The park is one of the most important sites for biodiversity in Vietnam. From Ninh Binh, you can head in the direction of Trang An and Bai Dinh pagoda (15 km). Then continue to the forest center and see the thousand-year-old Cho tree. At the low elevations in the valley the temperature is hot and humid while at higher elevations the temperature drops and frostbite is a threat. Ha is an avid traveler and writer with a background in marketing & hospitality. The park is located about 120km from downtown Hanoi, and the car trip takes about 2-3 hours. Not only to prevent insects, leeches or worse landing on unprotected skin but also to mitigate against sharp branches and vines that abound in the wilderness. Traveling by train is a quite comfortable experience for tourists as they can also see a few beautiful landscapes along the journey. The Cuc Phuong Endangered Primate Rescue Center was first started in 1993, with sponsorship from the Frankfurt Zoological Society. It forms one of the three world-class botanical gardens in Vietnam, along with Bach Thao Park in Hanoi and the Zoological and Botanical gardens in Saigon. It’s an excellent form of exercise too. The thousand year-old tree is dead - but is still impressive. In 1960 Cúc Phương was made into a forest reserve and in 1962 Cúc Phương National Park was consecrated by President Ho Chi Minh. Located on 2 limestone mountain ranges, the landscape of Cuc Phuong contains a wonderfully rich ecosystem. Established by President Ho Chi Minh in 1960, it was the country’s first national park, and is currently the largest in the country. Cuc Phuong National Park is located 120km southwest of Hanoi, bordering Ninh Binh, Hoa Binh, and Thanh Hoa. This center is built to protect the precious genetic resources along with rare animals and plants. Duc Hanh bus (0912607066) departs from Giap Bat at 10 am, and Phu Duyen bus (0988118215) leaves at 3 pm. I went there by bike with my 20 year old daughter, the drive from Ninh Binh was beautiful, we bought our entrance for 60 VND for an adult and she got a discount to 20 VND with her university student card, we drove to the stop to see the ancient tree, again as anywhere in Vietnam we had to pay to park the bike, we walked up it took us about 30 minutes to get there but on the way there we wanted to walk up to see the May Bac Peak as it showed on the map but there weren’t any signs for it, we gave up and only saw the tree, on our way down we saw a group of locals doing a ritual, chanting and there was some sort of food on the ground on table cloths, and a dog was been sacrificed the poor animal was crying out loud, there was some blood on the stairs, we didn’t want to stay any longer and went. The ancient forest consists of over 2234 vascular and non-vascular plants, 122 species of reptiles and amphibians, and 135 species of mammals, including the Clouded Leopard, Delacour’s Langur, Owston’s Civet and Asian Black Bear. Ngoc Son Nature Reserve and Pu Luong Nature Reserve can be accessed by longer trek period, with overnight camping sites available. Total acreage is 22.200 hectares. In the early afternoon, you can rent bicycles to explore the forest and visit Nguoi Xua Cave. It is in Ninh Bình Province, in the Red River Delta. The park can be visited from Hanoi as a day trip or visitors can stay at the park's lodging for a longer stay. According to users from AllTrails.com, the best place to hike in Cuc Phuong National Park is 1000 Year Old Tree Walk, which has a 4.3 star rating from 13 reviews. Visiting these ethnic communities, tourists will be overwhelmed by the skillfulness of local people by examining their living structures and tools such as water wheel, communal house, stone rice mortar…. You can choose from private rooms and collective stilts. I love the idea of seeing the butterfly’s and also the primate rescue centre. In 1960, Cuc Phuong was recognized as a national park following Decision 72. Long-sleeved clothing: if you stay overnight, you should prepare long-sleeved pajamas because there are often many insects here! The whole park is crisscrossed with tracks for bush walking, cycling and motorized transport. This looks like the perfect place to put on my travel list! Address : 5th Floor, HTK Building, 98 Nguyen Van Cu, Long Bien, Hanoi, Vietnam. Get up early in the morning for a forest walk and have breakfast. Belong... Monday - Friday: 8 a.m. - 9 p.m. ETSaturday: 8 a.m. - 7 p.m. VII. As mentioned earlier, the most suitable time to come to Cuc Phuong National Park is in the dry season (from December to May), when the weather in the forest is cooler. Tourists must go in a group of at least 6 people and walk through 30 km of Cuc Phuong forest in about 2-3 days, therefore it is considered the hardest jungle route in Cuc Phuong National Park. Here is a 2-day sample Cuc Phuong itinerary from Hanoi. This dish is a great combination of rice, bamboo fragrance, and stream water. The great time to travel to Cuc Phuong is in dry season when the jungle rains has been over. Many have…. So when tasting the goat meat in Cuc Phuong Park, tourists can easily tell the difference as the meat here is much more fresh, delicious and firm. The park is one of the most important sites for biodiversity in Vietnam. Cuc Phuong National Park is Vietnam's largest national park and one of the most important sites for biodiversity in the country. What to See and Do at Cuc Phuong National Park? The best time to visit Cuc Phuong National Park is in the dry season, from December to May. In recent years, local authority encourages their people to take part in community based tourism as the way to create more income for them, as well as bring more authentic travel experiences for tourists. Interestingly, Cuc Phuong National Park’s total area of 22,200 ha is split between the three neighboring districts, with around half in Ninh Binh province (where its namesake Cuc Phuong commune is located), a quarter in Thanh Hoa province and a further 5,000 ha in Hoa Binh. Known as the green lung of Northern Vietnam, Cuc Phuong National Park gets its fame as a large natural museum with rich ecosystem, conservation center of endangered species; as well as home to Muong ethnic minority with their unique culture. Because Uncle Ho (friendly name of President Ho Chi Minh) aimed to remind Vietnamese