18th-30th
September 2012
We
are pleased to offer for the first time a Palm Tour of Vietnam. This 12-day
tour is designed for palm enthusiasts who are interested in experiencing the
rich and diverse palm flora as well as the culture of Vietnam. We will explore
the northern and central parts of Vietnam, a fascinating part of the country
with a great diversity of palms. The region includes a variety of palm habitats
and we will see several interesting species in the genera Caryota, Arenga,
Wallichia, Licuala, Livistona, Pinanga, Areca, Nenga, and Phoenix,
and a great variety of rattans (the spiny, climbing palms used in the furniture
trade). In particular, we will see several species of the exciting new genus of
palms, Lanonia.
The trip will take
advantage of the cooler weather in northern Vietnam in September. We will
travel by comfortable coach and stay in clean and comfortable hotels. Our
Vietnamese guide for the entire trip will be Mr. Nguyen Quoc Dung, an expert on
the National Parks and Nature Reserves of Vietnam and their palms.
We will visit
several National Parks and Nature Reserves, including Cuc Phuong National Park;
Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park (featured in a recent article in National
Geographic magazine); Bach Ma National Park; and Ba Na Nature Reserve. We will
also travel along parts of the Ho Chi Minh Highway to see some of the
spectacular scenery of the Truong Son mountains along the western border of
Vietnam with Laos. We will also have sight-seeing tours of Hanoi and Hue, and
spend nights at the beach resorts of Cua Lo and Lang Co.
The tour will be led
by Dr. Andrew Henderson of the New York Botanical Garden. Henderson is author of Field Guide to the
Palms of Southern Asia. The 12-day trip is planned for 18-30th September 2012,
immediately after the IPS biennial in Thailand.
For additional information contact
Andrew Henderson at ahenderson@nybg.org, or by phone at 718 817 8973, or by
mail at The New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, NY 10458.
Fee: estimated $2900
including accommodation, meals, and transport (excluding air fare to Hanoi).