The national parks of Việt Nam from north to south - Part 4

Updated 12/12/2024

Việt Nam has 34 national parks, spreading fairly evenly in three regions: north, central, and south, with a total area of over 3,000,000 acres. Central Việt Nam has the most number of parks, 14, next is Northern Việt Nam, 11, and last is Southern Việt Nam, 9.

Source: Multiple authors, "Danh sách vườn quốc gia tại Việt Nam," vi.wikipedia.org. Last updated on September 20, 2024. https://vi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danh_s%C3%A1ch_v%C6%B0%E1%BB%9Dn_qu%E1%BB%91c_gia_t%E1%BA%A1i_Vi%E1%BB%87t_Nam

Southern Việt Nam - Eastern Provinces

Cát Tiên National Park

The park nestles among three provinces: Đồng Nai, Lâm Đồng, and Bình Phước, with an area of 178,000 acres. The bamboo forest occupies forty percent of the park and the evergreen forest occupies the rest. UNESCO recognized Cát Tiên National Park as a Biosphere Reserve Zone in 2001.

Cát Tiên National Park is home to 1,655 plant species such as orchid, fig, and fern, and 1,730 animal species, that includes golden cheeked gibbon, black shanked douc, macaque, and Asian black bears. It also has 340 bird species or more than forty percent of the bird species in Việt Nam.

Source: Multiple authors. "Vườn quốc gia Cát Tiên." vi.wikipedia.org. Last updated on November 10, 2024. https://vi.wikipedia.org/wiki/V%C6%B0%E1%BB%9Dn_qu%E1%BB%91c_gia_C%C3%A1t_Ti%C3%AAn

Unknown author. "Cat Tien National Park." UNESCO. Date unknown. https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/5070/

Vinh Phong. "Cat Tien National Park named Green List of IUCN ." VOV World. July 6, 2024. https://vovworld.vn/en-US/discovery-vietnam/cat-tien-national-park-named-green-list-of-iucn-1308187.vov

Image source: Hoa Anh, "A bird-eye view of Cat Tien National Park," 2024. Accessed via https://vovworld.vn/en-US/discovery-vietnam/cat-tien-national-park-named-green-list-of-iucn-1308187.vov Altered from source photo.

Bù Gia Mập National Park

The park, in Bình Phước province, has a total size of more than 64,000 acres. Bù Gia Mập National Park contains 724 plant species such as oil plants, perfumed wood, and rosewood and endangered species, that include black shanked douc (monkey), yellow cheeked gibbon, and gaur (bovine).

Source: Multiple authors. "Vườn quốc gia Bù Gia Mập." vi.wikipedia.org. Last updated on June 30, 2024. https://vi.wikipedia.org/wiki/V%C6%B0%E1%BB%9Dn_qu%E1%BB%91c_gia_B%C3%B9_Gia_M%E1%BA%ADp

Multiple authors. "Bù Gia Mập National Park." en.wikipedia.org. Last updated on June 20, 2022. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%C3%B9_Gia_M%E1%BA%ADp_National_Park

Image source: Unknown photographer, "Vườn quốc gia Bù Gia Mập," 2024. Accessed via https://suckhoecongdongonline.vn/vuon-quoc-gia-bu-gia-map-la-phoi-xanh-dong-nam-bo-d278991.html Altered from source photo.

Lò Gò-Xa Mát National Park

The park, in Tây Ninh province, has an area of more than 74,000 acres. Lò Gò-Xa Mát National Park has 177 bird species and 10 species of mammals.

Source: Multiple authors. "Lò Gò-Xa Mát National Park." en.wikipedia.org. Last updated on October 18, 2024. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%C3%B2_G%C3%B2-Xa_M%C3%A1t_National_Park

Image source: Unknown photographer, "Lò Gò-Xa Mát National Park," 2023. Accessed via https://en.baoquocte.vn/tay-ninh-lo-go-xa-mat-national-park-preserves-biodiversity-in-tourism-development-245161.html Altered from source photo.

Côn Đảo National Park

The park is on the Côn Archipelago, which consists of 16 islands and islets, with a total size of more than 77 square miles. The highest point on the main island is about 1,900 feet. Côn Đảo National Park has the largest sea turtle population in Việt Nam and is part of the Indian ocean sea turtle conservation area.

Source: Unknown author. "Tổng quan Vườn quốc gia Côn Đảo." Date unknown. bqlvqgcd.baria-vungtau.gov.vn. https://bqlvqgcd.baria-vungtau.gov.vn/vn/gioi-thieu.html

Image source: Unknown photographer, "Bến Đầm," Year unknown. Accessed via https://bqlvqgcd.baria-vungtau.gov.vn/vn/gioi-thieu.html Altered from source photo.

