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Travel Information For Cuc Phuong National Park

Monday, 16/10/2023, 12:06 GMT+7

Travel Information for Cuc Phuong National Park

If you're a nature lover in need of a quick escape from Hanoi's hustle and bustle, Cuc Phuong National Park is a fantastic option. Known as the "green lung" of Northern Vietnam, Cuc Phuong National Park is home to the indigenous Muong people and features a diverse ecosystem, as well as serving as a conservation hub for threatened species.

Overview of Cuc Phuong National Park

Cuc-Phuong-National-Park-Ninh-Binh-Vietnam Image by Vietnam Budget Car rental

The provinces of Ninh Binh, Hoa Binh, and Thanh Hoa all share ownership of the 22,200-acre Cuc Phuong National Park. Distance from Hanoi is 130 km, while from Ninh Binh City it is 55 km.

The largest and first national park in the country, Cuc Phuong, features a deep forest of millennia-old trees, floral gardens, and a wide variety of birds, mammals, reptiles, and colorful butterflies. The park is also home to two animal sanctuaries.

As Vietnam's first national park, Cuc Phuong has been around for quite some time. Cuc Phuong National Park was established in 1962 after previously being designated as a forest reserve by President Ho Chi Minh in 1960.

For the simple reason that Uncle Ho (as President Ho Chi Minh is affectionately known) wished to stress to the Vietnamese people the significance of preserving their natural environment for future generations. Yet humankind's history with Cuc Phuong goes back quite a ways.

In the park's many mountain caverns, archaeologists have unearthed ancient human bones dating back anywhere from 7 thousand to 12 thousand years.

In 1789, during the Civil War, the park's Quen Voi area served as a pivotal battlefield. In 1987, 500 Muong households were relocated to the park's fringes due to land usage and conservation issues.

People in the area can find food in the park's forests. The Muong minority once lived in Cuc Phuong, and a few small villages can be seen on the park's fringes to this day.

>>Read more: Ba Ba national park

People in the area host visitors in their homes as part of community-based ecotourism to encourage them to spend longer time in the park and generate revenue to support conservation efforts.

Ways to Reach Cuc Phuong Conservation Area

cuc-phuong-nation-park-welcome-gate Image by Vietnam Budget Car rental

You may easily reach Nho Quan (the nearest town to the park) by taking a bus from Hanoi's Giap Bat Bus Station. Take a motorbike cab from Nho Quan to the park entrance of Cuc Phuong when you get there.

This option is not practical for a day trip because of the long duration of the journey and the need to stick to the bus schedule. In addition, the residents' poor command of the English language makes communication difficult for tourists from other countries.

Vietnam Budget Car Rental offers customizable itineraries for visitors interested in seeing Cuc Phuong National Park and the surrounding area. The distance between Hanoi and Cuc Phuong National Park is only 130 kilometers, making a day trip possible.

The park is a great addition to a 2 or 3-day tour of Ninh Binh, which also includes Tam Coc, Bich Dong, Trang An, and Bai Dinh Pagoda. Directly from Hanoi to Cuc Phuong, our driver and tour guide will take you into the heart of the jungle.

If you want to go to Cuc Phuong National Park, when is the ideal time to go?

The average annual temperature of Cuc Phuong National Park is a balmy 24.70 degrees Celsius, typical of the tropical monsoon environment.

Except for the wet months of July, August, and September, the park is accessible year-round. When it rains, the risks associated with hiking become too great, necessitating the closure of some trails for the safety of visitors.

Pheasant, coriander, marble babbler, and cut white belly are only few of the rare birds that may be seen in Cuc Phuong between February and April.

In late April and early May, many people flock to this woodland to capture photographic memories against a backdrop of tens of thousands of colorful butterflies.

Places to visit and things to do in Cuc Phuong National Park

Hiking-and-Cycling-in-Cuc-Phuong Image by Vietnam Budget Car rental

Primitive forest cycling and hiking

As several forest hike paths ranging in length from a few hours to two or three days can be found in Cuc Phuong National Park.

To guarantee that visitors have the best and most educational hiking experience possible, most trails are accompanied by a park guide and an English-speaking guide.

Travelers can choose from a number of well-traveled routes that lead to Muong communities, ancient trees, and caverns.

Longer trips with camping options allow you to see both Ngoc Son and Pu Luong Nature Reserves. You can rent mountain bikes in the national park for a unique way to explore the woods.

