(Ben Tre) Van Ho Bird Sanctuary

Vam Ho is a submerged region in Ba Tri, Ben Tre, which is 52 km east of Ben Tre Borough and 120km south of Ho Chi Minh City.  This spectacular place contains many wild forests with a great variety of trees including water coconut, date, mangrove, reed and Avicenna.  This is a favorite destination of many animals, especially birds, to which the region is dedicated.  There are about 84 species of birds in 35 classes, including 500,000 storks.  From April to October is the best time to see the storks, as this is when they take refuge in Vam Ho to produce and raise their young.

View Vam Ho Bird Garden

The birds can be seen during the day, but early evening after 5pm is the most exciting time to watch them.  At sunset, great flocks of storks thousands of members strong, fly over the Ba Lai River to turn around under a glowing sky and land within the green forest.  The sound of thousands of birds mixing and playing, dancing and whooping becomes the enchanting song of the jungle.  In addition to the song of the storks are the varied rhythms and calls of other wind birds mixed with the sound of leaves, which makes a silent summer’s night shimmer with excitement.

Vam Ho Bird Garden over view

Inside the Vam Ho Bird Sanctuary, visitors have a chance to travel around by boat, penetrate the submerged forest and step along narrow bamboo bridges to fill their chests with the purified air of a well-preserved wetland.  Also, travelers can rest under the shadow of the forest or visit relics of resistance from the Vietnamese – American War.