Everyone is given a free bottle of water. The seats can be reclined so you can choose to lie down or half-sit. It’s best to bring a travel pillow with you – you won’t regret. The air-con wasn’t too good in this particular bus, so it gets a bit warm at times – all depends on your bus. You are given a plastic bag to put your shoes – no shoes/slippers in the bus. At the lunch stop, everyone just walked from their seats except silly me who brought my shoes. Guess what … the asst brought out a box of slippers for everyone!! How interesting! Oh yes, I forgot to mention the additional passengers in the form of some cockroaches hitch-hiking under the sleeper beds. The stops that the PT bus stop at have proper toilet facilities, unlike the local bus. And at the lunch point, you can buy a lunch set at 35,000vnd. Quite decent as you get rice, vegetable and a meat/fish/egg helping of your choice plus soup.

Perth - A Short Trip

Made a short trip to Perth in June. Probably the best part was our visit to The Pinnacles. Will write a bit about our itinerary and hope that it will help those planning to visit.

How long it takes depends on whether you want to stop to smell the flowers or zoom straight to the Pinnacles. I'd say it'll take about 3 hours from Perth city to reach here. For us, we took a slow drive to Yanchep National Park before making our way to the Pinnacles to catch the sunset - we were told the best views were at sunrise and sunset.

What we didn't know was that the Discovery Centre closes at 4.30pm and that was the time we reached there. So we missed it.

We spent the night at Cervantes - small little town with a population of 500+!!

The next morning, we hit the road and did some town hopping - visiting Jurien Bay 30km up north, then down south to Lancelin (nothing much) and Two Rocks (very nice little beachside town) before ending up at Mary's Bed and Breakfast.