Cat Tien National Park Voyage Tips and guide

Contents

Cat Tien National Park is in the Southern region of Vietnam. It lies between Ho Chi Minh City and Dalat just north of Highway 20.

Cat Tien National Park has two parts:

• Cat Loc to the north and
• Nam Cat Tien - the eastern half of which is most often visited and contains the park headquarters.

The park has an area of about 720 km² in three provinces: Dong Nai, Lam Dong and Binh Phuoc: approximately 150 km north-east of Ho Chi Minh City. It is one of Vietnam's most important and largest National Parks with now rare lowland woodland, containing areas of old-growth (primary) forest. To add to its conservation value, in the south-west it is contiguous with the Dong Nai Culture and Nature Reserve to the south-west.

There is an archaeological site on the northern bank of the Dong Nai River (just outside Nam Cat Tien, facing in). The site consists of a group of temples, belonging to a previously unknown Hindu civilization which probably inhabited it between the 4th century and 9th century CE (and possibly later). Excavations carried out between 1994 and 2003 have yielded a large number of a number of gold, bronze, ceramic, coloured stone, and glass artefacts, many of which are now in the Da Lat museum.

Cat Tien national park was protected in 1978, then the Cat Loc sector was incorporated in 1992 upon the discovery of a small rhinoceros population (an endemic sub-species of the Javan rhino); it was hunted and was declared extinct in 2011. Although poaching other species remains a serious problem, better protection can be achieved in Nam Cat Tien, which is half surrounded by the Dong Nai River.

The park woodland can be classified as seasonal tropical forest (semi-deciduous mixed jungle characterised by many climbing lianas), with large areas of grassland, bamboo and wetland.

Among the many attractions are: primates such as the golden-cheeked gibbon (see things to do), a wide range of birds, butterflies and, of course the forest itself. Spectacular trees include: 'Tung' Tetrameles nudiflora, afzel 'red wood' Afzelia xylocarpa and various Dipterocarps. More information, including species lists, can be found in a website about the Park.

It is possible, but unlikely, to see deer and wild boar during the daytime, when the forest is very quiet. Deer, civet cats and other animals including gaur (wild cows) are more active after dark and can best be seen on night safaris. Rare Siamese crocodiles can be seen at Crocodile Lake: again, best in the late afternoon onward.

Of the larger fauna, only a few wild elephants still survive in remote areas to the south-west of the park.

The area is highly seasonal:

• Mid-December - February is the peak season: deciduous trees lose their leaves and it is becomes increasingly easy to observe birds and other animals; it is also relatively cool.
• March - May can feel the hottest time of year (but remember the forest is much cooler than the city). Many birds are nesting at this time and mammals can be seen leaving cover in search of water.
• Mid-May - June see the start of the rains: this is usually the best time of year to come and see clouds of butterflies and watch the forest green-up after the dry season. Many of the trees flower and start to fruit: food for animals and birds.
• July - September: is the peak rainy season - the river is at its highest, sometimes reaching and flooding the roads. Visitors should be aware that certain paths cannot be negotiated at this time of the year. On the positive side, many trees, shrubs, gingers and orchids are in flower and this is the time to absorb the atmosphere of the 'steaming jungle' (biologists of course will always feel in their element).
• October - early December: with decreasing rains and temperatures, some visitors argue that this is an excellent time to visit Vietnam in general. In the park, the forest is still verdant and the rapids are vigorous.

With road improvements the 150-km journey from Ho Chi Minh City, avoiding the traffic jams in Bien Hoa, has become more reliable: in as little as 3 hours. Plan for at least 4 hours from Dalat. The nearest town on the main highway (route 20) is Tan Phu. The 25-km journey between Tan Phu and the ferry crossing into the park, 1 km beyond Nam Cat Tien village, can be problematical for the unprepared (see bus travel).

The first ferry crossing is usually at approximately 06:30 and the last return trip is at 19:00. Park rules say that night crossings are prohibited, but 'exceptions' may be made. If you want see wildlife: primates and birds (early morning) or go on the night tour, you should stay across the river in the park.

Buses between Ho Chi Minh City and Dalat will drop you off on the highway at the Ta Lai/Nam Cat Tien turn-off or the post office (it is important to specify which one). By far the safest and most comfortable are the orange Futa buses (Phuong Trang)^{[dead link]} (+84 8 38 309 309) which ply between HCMC - leaving from 272 De Tham St. - and Dalat every hour during the day. The 2-level reclining couchettes are relatively comfortable, even if you are over 6 ft (1.8 m) tall! They also drive the route with sleeper busses (3 rows). The price from HCMC to Tan Phu is 200,000 dong (Dec 2024): you may have to wait 1-2 hours for a ticket at peak times. Tickets can be arranged online, through one of the physical Futa offices in Ho Chi Minh City, or maybe through your accommodation in Cat Tien,

There are (less comfortable) local direct buses from the bus station Bến Xe Miền Đông, ticket counter 5, or the tourist office at the park entrance ferry jetty to Ho Chi Minh for around 80,000 dong (Nov 2018) which takes about 4-5 hours. The first bus leaves about 07:00, then hourly, be at the stop about 15 minutes before the bus leaves. It's best to verify with the officers at the tourist office/park entrance. They are very helpful.