Prehistoric caves in the wilderness can be seen by tourists on horseback or on foot. The three most famous caves are the Mang Chieng Cave (a relic of Stone Age dwellers, holding numerous artifacts, animal and human bones), the Crescent Moon Cave, and the Cave of Ancient Man, which contains ancient man traces dating back 7,500 years.

Wildlife-watching and bird-watching

Wildlife-watching-and-bird-watching-in-Cuc-Phuong Image by Vietnam Budget Car rental

Located on two limestone mountain ranges and characterized by rainforest throughout the year, Cuc Phuong is home to a stunningly diversified ecosystem that attracts researchers from all over the world.

There are around 2234 vascular and non-vascular plant species, 122 reptile and amphibian species, and 135 mammal species that call the ancient forest home.

These mammals include the Clouded Leopard, Delacour's Langur, Owston's Civet, and the Asian Black Bear. The number of known bird species has increased by 336.

Important fossils from the fields of paleontology and anthropology, such as those of a marine lizard that lived between 200 and 230 million years ago, have been discovered in the granite outcrops of Cuc Phuong.

The park hosts animal night spotting and bird watching programs so visitors may get up close and personal with the region's more elusive natural species.

Early mornings and late afternoons are ideal times for bird watching.

Colorful-Butterflies-in-Cuc-Phuong Image by Vietnam Budget Car rental

In late April or early May, Cuc Phuong becomes home to hundreds upon thousands of stunning butterflies.

Seek out wildlife sanctuaries.

Travelers to Cuc Phuong National Park will want to make their initial stop at the park's visitor center to register their vehicles and complete other administrative tasks before venturing out into the park.

The photographs, records, and interpretations displayed in the visitor center will help educate visitors about the natural environment and inspire them to care about protecting it.

In 1985, Vietnam's first botanical garden, Cuc Phuong, was established inside a national park and protected region.

A semi-wild, protected environment for wildlife release programs is maintained at Cuc Phuong Botanical Garden, one of three Vietnamese botanical gardens on the list of International Botanic Gardens.

Listening to the gibbons and birds sing as you stroll through the garden first thing in the morning is a truly enchanted experience.

The Frankfurt Zoological Society and Cuc Phuong National Park established the Endangered Primate Rescue Center in 1993 to save endangered primates including the Cat Ba langur, Delacour's langur, and the Grey-shanked Douc langur from extinction.

The center helps prepare animals for reintroduction into the wild by providing them with semi-wild environments.

After Fauna & Flora International's 1998 founding of the Turtle Conservation Center, Cuc Phuong National Park assumed management of the facility in 2001.

This facility represents the pinnacle of freshwater turtle and tortoise conservation in Vietnam. It helps spread the word about the critical situation facing turtles in Vietnam.

Community-based ecotourism

As mentioned above, the Muong minority once called Cuc Phuong home. Community-based tourism has gained popularity in recent years as a tool for both locals to earn extra money and visitors to have a more genuine experience in the destination.

You can also stay in traditional stilt huts, prepare meals with locals, and enjoy bamboo rafting or kayaking on a nearby stream or lake, in addition to camping.

These activities aim to educate visitors about the diverse cultures that make up Vietnam. In addition, at night, young Muong girls and boys who live in and around the national park will perform traditional songs and dances for visitors.

Accommodations

Cuc-Phuong-resort Image by Vietnam Budget Car rental

There are many places for visitors to stay in Cuc Phuong National Park besides homestays. You can choose to stay at either Park Headquarters, Mac Lake, or Park Center.

You won't find any five-star hotels here; instead, you'll find simple accommodations with an emphasis on eco-friendliness.

Park Headquarters has 37 rooms available (double, twin, and single) with private bathrooms, hot water, air conditioning, televisions, and wireless internet access. The nightly room costs are between 350,000 and 1,200,000 VND.

In addition to a restaurant and gift shop, guests can take advantage of the tour guides, live music, laundry facilities, bicycle rentals, and snack bar.

Mac Lake has 4 air-conditioned double rooms, a detached house with a fan, and shared bathroom facilities in each of the dormitory-style stilt huts. Prices per night range from 350,000 VND to 800,000 VND, excluding dorms.

Entertainment options range from live traditional music performances to a fire camp, fishing, a gift shop, a snack bar, and a restaurant.

Park Center (Bong sub-station) features a basic stilt home (with a separate bathroom but no hot water) and a detached bungalow with its own bathroom, hot water, and air conditioning.

Prices per night might be anywhere from 170,000 to 500,000 VND. Power is on in the evenings. There is a restaurant, a gift store, and a snack bar available to guests.