Cong Vien Nhag Son (a public park in town) is well tendered but is extremely poor for birds.

Lao Cai is the border town at the northernmost tip of Vietnam which shares the causeway with Hekou, China. The Red River separates Lao Cai from Hekou and you can get a panoramic view of Hekou from the Esplanade at Lao Cai’s side. This town is a necessary transit point for those heading to Sapa.

Crossing the Lao Cai border into Hekou was a relatively smooth experience for me. Due to immigration agreements between Asian countries, Singaporeans may cross into Hekou and return to Lao Cai free of charge and we do not need to apply for a visa before the trip.  This is applicable even if the trip is on the same day. By doing so, we are granted another 30 days of stay in Vietnam. Note that most other nationalities are unlikely to enjoy this privilege.

Those who wish to explore Lao Cai should be prepared for the hot weather and to put up with the strong winds that blow dust all over. Certain parts of the town can be so dusty that one should be prepared to be covered with a layer of dirt.

WEATHER : Fine

GETTING THERE : The luxury overnight sleeper train ride from Hanoi was good. I slept very well in the 4-bedded cabin (US$22 per head) and that made the long ride seem much shorter.

ACCOMMODATION : There are many small hotels along the streets leading away from the train station. Most of those setups cater to local Vietnamese so I had difficulty making myself understood when speaking in English. Since it is near the Chinese border, some Mandarin is spoken there.

BIRDING HIGHLIGHTS : Like most  other towns in Vietnam, the only birds you see in town are the ones that are already caged.

Even though this dusty town has several fairly well landscaped parks, the birdlife there is poor. In the entire Cong Vien Nhac Son park, which is in the middle of town, only a Grey-Breasted Prinia, an Oriental Magpie Robin and a handful of Eurasian Treesparrows and Barn Swifts were seen.  

The route to Cong Vien Cay Xanh was extremely dusty as there was lots of construction going on. I did not make it to that park as the road got too dusty. Along the way, I chanced upon a locked cemetery called Nghia Trang Liet Sy which had an above average density of birds. A hill, which backs the cemetery, seemed interesting but I did not get to follow the trails up. Birds seen there included Sooty-Headed Bulbul (lots), White-Throated Kingfisher, Scaly Breasted Munia (lots), Oriental Magpie Robin, Barn Swallow, Eurasian Treesparrow, Yellow Wagtail and several White-eyes that flew away before I could fully identify them.

LEECHES : None

MAP/SKETCH : NA

SCOPE: Not needed. It is not wise to use a scope in such a dusty environment.

LESSONS LEARNT :

If you want to do some birding before taking the night train back to Hanoi, consider renting a cheap transit room to leave your luggage and to take a nice shower later. Then, head to the square in front of the train station where scooter taxi drivers can take you to where you want to go for 10,000 VND.

I was told by the ticketing staff at the train station that the train tickets were sold out. Somehow, a travel agent at a shop nearby could get those tickets for me to get back to Hanoi, though at an inflated rate. I would suggest buying return tickets from Hanoi if you do not wish to have this hassle. 

For those who need to get tickets urgently, here are the directions to that agent's shop. Immediately in front the train station is a town square where there are many drinks stalls. From the exit of the train station, just head in the 12 o'clock direction around these drinks stalls and you will find a long and straight road that leads away from the train station. The agent’s shop is on the right hand side of that road and is among the first 5 shop units. A luxury sleeper train ticket (in a 6 person cabin) goes for 180,000 VND per person.