Making prior arrangements with your accommodation for a pick-up from the highway at Tan Phu is highly recommended in case you get off there. There are often motorcycle xe om waiting to take tourists to the river that is on the edge of the park, but there have been accidents. Experienced travelers negotiate the price up front, but not booking transport and accommodation can prove to be a false economy (you could be charged 1 million dong and truly taken for a ride!); the Vietnamese apparently expect to pay 150,000 dong; however, you may have to pay more and are certainly taking a risk with motorcycles. If you take the local direct bus, the driver will drop you off next to the park entrance, so no pick-up is needed usually.

Even if travelling on a budget, arranging transport as a group of 2-4 in a hired car can be a safe and fairly cost-effective option, unless you are lucky (or well informed) enough to find a mini-bus into Nam Cat Tien village (see onwards); it can be tricky to find the bus station (it's not marked). Typical prices are (Feb 2016):

• 500,000 dong from Tan Phu
• 2,000,000 dong from Ho Chi Minh city
• 3,000,000 dong from Dalat, Phan Thiet, etc. (4-hour journeys)

A Grab taxi from central Ho Chi Minh City into Nam Cat Tien village may cost around 1,200,000 dong, if you can manage to find a taxi driver willing to go all the way. (December 2024)

The nearest railway station is Long Khanh, which is more of a halt, on the main Hanoi - Hue - Ho Chi Minh City line. From Long Khanh to the park is a 2-hour taxi or car journey which is best to book in advance: prices in the region of 1,500,000 dong (Feb 2016).

The fee scheme is a bit complicated and each trip will involve several layers of fees including separate items for (additional) entrance fees, tour guide and transport.

To get into the park, you'll have to buy a ticket for the ferry, as the park is across the river from Nam Cat Tien village. The price is 60,000-dong (Dec 2024), cash only. This covers a return ferry trip, and also acts as the park entrance fee. It's not a daily fee, so you won't have to pay again the next day if you choose to spend the night inside of the national park. Tickets can be bought from the information center on the corner of the road leading to the ferry.

The ferry operates from around 6 am - 7 pm. If you book the early morning (5 AM) Wild Gibbon Trek (see below) through the park headquarters, an early boat can be arranged to ferry you across, allowing you to spend the night outside the park and still do the trek, but that needs to be arranged at least a day in advance (December 2024).

Unsure if this information is still correct (December 2024). The fee for the guides is of questionable value. Most of the guides either don't speak much English, or don't have a lot of local expertise to offer. Make sure you talk to your guide before engaging them and don't feel guilty about doing a self-guided tour along the safer trails (marked green on the park map).

Around the accommodation areas, there a number of local walks possible, but only the Lagerstroemia trail, botanic gardens and heaven rapids should be attempted without a guide (see staying safe). A guide is not really necessary for the Crocodile Lake walk (below), although they can be helpful for spotting animals and birds. The park provides a trail map, but this can be misleading: at least two of the trails described as "medium difficulty" definitely require a guide and should never be attempted alone. Longer walks (in the dry season only) include:

• the Ecological Trail (5-8 km through the forest, depending on the route taken)
• through the forest to Crocodile Lake
• through the forest to Ta Lai
• through the forest to Nui Tuong (elephant) hills
• from the road at Nui Tuong through the forest to Crocodile Lake
• from Crocodile lake through the forest to Ta Lai.

A problem with many of these can be finding an English-speaking guide who is prepared to accompany you: especially on the longer walks through the forest. Staff at Forest Floor Lodge (see below) are also knowledgeable about the more adventurous trails through the park.

Bicycles are an excellent way to get around the park. They can be rented for 30,000 dong/hour, 100,000 dong/half day or 150,000 dong/day (December 2024). Bike rental officially starts at 5:30 and closes 18:30 all days. The rental office is located a bit down the road, turning left after you hopped off the ferry. Both city bikes and mountain bikes are available, as well as bikes for children. Bikes are generally not in top condition. Make sure to check for faulty or squeaky brakes, broken gear levers, wonky pedals, loose seats, and optionally, missing stands or splash protectors. Locks are generally not provided. There are some reports of other visitors "accidentally" taking your top-condition rental bike instead of their own faulty rental bike. This shouldn't pose a problem when returning your bike, but does provide a nuisance to your trip.

If you bring your own bicycle to the park, there is another 50,000-dong charge for bringing it into the park.

Cycling is not that easy on all the paths but this depends on the season too. Be prepared to have trips cycling and walking alternately. The main road, from the park entrance at least up to the hiking trail to crocodile lake (9km away) is made up of wide concrete slabs. Especially the first few kilometers are quite deteriorated and make for an occasional bumpy ride. Road conditions improve further down the road.

