Vàm Hồ Bird Sanctuary is home to 500,000 storks and different types of birds in Bến Tre. Not too far from Ho Chi Minh city, this is a favorite destination for those who love animals especially birds. So don’t forget to visit this sanctuary whenever you have a chance to visit Mekong Delta.
What is the special of Vàm Hồ Bird Sanctuary?
Located along the banks of Ba Lai River, Vàm Hồ Bird Sanctuary is an attractive eco-tourism site formed in May 1986, due to the migration of birds. It covers over 40 ha of nipa, dates palms… that are ideal for birds to live, especially storks and night herons. The local people planted over 7 ha of mangroves. They dug canals to take water from Ba Lai River to Hàm Hồ and divided the sanctuary into five parts. They also built an anti-forest fire dame around the sanctuary to protect birds.
According to many experts, there are 120 different bird species with nearly half a million inhabitants including storks, night herons, great cormorants, grey herons, white-faced ibis, lesser whistling ducks…and many kinds of wild animals such as pythons, snakes, squirrels, foxes, bats, lizards …
Coming here, visitors will have a chance to walk through the forest or sit back on the boat and appreciate the beauty of nature. To serve the growing number of tourists, the local government has developed a farm area next to the bird sanctuary, growing a variety of tropical fruits. This ideal allows visitors to understand more about the agricultural life of the people of the Mekong Delta region, as well as experience the unique cultural features of the local cuisine here. There are some folk games that you should try such as crossing the monkey bridge, crossing the lake by a rope, riding cyclo…promissing refresh yourself on a Vietnam holiday trip.
What is the best time to visit Vàm Hồ Bird Sanctuary?
Every year from April to October (lunar months) is the best time of year to visit the sanctuary. During this time, many birds species are coming here to breed and raise their young. And in the early morning and late afternoon are the most active times for bird watching. At sunrise, there are thousands of birds flying away to find food, and returning to their nests when sunset.
How to reach the sanctuary?
From Ho Chi Minh city, you need to buy a ticket to Bến Tre from the Western Bus Station. After arriving Bến Tre city, you have to rent a motorbike or taxi to Vàm Hồ which takes around 1 hour of driving.
Another way is booking a private car/bus with a driver to visit the sanctuary so you can combine to visit Vàm Hồ Bird Sanctuary with other destinations along the way.
