Treasures in Cat Tien

During the first day's 14km forest tour, pristine nature unfolded before our eyes, with lush green spaces and ancient trees. While the 500-year-old Tung tree stands majestically, requiring dozens of people to encircle it, the 700-year-old Bac Dong tree makes its mark with a name given after the late Prime Minister Pham Van Dong, when he visited the tree on February 12, 1988. The Da Co Lagerstroemia Forest is equally unique, featuring a 300-year-old Lagerstroemia tree with six branches reaching high to catch the sunlight. All of these are considered "treasures" of Cat Tien forest. In addition, the forest's highlight is perhaps the many flocks of colorful butterflies fluttering among the clumps of trees. Cat Tien boasts a diverse range of approximately 113 mammal species, notably the gaur and the slow loris, two rare and strictly protected species. It is also the only place in Vietnam where wildlife can be observed in their natural habitat. As night fell, Long Ho's group boarded their open-top car to observe wildlife along a 12km route. The guide would shine a flashlight for visitors to see animals, but only used yellow light because white light would scare them.

Using binoculars, one can see hoofed animals, porcupines, rabbits, and snakes searching for food at night on the vast grasslands. For scientists , the most exciting encounter is the slow loris, an animal listed in the Red Book of Vietnam and the world. They are distinguished by their docile nature and large, round eyes that glow in the dark.

Each night safari is a unique and never-repeating experience, always offering something new for visitors to discover .

Heritage Magazine