Bach Ma National Park

Despite being damaged by the Americans' use of Agent Orange during the Vietnam War, Bach Ma National Park today has one of the most diverse ecological systems in Vietnam. With coastal regions, mountains, and lush green valleys, the plan biodiversity in Bach Ma is especially unparalleled by other national parks in Vietnam. The park is named for one particular mountain peak; “Bach Ma” means “white horse” and refers to the misty beard of white that continually encircles the mountain. Truly, Bach Ma National Park is one of Southeast Asia's last wonderlands.

History of Bach Ma

Few parks have a history as colorful as Bach Ma, which over the years was served as a base for French, American, and now Vietnamese operations.

As early as 1925, when the idea of conservation and wildlife protection was just beginning, French colonial authorities considered setting aside the area in order to protect the Edward's pheasant. The pheasant is today an endangered species, with only 1,000 – 3,000 remaining in the wild; many of these live within the park's boundaries.

Ba Na is located about two hours from Da Nang, the largest city in central Vietnam. Home to French resort built in the 1920s, the Ba Na hill station or hill resort used to be a playground for French tourists, who would come to enjoy the over two hundred villas, clubs, and restaurants located there. Today, Ba Na's hill resort is still a popular spot four tourists, but the roads have gotten quite rough and it's not the opulent spot it once was.

Ba Na is located almost 1,500 metres above sea level, giving it an excellent view of the South China Sea and surrounding mountains. Its elevation also makes it significantly cooler than the nearby coast; it's not unusual to experience a ten to fifteen degree Celsius drop when climbing up the mountain.

The Colonial Era and the Communist Era

The villas that the French erected are mostly gone today. A few ruins remain, which tourists find interesting to visit, but most of them have completely disappeared. It's no wonder that the Vietnamese would be eager to erase the colonialist past; even up until World War II, wealthy French villa owners would be carried by their poorer Vietnamese servants the last 20 km up the mountain road in a sedan chair.

Cat Tien National Park

Cat Tien National Park, located 150 kilometres north of Ho Chi Minh City, covers an area of 720 square kilometres and protects some of Vietnam's most endangered species of plant and animal life. For visitors to Vietnam who enjoy the outdoors, Cat Tien National Park is a must-see destination.

Plant and Animal Life at Cat Tien

Cat Tien National Park was initially protected by Vietnam in 1978. Consisting of two adjacent segments, Cat Loc and Nam Cat Tien, the park stretches over three different provinces and is surrounded by agricultural land.

The park's forest is one of the last tropical rainforests left in Vietnam, and as such it is a haven for a diverse array of otherworldly trees, brightly-coloured butterflies, endangered reptiles and amphibians, and mammals ranging from monkeys to rhinoceroses.