Sights - Coc Phong National Park

Being the country’s largest and first national park, Cuc Phuong consists of dense forests, botanical gardens, a wide range of birds, mammals, reptiles and colorful butterflies along with two animal sanctuaries which are worth exploring.

The park is huge at 2200 km/2 or around 3 times the size of Singapore! Located just outside of Ninh Binh and at foothills of the northern Annamite Mountains, the park has much to offer the adventurer and is perfect for tours from 1 to 3 days.

The park features a network of trails that wind through the forests and many landscapes. There are many hiking trails to choose from, ranging from easy to challenging. Some of the most popular trails include the Bach Thuoc Trail, the Da Vo Trail, and the Muong Village Trail. The latter is our preferred trekking route as it is only 8km long, well laid out and only takes us 2.5hrs to complete.

Clothing for off path trekking

If you do decide to get off the path and into the brush, make sure you are wearing a long sleeved shirt and long trousers. This will protect you from the prickly vines and the leeches that will find you very quickly.

Landscape

The park has many giant limestone karsts most of which are hundreds of metres high that look like mini mountains. The tallest - Silver Cloud Mountain summit is 656m above sea level and is possible for members of the public to reach - though the trail to the top is hard. Amongst the limestone formations are many caves which are accessible to the explorer. Cave highlights include the Cave of Prehistoric Man (Nguoi Xua Cave) - containing the oldest evidence of humans in Vietnam, Mang Chieng Cave, Crescent Moon Cave and Thien Ha Cave.

There is also a 700 year old tree affectionately called Cho Chi as well as other named trees such as Dang & Vu Huong. Cho Chi however is on many peoples list to see and ours too!

Conservation Centres

Endangered Primate Rescue Center - Created from a partnership with the Frankfurt Zoological Society and Cuc Phuong National Park, this center is home to around 180 primates, some of which are on the endangered list. The centre has a programme to release some primates back into the wild as well as a place for education.
Turtle Conservation Center - This center is considered as the flagship for protection and conservation programs of tortoise and freshwater turtles in Vietnam. It also helps to educate the public about the critical threat to the survival of turtles in Vietnam.
Botanical Gardens - The gardens are a space for preservation of gene resources and rare plants. The gardens also have an active programme for wildlife release for endangered plants. It’s really a wonderful experience to stroll in the garden and listen to Gibbons and birds singing early in the morning.