For those still curious as to what is happening on the Silver Moon during our absence, today’s Chronicles can be found here.
There are certain experiences that leave an indelible mark on one’s life.
Some of you may think I’m talking about our visit to Angkor Wat – but I’m actually referring to our night at Cát Tiên Park, in this room:
And with this bathroom:
I’m joking, but also I’m not. The downside of luxury travel is that one gets used to luxury travel, and then anything less than that feels like a step down. A place like Cát Tiên functions like a hedonic reset button – and that button has just been pushed.
And we survived – not just the night in our less-than-stellar accommodations, but also this morning’s 4:45 am wake-up.
(In defence of Wanee and our guide Tai – the ants were the real issue here, but we didn’t spot them until we got back from our late-night game drive. At that point reception was closed, so there wasn’t anything that could have been done about them. But had we been staying more than a single night, we would have absolutely asked to be moved to a different set of rooms – and I’m sure Tai would have made that happen.)
Yesterday evening was further complicated by the late-night discovery that the Silver Moon was not docked where we expected her to be – all earlier communication had indicated she would be docked at Phu My, whereas CruiseMapper now shows her at the Saigon Premier Container Terminal on the south side of the city.
The two locations are roughly three hours drive from one another, so it’s important we head to the right port. We text Iliana and post to the Silversea forums on both CruiseCritic and on Facebook with the hope that someone will point us in the right direction.
Off to breakfast at the Yellow Bamboo Restaurant. The menu is confusing as an omelette is apparently their term for eggs done sunny-side up, while fried eggs are eggs that have been flipped over. Thank goodness our guide Tai is here. He conveys our preferences to the proprietor, and we soon have this sumptous breakfast set before us:
It also comes with cà phê sữa, or coffee with sweetened condensed milk. I tend to prefer the iced version of this drink, but I’m not too picky this morning. I drink two of them before I start to feel as though I can see through time.
Off for our morning private game drive! We’re covering the same route as the night before, though it feels much different in daylight. There are very few deer, for starters, though we do spot a diminutive moonjack:
I have somehow managed to set my camera to manual focus, so it’s a bit blurrier than I’d like. But a nice action shot, all the same.
We also spot some pig-tailed macaques – which are stockier than their long-tailed cousins (not pictured).
We then head up an observation tower:
And we spot a wild peacock…
He goes into full display! We are at the very outer limits of my telephoto lens’ reach – should’ve brought the teleconverter. But still, it’s remarkable to watch.
Initially we think he might be a confused peacock attempting to seduce the egret:
But then the female makes an appearance:
It’s time for us to head on, but it looks as though the odds may be in our suitor’s favour.
There’s another couple in the area, showing them how its done:
We spot some more peacocks on the way back:
And some macaques:
Plus a greater coucal:
Before our game drive draws to an end.
We then go to look for the yellow-cheeked gibbons that often pass through the park early in the morning. We do spot some parakeets:
And a broadbill:
We start to wonder if we might have missed the gibbons, but then…
One of the females comes into view – and she has a baby with her:
Very special.
The call of the gibbons is almost deafening. I think they sound like a car alarm, while the kids think they sound like the pow-pow-pow sound effects in a video game. (Galaga, if we’re being specific.)
Tai then takes us for a game walk along the road in the opposite direction.
We spot a bulbul:
An upupa:
A green-eared barbet:
A black-hooded oriole:
And a rare find, an orange-breasted trogon:
Plus a dollarbird:
We then take a detour to visit the Giant Tung Tree:
It’s absolutely massive.
There’s a boardwalk that leads around the forest in a wide loop:
It’s along this boardwalk that we spot an ochraceous bulbul:
We carry on along the road, spotting a golden birdwing butterfly:
We eventually reach the rapids:
And it’s time to start the return leg.
We continue to spot more birds, including another dollarbird:
And a stork:
We return to the resort around 10:30 am, and take some time to rest and finish packing up. We also confirm that the Silver Moon is indeed berthed at the Saigon Premier Container Terminal. Phew! We pass that information to Tai so he can arrange for our driver to take us there tomorrow. (Another big thank you to everyone who weighed in on that.)