people to protect natural environment as the core role in their present and future life. We stayed in the accommodations right at headquarters, and they were basic but comfortable and just what we needed, and the staff were nice.There is a nice area with tables where you can hang out, use wifi, buy tea, coffee, beer,snacks etc. We brought our own bikes as there were no rental facilities. You can’t avoid this so the solution is to bring insect repellents and/or cover up. Other nearby tourist destinations located in Ninh Binh Province include Phát Diệm Cathedral, Hoa Lư Ancient Capital, Tam Cốc – Bích Động, Tràng An, and Bai Dinh Pagoda. Thanks for the complete guide. At some point this national park had a lot of potential, however now it appears deserted and like a ghost town. If there are too few guests, they won’t run the generator. Cuc Phuong national park has a part of Ninh Binh, Thanh Hoa and Hoa Binh province and it is far from Hanoi about 100km. The national park was officially established in 1960. At this time, the weather is cool and pleasant, suitable for outdoor activities. Visitors in April and May should be blessed with the chance to see literally thousands of vibrant butterflies. Hornbills can also be spotted in the forest.[1]. Cuc Phuong National Park is a fantastic destination in Ninh Binh, Vietnam. Cuc Phuong has more than 40 species of bats, 97 species of mammals, some 300 bird species, 11 species of snails, 36 types of reptiles, 17 amphibians, many varieties of fish (with a special section of underground cave species) and 280 species of butterflies. .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct,.mw-parser-output .geo-inline-hidden{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}20°19′00″N 105°36′30″E / 20.31667°N 105.60833°E / 20.31667; 105.60833. Vietnam Travel offers flexible itineraries from day trip to longer journey for those who want to explore Cuc Phuong National Park and surrounding areas. The most highlighted caves are: Cave of Prehistoric Man (contains the vestiges of prehistoric man dated from 7,500 years ago), Mang Chieng Cave (a relic of Stone Age residents, containing many artifacts, animal & human remains) and Crescent Moon Cave. As with most karst topographies, the cave-riddled limestone outcrops have a profound effect on the local water table. It is Vietnam's largest national park and one of the most important biodiversity sites in the country. The forest center area (Bong Hamlet) is about 20 km from the garden gate. Home to a diversified flora and fauna system owning typical features of tropical rain forests and highly-endangered species, Cuc Phuong National Forest is a conservation area covering an area of 25,000 hectares and located in the territory of 3 northern provinces: Ninh Binh, Hoa Binh and Thanh Hoa. Tips on Visiting Cuc Phuong National Park, The best time to visit Cuc Phuong is in the. Cuc Phuong was Vietnam's first national park and is the country's largest nature reserve. The ancient forest harbours over 2234 vascular and non-vascular plants, 122 species of reptiles and amphibians, and 135 species mammals, including the Clouded Leopard, Delacour's Langur, Owston's Civet and Asian Black Bear. However, don’t expect luxurious standards because all lodgings here are equipped with basic facilities and in eco-natural styles. The turtle conservation center was established in 1998 and is home to some of the most endangered turtles in Vietnam, including the Vietnamese pond turtle which is nearly extinct in the wild. Unfortunately, the need has grown exponentially due to the deprivations of smugglers and the encroachment of industrialization on native habitats. You can see the surrounding nature at your own pace and have the opportunity to encounter difficult-to-see animals. Cúc Phương National Park is marked in red. You can also take a bus from Giap Bat station to Nho Quan (the nearest town). Other mammals include bats, porcupine, flying squirrel, small striped squirrel, belly-banded squirrel, and the rare black giant squirrel. Located near rivers and streams, the area has rich and diverse fauna and flora, so ancient people chose it as a long-term residence. So you can drive your car, motorbike or exercise with bicycles and enjoy the fresh air of the forest. A number of species in the park are listed on Vietnam Red Book of endangered species. award-winning guidebooks, covering maps, itineraries, and expert Of the above species, there are 30 rare and precious species of Vietnam. You can see a panoramic view of the national park, Hoa Lu ancient capital, Bai Dinh pagoda, from the top of the mountain. 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Con Moong Cave also has a relatively thick cultural stratigraphy, a very complex structure, and a successive interweaving of clay, mollusk shells, and streaks of coal ash. This park site is also an ideal destination for bird-watching as many flocks of tropical birds choose this forest to be their home and favorite nesting spot. For example, the image below is an old Sau tree with spiky roots – a plant’s adaptation to its habitat. A variety of animals in Cuc Phuong National Park. * Turtle Conservation Center: Fauna and Flora International established this center in 1998 and transferred the management to Cuc Phuong National Park from 2001. With 307 species of bird, 133 species of mammal, 122 species of reptile and more than 2000 species of plant, Cuc Phuong National Park is one Vietnam’s most important protected areas. Recently, there have been conflicts between governors and Muong people who settle, hunt and farm inside of the park. Visitor Center, Primate Rescue Center, and Turtle Conservation Center are great places to visit and learn more about the park and its animals. If you camp during the day, you can choose the flat ground under the tree canopy. How to get to Cuc Phuong National Park from Hanoi? I will surely add that to my list so I can visit it the next time I am there. Cuc Phuong National Park is also famous for its numerous mountain cave landscapes. After that, visitors can stop by the turtle conservation center and primate rescue center. Opening hours: Cuc Phuong is open daily from 9:30 am to 11:30 am and from 1:30 am to 4:30 pm. Salve, tra poche settimane sarò in Vietnam e volevo visitare il parco di Cuc Phuong.