Our main reason for visiting Cat Tien National Park, located about 150 km north of Ho Chi Minh City, was the opportunity to see gibbons in Vietnam. This protected area of tropical rainforest spans 72,000 hectares and is home to a rich variety of wildlife, including elephants, bears, buffaloes, lorises, macaques, and langurs. There are even recorded images of tigers and leopards!
We visited the park on our own since we were traveling through Vietnam by motorbike. However, here are some options if you’re near the park:
Although the chances of spotting animals are generally low, we had read that the park organizes excursions where there is a relatively good chance of seeing gibbons. This convinced us to take a small detour before reaching Ho Chi Minh City.
However, a conversation with the guesthouse owner changed our minds, and we decided to explore the park on our own. According to him, it was easy to find gibbons by simply taking a walk, and hearing them from our room made us feel that the park was full of them.
Our accommodation won us over with a cozy, quiet cabin. Who wanted to camp when we were so comfortable, knowing we could visit the park and look for the little animals ourselves the next day?
After an afternoon of much-needed rest, after two fateful days, we set off the next morning to visit the park. The entrance is close to town and accessed by crossing a river on a small barge, which departs as soon as it’s full.
When we arrived at Cat Tien National Park, a huge mural displaying all the available routes greeted us. It was almost eleven o’clock, a bit late to spot gibbons, but we figured we’d try anyway. If we felt like it, we could return earlier the next day or go with a guide.
The entire route is marked with red signs painted on tree trunks. Apart from a few stretches where the signs are spaced far apart or obscured by branches, it’s very easy to follow. Additionally, it’s not physically demanding, as the terrain is flat throughout.
We spent just over two hours walking the six-kilometer route through a dry but pleasant landscape. While it was nice to get some exercise and immerse ourselves in nature, we only saw a squirrel and lots of mosquitoes.
Once we reached the river, we turned back to the entrance. No luck with wildlife sightings.
That afternoon, we enjoyed the good weather and our accommodation. A delicious meal and a nap in the dining room’s hammocks made for a relaxing end to the day.
We debated whether to do another excursion the next day or possibly stay overnight at Crocodile Lake. However, we were eager to reach Ho Chi Minh City and start planning our trip through the Mekong Delta.
In the end, we decided to leave the following day. The walk through the park had been refreshing but hadn’t particularly captivated us.
