Nature lovers, you will be delighted by travelling to Vietnam! The country has no fewer than 30 national parks spread across the country. From North to South, do not hesitate to punctuate your trip to Vietnam with stops in some of the most extraordinary sanctuaries of biodiversity in Southeast Asia.

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Ba Be National Park

As a veritable green jewel of northern Vietnam, Ba Be National Park is a rich biodiversity reserve surrounded by impressive karst mountains and sheltering within it a superb freshwater lake containing several rare fauna and flora species. Travellers immediately fall under the spell of this natural setting and the hospitality of the Tay ethnic group who live on the shores of the lake and with whom you can stay in their beautiful traditional wooden houses on stilts. Boat trips on Ba Be Lake, the discovery of caves and waterfalls, hiking, kayaking and local gastronomy are on the program at the fabulous Ba Be National Park.

Cuc Phuong National Park

Located about 120 kilometres from Hanoi in Ninh Binh province, which is home to the splendid "Halong Bay on land", Cuc Phuong National Park was Vietnam's first national park and is the country's largest nature reserve. Cuc Phuong National Park contains an abundant diversity of flora and fauna. There have been counted nearly 100 species of mammals, 300 species of birds, 38 species of reptiles, 17 species of amphibians, 11 species of fish, 2,000 species of aquatic plants and thousands of species of insects and many lands of different colours. The park is also home to Dan Dan Cave, Ancient Man Cave, a hot spring, a magnificent century-old pancovia tree 70m high, and a monkey rescue centre.

Cat Ba National Park

The largest island of the eponymous archipelago comprising 367 islands and islets was recognized as a biological reserve by Unesco. The marvellous island of Cat Ba is home to an extraordinary national park that appeals to nature lovers and lovers of beautiful walks. Covering more than 16,000 ha, Cat Ba National Park is characterized by its subtropical vegetation which contains more than 50 animal species including a rare species of endemic monkeys: the golden-headed langur. To spoil nothing, Cat Ba National Park adjoins the magical bays of Halong and Lan Ha.

Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park

The only national park in Vietnam listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park partly extends over a limestone area of 2,000 km2 which is home to an impressive number of rock cavities and caves that contribute to the fame of this breath-taking geological park. The park contains 735 species of described vascular plants, divided into 413 genera and 140 families, including 36 species listed in the Red Book of Vietnam, and the largest cave in the world, Son Doong Cave, whose largest cavity would be more than 5 kilometres long, 200 metres high and 150 metres wide.

Bach Ma National Park

Located just 40 kilometres from the ancient imperial city of Hue, listed by Unesco, Bach Ma National Park is very popular with travellers in search of nature. Bach Ma National Park is considered one of the richest biodiversity areas in Southeast Asia. There are 2147 species of flora (including 86 species listed in the Red Book of Vietnam as endangered species), as well as 1493 species of fauna including 132 species of mammals and more than 358 species of birds. The park is home to nearly half of the known mammal species in Vietnam including 9 species of primates such as macaques, langurs, Loris and the white-cheeked Gibbon.

Nui Chua National Park

Nui Chua National Park is one of Vietnam's best-kept secrets. It is an area of exceptional biodiversity between the sea and mountains located south of the seaside resort of Nha Trang and at the southern end of the Truong Son mountain range. Nui Chua National Park is home to no less than 1265 species of plants, 306 animal species on land and some 300 species of solid corals in its translucent waters. The coast, jagged and still very wild, is home to lovely beaches and one of the most beautiful ecolodges in Southeast Asia, the Anamoi Resort.

Yok Don National Park

Located in the Central Highlands of Vietnam, Yok Don National Park is one of the largest nature reserves in Vietnam. This vast sanctuary is the territory of more than 60 species of mammals, often threatened by the tiger or the elephant, but also by many ethnic minorities like the Ede or the Mnong. Discovering Yok Don National Park will also be an opportunity to discover the great coffee region of Vietnam, which has both cultural and natural treasures to see.

Cat Tien National Park

Located between Ho Chi Minh City and the climatic resort of Dalat, in the South of Vietnam, the Cat Tien National Park, classified as a biosphere reserve by Unesco, is a magnificent natural setting which contains 351 species of birds, 1610 different plants and 105 species of mammals including the Javan rhinoceros, the black gibbon or the clouded leopard. You have to go on foot and by canoe into its thick jungle to appreciate the majestic nature. To fully enjoy this jewel of nature, we strongly recommend that you spend at least two days there.

Con Dao National Park

Known during the Indochina war as one of the main prisons where thousands of political opponents were locked up, Con Dao today is a superb archipelago of 16 islands and islets very popular with lovers of seaside pleasures and pristine nature. The Con Dao archipelago has been classified as a national park, divided between land and sea, where some 130 animal species have been identified, including several endemics, 800 plants and an exceptional variety of coral reefs. The crystal clear waters of Con Dao are home to dolphins, dugongs (species of herbivorous marine mammal), rays but also green turtles whose eggs can be hatched under certain conditions.

Phu Quoc National Park

The national park largely covers the area of Phu Quoc Island, located in the far South of Vietnam. The forest which covers 90% of the area of Phu Quoc has even been recognized as a “biosphere reserve” by Unesco since 2010. It is indeed the last great forest in Southern Vietnam. The fauna and especially the flora abound. Plant species are so diverse that the island is considered a repository of Vietnamese flora genes. Leave the embrace of the beach without regret to discover this wonderful natural setting!

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