Southern Việt Nam - Western Provinces

Tràm Chim National Park

The park, in Đồng Tháp province, has an area of 18,750 acres. Tràm Chim National Park was created to protect some of the wetland in the Mekong delta and to provide a haven for some endangered birds such as the sarus crane and the Bengal florican. It has almost twenty five percent of the bird species in Việt Nam, overall.

Source: Multiple authors. "Tràm Chim National Park." en.wikipedia.org. Last updated on November 10, 2024. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bengal_florican

Unknown author. "Tram Chim Park home to spectacular diversity of bird species." Viet Nam National Authority of Tourism. March 7, 2021. https://vietnamtourism.gov.vn/en/post/15665

Image source: Ngo Tran Hai An. "Tràm Chim National Park." 2023. Accessed via https://e.vnexpress.net/photo/places/tram-chim-national-park-a-sanctuary-for-red-crowned-cranes-4681745.html Altered from source photo.

Mũi Cà Mau National Park

The park is in Cà Mau province, with a size of 104,000 acres. Mũi Cà Mau National Park was established to protect the existing mangrove forest and to restore it to its original state. It is also a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve with about 400 animal species.

Source: Multiple authors, "Mũi Cà Mau National Park," en.wikipedia.org. Last updated on November 11, 2024. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C5%A9i_C%C3%A0_Mau_National_Park

Unknown author. "Mui Ca Mau National Park." Ramsar Sites Information Service. Last updated on December 12, 2012. https://rsis.ramsar.org/ris/2088

Image source: Hữu Khoa, "Mũi Cà Mau World Biosphere Reserve," 2024. Accessed via https://vietnamlife.tuoitrenews.vn/news/vietnam-life-vietq/20240131/where-in-mainland-vietnam-can-you-view-both-sunrise-and-sunset-over-the-sea-from-one-spot/78104.html Altered from source photo.

U Minh Hạ National Park

The park is also in Cà Mau province, with a size of about 20,500 acres. U Minh Hạ National Park, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, was established to protect the wetland ecosystem in this area. It has about 250 species of plants and over 200 animal species.

Source: Multiple authors. "U Minh Hạ National Park." en.wikipedia.org. Last update on November 10, 2024. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U_Minh_H%E1%BA%A1_National_Park

Charlotte Pho. "Discover the amazing U Minh Ha National Park." May 26,2022. vietnamtimes.org.vn. https://vietnamtimes.org.vn/discover-the-amazing-u-minh-ha-national-park-42307.html

Image Source: Unknown photographer, "U Minh Hạ National Park," 2020. Accessed via https://sayhellovietnam.com/mingle-with-nature-in-u-minh-ha-national-park/#Brief_introduction_of_the_U_Minh_Ha_National_Park Altered from source photo.

U Minh Thượng National Park

The park, in Kiến Giang province, has a total area of 19,200 acres. U Minh Thượng National Park, also a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, offers a haven for endangered bird species. It has 243 plant species and over 200 species of birds, fish and other mammals.

Source: Multiple authors. "U Minh Thượng National Park." en.wikipedia.org. Last updated on September 28, 2024. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U_Minh_Th%C6%B0%E1%BB%A3ng_National_Park

Unknown author. "U Minh Thuong National Park." Ramsar Sites Information Service. Last updated May 26, 2015. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U_Minh_Th%C6%B0%E1%BB%A3ng_National_Park

Image source: Unknown photographer, "U Minh Thuong National Park," 2022. Accessed via https://en.baoquocte.vn/tourists-return-to-u-minh-thuong-national-park-178154.html Altered from source image.

Phú Quốc National Park

The park, about fifty percent of Phú Quốc island, is in Kiến Giang province. Phú Quốc National Park, with a total area of about 76,000 acres, was established to protect marine life in the surrounding area such as dugong (sea cow). It has nearly 500 species of birds, mammals, and reptiles and about 1,400 plant species.

Source: Multiple authors. "Phú Quốc National Park." en.wikipedia.org. Last updated on November 11,2024. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ph%C3%BA_Qu%E1%BB%91c_National_Park

Unknown author. "Phu Quoc National Park." phuquocislandguide.com. Date unknown. https://www.phuquocislandguide.com/phu-quoc-national-park/

Quynh Mai. "Phu Quoc National Park: A hidden gem for trekking enthusiasts." VNExpress. July 2, 2023. https://e.vnexpress.net/news/places/phu-quoc-national-park-a-hidden-gem-for-trekking-enthusiasts-4620320.html

Image source: Nguyen Anh Tien, "Trekking route in Phu Quoc National Park," 2023. Accessed via https://e.vnexpress.net/news/places/phu-quoc-national-park-a-hidden-gem-for-trekking-enthusiasts-4620320.html Altered from source photo.

Even though Việt Nam has a later start, not until 1962, I am impressed that it now has 34 national parks, as of 2024. This concludes my series about Việt Nam national parks. Please leave a comment if you enjoy reading this.