Hidden behind misty ridges west of Mang Den hill-station, Mang Canh Forest guards one of Vietnam’s rarest songbirds, the beautifully patterned Chestnut-eared Laughingthrush, found nowhere else on earth. At 1.200 – 1.500 m the trackside oaks drip with moss, bamboo thickets echo with Ratchet-tailed Treepies and the soft fluting of Blue Pittas, while Yellow-billed Nuthatches creep along lichen-plastered trunks.
Because no national-park gates exist, WANEE accesses the forest along the old logging track, erecting pop-up hides at dawn where laughingthrushes feed just four metres away, signature moments on our Fixed-Date Bird Photography South & Central circuit. Birders on tailor itineraries often pause here between Yok Don’s dry woodlands and Ngọc Linh’s cloud forests; families enjoying Wild Harmony Highlands Weekends come for the cool air (daytime 18 °C) and picnic viewpoints above a sea of emerald peaks.
November to April brings crisp mornings, blue sky backdrops and leech-free walks; the first summer mists spark orchids, fungi and pitta song.
World HQ for Chestnut-eared Laughingthrush
Photo-ready canopy gap: roadside ridge offers soft side-light at 06 : 30
Endemic cluster: Black-hooded & White-cheeked Laughingthrushes, Grey-crowned Crocias, Yellow-billed Nuthatch.
Cool-climate retreat—even in April midday maxes 24 °C, perfect for Wild Harmony picnics.
Access: From Măng Đen town follow TL676 west 6 km, turn left onto red-earth forestry track
Lodging: Mang Đen town: T&T Hotel or wooden bungalow homestays (AC, hot shower). Field toilets only in forest.
Food: Pack breakfast & thermos coffee; picnic lunch on ridge; town dinners offer venison BBQ & vegetarian hot-pots.
Gear: 300–500 mm lens, light fleece (night 14 °C), leech socks May–Aug, head-torch for night walk.
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