There are a couple of shelters, as well as rest stations with beverages and snacks along the first few kilometers of the road in the park, as these are still walkable from the park entrance. Further down there are few, possible none, so stock up before you set off on bike.

If not going to Crocodile Lake, a 45-minute night safari can be done. This involves trundling around on the top of a jeep, looking hopefully for wildlife that probably heard the ancient engine coming 10 minutes ago and has long since run away. On the upside, it's relatively cheap.

Go East - a British ape charity - have a gibbon sanctuary just outside the park, and have helped the park organise a Wild Gibbon Trek^{[dead link]}. The guides seem to take pride in their work, even if they aren't always able to speak English, and following (truly wild) gibbons around the jungle is cool. Tours start around 5 AM year round. As the gibbons sing around sunrise, this means that in summertime the tour may be a bit rushed to be in the jungle on time, whereas in wintertime, you may be asked to sit and wait for a bit outside the trail by your guide. The trek can be booked a day prior through the headquarters inside of the park, or through the official Nam Cat Tien Park email address. 900,000 dong per person (December 2024). If you're not sleeping inside of the park, make sure to inquire about an early ferry to take you across the river.

Visit the Dao Tien Gibbon Sanctuary run by Go East. This tour used to be included in the Wild Gibbon Trek, but no longer is. Tours start daily at 8:30 am. Tickets can be arranged from the park headquarters, 400,000 dong (december 2024). An English speaking guide will pick you up from the head quarters, and take you with a ferry to the sanctuary on another island (ferry included in price). The sanctuary has gibbons, black-shanked doucs, silver langurs and loris, all in various stages of possible rehabilitation into the wild. Guides are passionate and knowledgeable. As this is not a zoo, you may not be able to closely approach the enclosures, but will still be able to see the animals from a little distance. However, there are several viewing platforms into the wilder "phase 2" enclosures for some gibbons, which give you a good overview, and an excellent opportunity to see the gibbons swing from tree to tree. Loris are fully nocturnal so slim chance you will be able to seem them. Again, it's not a zoo. It is perfectly possible to do the Wild Gibbon Trek at 5 AM, then go to the Dao Tien Sanctuary at 8:30, with enough time in between to get some coffee or snacks from the shops around the park headquarters.

There's also a National Park-run gibbon and bear sanctuary near the park headquarters. It's overcrowded because of limited funds (and lots of rescued bears), although there will be a new, larger Cat Tien Bear Sanctuary constructed soon; it is interesting to compare the approaches taken by Go East and the National Park.

There are two restaurants at the park headquarters. The more pleasant one ('Yellow bamboo') is behind the main office of the park headquarters. It is cafe-style with good, reasonably priced food, and a view to the river. The second restaurant ('Dipterocarpus') is around 100 m south.

The Forest Floor lodge offers pricier but better food to non-residents. It's about a mile away from the park headquarters, so bring a torch if you're staying in the park and walking up there.

At Crocodile Lake, expect to eat freshly caught fish from the lake at a reasonable price.

Drinks are available at the restaurants at the Park Headquarters and at the 'Hornbill bar' in Forest Floor Lodge (so called because it is one of the best places to observe Oriental-pied and greater hornbills as they cross the Ben Cu rapids, in the morning and just before sunset).

Beer and water can be bought when staying out at Crocodile Lake at a slight premium. Expect the beer to be warm, so you might want to consider carrying your own in. Filtered water from the lake is free.

There are various levels of accommodation around the park headquarters, although most is rather dated and expensive for the standard.

At Crocodile Lake simple accommodation is available. You'll pay extra for a bathroom.

There an eco-tourism lodge, Forest Floor Lodge^{[dead link]} which provides high-end accommodation and contributes financially to Park activities.

Tai Lai longhouse is a community-owned but professionally-managed lodge outside the park but on the same side of the river.

Various decent and cheaper options are on the other side of the river from the park, but staying here means you won't be able to get to the park in time to do the Gibbon Trek or bird-watching early in the morning, or the night safari. These include:

• Forest Call Lodge
• Green Bamboo Lodge
• Green Hope Lodge
• Jungle Lodge

If you bring your own tent, you can camp on a field adjacent to the headquarters for a fee; camping at Crocodile Lake is no longer permitted.

Make sure you bring mosquito repellent and cover up at night.

Leeches are common on the trail to Crocodile Lake and will happily bite through socks and light shoes. Leech socks can be rented for 20,000 dong a day (Feb 2016) at Park HQ, or provided free when staying in up-market accommodation.

Possibly the greatest danger when walking in the forest is getting lost. Apart from the clearly marked paths near the headquarters, Forest Floor Lodge and the botanical gardens area, you should either use a guide, or take a GPS.

There are two local mini-buses a day at 06:30 and 11:30 that will take you from the ferry crossing to Dalat for 120,000 dong (Feb 2016). After 07:00, hourly buses go to HCMC for 80,000 dong until 17:00 (Feb 2016). Expect them to cruise around the village for more than an hour to fill up the bus; after that, it is around 4 hours to reach the Ho Chi Minh Bus Terminal.