Cat Tien National Park, a haven for environment and outdoor enthusiasts, is one of Vietnam's six UNESCO biosphere reserves. Cat Tien National Park is in charge of protecting one of Vietnam's largest rain forest sections. It is home to a variety of rare and valuable flora and fauna. Visiting the national park will provide you with amazing experiences owing to the airy and fresh atmosphere. The following are six activities that you should not miss while visiting Cat Tien National Park.
Discovering Bau Sau (crocodile lake)
Bau Sau, also known as Crocodile Lake, is the largest wetland in Cat Tien National Park, covering more than 2500 ha during the rainy season. There are around 60 different varieties of freshwater crocodiles.
When you visit Crocodile Lake, you can watch how crocodiles capture bait and live beneath water. The majority of the crocodiles here are Siamese crocodiles, which can grow to be up to 2.2 meters long with sharp fangs and a long stiff tail. In addition, you will have the opportunity to see peacocks dance, relax in the swamp between the primeval forest, and listen to singing birds.
Boating on the lake and relaxing in the beautiful and lyrical environment of the crocodile herd swimming surround will be an amazing experience that you will remember long after you leave the national park.
Hiking or biking
Trekking across the forest, under the sunlight, is a good chance to enjoy the fresh air. Listening to the singing of insects and birds in the beautiful jungle is incredible. You can also see several sorts of unusual mushrooms, gorgeous woodland flower branches, hundreds of medicinal plants, and valuable orchids. Botanical gardens, Tuong hill, Bau Sau, and Bat Cave, all approximately ten kilometers from the city center, appear to be great trekking destinations.
Biking along the small touring routes in the forest to see the different unusual plants is also an option. Along the way, you may come across the 500-year-old giant Tung tree; the Acacia tree, which has an extensive root system divided into many branches and grows among the clear, murmuring stream; and the Lagerstroemia tree, which has six soaring tops straight up to the sky and is a rare and precious tree with a trunk diameter of over 2 meters. Cycling much more than 6 kilometers away from the Giant Tung Tree and across a lovely rocky route, you can witness Heaven's Waterfall pouring over the rocks.
Birdwatching
Cat Tien National Park is the "kingdom" of 353 bird species, accounting for more than one-third of all birds in Vietnam. Cat Tien National Park bird-watching tours typically last three days two nights or longer. The dry season, from December to May, is the greatest time to watch birds. It's suitable for traveling in a small group or on a private excursion. The park provides an expert birdwatching guide.
Excellent paths begin immediately at the park's headquarters and extend further afield to sites such as Crocodile Lake. The 5 km trek through the forest to Crocodile Lake can be great for Germain's Peacock-pheasant and Blue-rumped & Bar-bellied pittas. Simultaneously, the stunning Siamese Fireback can frequently be observed on an early morning drive to the start of the Crocodile Lake path. Scaly-breasted Partridge, Woolly-necked Stork, Lesser Adjutant, White-bellied, Great Slaty, Pale-headed, Black-and-buff & Heart-spotted woodpeckers, three species of broadbills, and the Indochinese-endemic Grey-faced Tit-Babbler are among the many other avian goodies to be found in Cat Tien.
Visiting Bear Rescue Station
Children like visiting Cat Tien's bear rescue station in Nam Cat Tien National Park. If you're traveling with your family, this national park should be on your list of places to visit. Visiting the bear rescue station will allow you to watch bears in distress or who have been injured being cared for and well-treated so that they can grow and develop to their full potential. The bears in the rescue station are quite active as a result of the caring.
Observing and photographing butterflies
Butterflies are one of the reasons that contribute to the Cat Tien National Park's lovely beauty, and chasing woodland butterflies has been a new experience as the rainy season comes to an end. If you visit the national park on these days, you will be delighted by the plethora of multicolored forest butterflies soaring through the air. You'll find them congregating in dense groups on the forest's edge, separating cocoons, or parking in little ponds after rain to collect mineral salts.
Nearly 450 butterfly species have been discovered in Cat Tien National Park, accounting for more than half of the total number of butterfly species known in Vietnam. The beautiful phoenix butterfly and the tropical butterfly system in Vinh Cuu Nature Reserve are the most distinct. The silver butterfly Bien Hoa is only found in Dong Nai.
The trekking trail to Bau Sau is the most wonderful for photographing butterflies. The butterflies become heavier as you go closer to the Heaven Waterfall. Aside from shooting images, you should be aware of the need of butterfly conservation. It is not permitted to catch or step on the butterflies.
Joining night safari
The evening tour in Nam Cat Tien woodland is an amazing Nam Cat Tien excursion that you should not miss. The rich wildlife of the rainforest includes deer, squirrels, weasels, wild boars, and other animals with a variety of foraging and dwelling habits. You will have the opportunity to see wild deer grazing on the grass, boars, a flock of bulls looking for food, or ferrets moving from one bough to another in search of ripe fruits.
The best time to visit is in the dry season. The convertible jeep and guide will drive you to the huge grasslands between 7pm and 9pm to appreciate the wildlife.
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