Cat Tien National Park - the unique ‘Amazon’ of Vietnam: Bau Sau - the heart of the park

For a long time, the route to explore the primeval forest of Cat Tien National Park is an interesting trekking route, chosen by many domestic and foreign tourists when visiting Dong Nai. They can have many options for this trekking route. One of the places that many tourists, especially young people and foreigners choose to experience is the Bau Sau area, and we are no exception.

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Cat Tien National Park - the unique ‘Amazon’ of Vietnam: Excitement upon seeing animals at night

Mr. Bui Quoc Vi, a guide of Cat Tien National Park, who has been with the park for 20 years, said, “Located in the middle of the vast forest of Cat Tien National Park, ‘Bau Sau’ in the ancient Champa language means ‘a lake where many crocodiles live’. This is an excellent habitat for Siamese crocodiles, aquatic plants and animals, freshwater fish, birds that have a close relationship with water. \

There are many endangered bird species such as white-winged wood duck, green ibis, and Javan ferret-badger. Hoofed animals such as gaur, deer, wild boar also often appear in this area to look for food in the dry season every year, creating a unique and rare wild habitat.

According to Mr. Vi, the Cat Tien National Park conservation project has outlined a plan to restore freshwater crocodiles at Bau Sau. In 2001, the project went into operation based on the search for pure breed freshwater crocodiles with the same family as the crocodile species that existed in Bau Sau before.

This freshwater crocodile species is also known as Siamese crocodile. When grown up it has an average body length of 2.2m, its long mouth is like a clamp. The lower jaw has many pointy teeth, the tail is big and strong, the hind legs are webbed, the back is rectangular. The crocodile has gray skin, with the belly having a lighter color than the back.

Cat Tien National Park has undergone 5 releases with 60 Siamese crocodiles after DNA testing to ensure purity and familiarize them with the natural environment. Over the past 10 years, crocodiles in Bau Sau have recovered their natural instincts such as hunting and hatching eggs. This area has about 500 crocodiles up to the present date.

From the starting point, which is the administrative and service center of Cat Tien National Park, to Bau Sau, tourists will experience a journey of approximately 14 km. In the first 9 km, tourists will travel by specialized vehicles to visit many interesting destinations, then continue to walk through the forest on a unique trail for 5 km more.

One thing about this road that would leave anyone coming here speechless is the interlaced vines system, growing in all shapes and sizes. There are vines as big as an adult tree or like a giant python crossing the road, which is the signature of Cat Tien National Park’s vegetation.

The most 'worth' time to go to Bau Sau is at dawn or dusk. The magnificent and mysterious scenes will lead tourists to unforgettable moments. That is also the reason why many tourists choose to stay overnight to fully experience Bau Sau.

In particular, depending on whether the rainy season comes sooner or later, from the end of April to the beginning of June every year is usually an appropriate time for tourists, especially young people, to have the opportunity to "live virtual" with swarms of colorful forest butterflies flying along the journey to explore the jungle. In this area, tourists can encounter many kinds of wildlife such as green peacocks, primates or wild chickens during the day, and at night they can see deer and crocodiles.

“Tourists can rent a boat to row out to the lake area to see the endemic birds here firsthand, sometimes can even catch sight of crocodiles leisurely resting under the lake. When taking a sightseeing boat, tourists need to follow the safety regulations, strictly follow the instructions of the rangers here. The boat can go from 30-60 minutes depending on the tourists’ preference," said Mr. Nguyen Thanh Long, Deputy Head of the Cat Tien National Park Forest Protection Department.