Off for lunch – we order some of our favourites, but also some new dishes, including beef noodles:
And chicken with fish sauce:
The kids could take the beef or leave it, but the noodles are a real hit. That should make travel in Hong Kong and Tokyo easier.
We had initially planned to do a bicycle ride to see more wildlife, but Tai also mentioned that there is a wildlife rescue centre here – so we visit that instead.
First we start with the Cát Tiên Park Museum:
There’s actually an archaeological site in the park – something to add to the list for a return trip.
It’s the heat of the day, so we aren’t holding out a lot of hope of seeing many animals – but we’re fortunate enough to spot a moon bear:
This poor creature had its paw removed by poachers. Where possible, the rescue centre seeks to reintroduce animals to the wild – but that’s not always an option.
They are also rehabilitating a leopard cat:
Our children christen him, “Mister Sir SnuggleMurder”
As well as a well-hidden crocodile:
And some sika deer:
Some more moon bears are out on the other side of the enclosure.
One is getting some food out of his enrichment device. A pair of mischievous macaques wait for the food to fall, and dash in to grab what they can.
We then go and visit the captive gibbons.
The wild gibbons come by to spend some time with them.
I find the scene strangely evocative – there’s something about the expression in the wild gibbons’ eyes:
Do they know why their fellow primates are caged? And if they did, would they view that extra care as a worthwhile trade for their freedom?
Some of the captive gibbons accept their captivity calmly, and soar to new acrobatic heights on the climbing structures. Others suck their thumb and wail while their wild cousins watch in silence:
This is going to stick with me for a while.
We eventually head off to explore the adjoining natural history museum:
The last Asian rhino in Cát Tiên was killed by poachers in 2010
And then we return to visit the gibbons once more. Some of the wild gibbons have found a hanging water bowl:
While others have moved on to some nearby trees:
We get plenty of time to just sit, and soak it all up.
And then it’s time to depart from Cát Tiên. We collect our bags and once more cross the river, then board the van and begin the return trip to Ho Chi Minh City.
The return trip should go quicker, but with an important caveat – our driver has already been on the road for close to 4 hours and so he will need to take a mandatory 20 minute break midway through our return leg. The vehicle is equipped with an immobiliser to ensure that break takes place! Driving exhaustion can be a real issue, so no concerns with that on our end.
We continue into Ho Chi Minh City, and traffic begins to build. The city is wreathed in light:
And we soon reach Hotel Majestic Saigon, roughly 4 hours after we set out from Cát Tiên.
There’s no parking here, so we dismount from our van as quickly as possible. Tai also dismounts and ensures that we are able to properly check in before bidding us farewell. He’s a fabulous guide, and we’re sad that our Vietnamese safari has already come to an end.
And the final verdict? Despite its lack of creature comforts, Cát Tiên park is absolutely a worthwhile wildlife destination. Wanee is an extremely capable guiding outfit, and we would absolutely travel with them again. They also organize multiday safaris throughout Vietnam, especially geared for birders.
Up to our Presidential Suite:
The master bedroom:
The master bathroom:
The second bedroom:
The second bathroom:
The bonus mini-bed:
It feels a bit like whiplash after our night in Cát Tiên – but it’s a welcome change.
I tell the kids – “If you can stay in places like Cát Tiên and yet feel comfortable in a hotel like the Majestic Saigon, the world is open to you.”
We head up to M Bar for dinner. As is Vietnamese tradition, there’s a cover band playing.
We order their finest speciality drinks – with a surprising presentation:
I love the smell of steel wool in the evening
Dinner arrives. My wife has a croque madame:
And my son and I have the burger:
We have a sweeping view of the Saigon River:
Behind us, a couple seems to be running into trouble – they appear to have ended up with counterfeit Vietnamese currency from a money changer. Their first credit card is also denied. But eventually they seem to manage to find a way to settle their bill.
Time for bed! We are very much looking forward to sleeping til 8 am tomorrow.