Cuc Phuong National Park

Cuc Phuong National Park belongs to Nho Quan District, Ninh Binh province, is bounded between three provinces of Ninh Binh, Hoa Binh and Thanh Hoa province. It is far about 100 kilometers from Hanoi to the southwest. Cuc Phuong national park is the first national park in Vietnam, established in July 1962. Cuc Phuong National Park has a population of abundant flora and fauna.

Cuc Phuong has the area of 22.000 hectares, of which three quarters are limestone with height from 300 meters to 600 meters above sea level. Here, there has May Bac mount with 648.2 meters. The climate in Cuc Phuong is kind of tropical monsoon climate, average annual temperature about 24.70C. Especially, there have many caves, beautiful landscape and historical natural remnants such as: Trang Khuyet Cave, Chua Cave, Thuy Tien Cave, Nguoi Xua, Cave, Con Moong grotto, San Ho Cave 

Photo by hds

Location

Located about 100 km South of Hanoi, Cuc Phuong is the first and one of the most impressive national parks in Vietnam. The primary rainforest is coated with layers of fauna and flora, caves and hot springs. Trees that have lived for the millennium are not rare, and it is striking how they survived the numerous battles that Vietnam has gone through.

At the rear entrance gate to the park, there is a center for preserving endangered species sponsored by a German development agency. Within the forest itself, bird-watching is a popular activity and as you walk or bike the trail, it is possible to catch sight of many reptiles or animals. 

What to bring

Hiking shoes for slippery trails are highly recommended. Apply plenty of bug-repellent before you enter the park. It is also advisable to take a bottle of water with you as the walk can be strenuous. There are stone-based tables dotted along the way, which make a picnic meal ideal for the trip.

Best time to visit: the dry season from December to April is the best time for visit, since the trails are less slippery. Some caves may not allow entrance during wet season for safety reasons.

Facilities

At the entrance gate, there is an information center where you can obtain a map of the trails. There are also restaurants, souvenir shops, and a mini hotel at affordable rates ($10 per room). You might also consider renting a bike from the information center instead of taking the car option.

As you approach the park, there is another accommodation facility with more authentic natural feel. Staying the stilt house is a memorable experience but not recommendable for those who do not tolerate mosquitoes and biting insects. 

Example of trails and routes

Fauna and flora garden: especially good for sunrise or sunset. The trail is about 3 km and lasts up to 2 hours. Observation tower: a short walk up the mountain with beautiful landscape that takes about 1 hour.

Camping overnight: require the assistance of a guide from the park and local people, including watching wild animals at night. Camping equipment need to be rented from Hanoi.

In the Park, there has hot spring 380C. The flora is various with 1.944 species. Diverse fauna includes 71 species of mammals, 300 species of birds, 33 reptiles and 16 amphibians. Besides, there has many animals such as: bears, horses, boars, tigers, leopards, ferrets, squirrels, monkeys… The half natural breeding area has deer, yellow monkey, Delacour’s langur and flying squirrel… which serves the research of scientists and tourists can have opportunity to see animals as in the nature. Cuc Phuong is also the home of hundreds of birds, beautiful and strange butterflies.

Currently, Cuc Phuong National Park has become a center providing rare plant species have high economic value for serving forestation programs in the region and the nation-wide. This place has the national breeding for the species. In the future, Cuc Phuong will built and expand experimental basis to provide more varieties of medicinal plants, rare plants to areas. The best time to explore Cuc Phuong National Park is in the dry season, from December to April. The way lead to Cuc Phuong National Park is very convenient. An old-growth forest with tropical forest ecosystem diversity are protected, it also located on the route of many Vietnam's attractions such as: Bich Dong, the ancient capital of Hoa Lu, Sam Son beach… attract many tourists and scientists coming to visit and research. In the Park, there have a number of programs such as hiking, adventurous travel, climbing… 

Entrance fee for adult: 30.000vnd/people
Entrance fee for children: 10.000vnd/people

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