I’m a photography enthusiast, and the landscapes in Northwest Vietnam seem incredible for capturing scenic views. Are there any specific spots that are particularly photogenic...
Vietnam has always been famous for its countless masterpieces of nature and among them are the national parks. These national parks are proof that Vietnam has an extremely rich flora and fauna system, which makes it very suitable for nature exploration tours.
From north to south, Vietnam has at least 10 iconic national parks and one of the largest national parks in Southern Vietnam is Tram Chim National Park.
As one of the prominent Dong Thap tourist destinations, Tram Chim National Park is of international importance, ranked 2,000th in the world and 4th in Vietnam. That’s why this place is no doubt, one of the must-visit destinations when traveling to the Mekong Delta.
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1. A Brief Introduction
Tram Chim National Park is a land located within the territory of Tram Chim town in Tam Nong district. It has a total area of more than 7,500 hectares and is a typical miniature model of the Dong Thap Muoi region, with a diverse ecosystem possessing the characteristics of the Mekong Delta region.
This place is home to rich vegetation with more than 130 different species. The fauna here stands out with a rich water bird system including 233 species, belonging to 25 genera and 49 families. Of these, 88% were found in the dry season, accounting for ¼ of the total number of bird species discovered in Vietnam. And especially the Red-crowned Crane, the largest in the Crane family - an invaluable natural asset of Tram Chim National Park in Dong Thap.
The fish system in Tram Chim National Park is equally rich, playing both an ecological balance and a food source for birds. Among them, there are many fish species in the Vietnam Red List.
2. Seasonal Characteristics of Tram Chim National Park
The special thing about this national park is that each season has unique features that cannot be found at other times of the year. These have also become notable milestones for tourists.
The floating season
The floating season (September - December) has always been a signature phenomenon in the Mekong Delta. And in Tram Chim National Park, this is also the time that is most chosen by tourists. During this season, the landscape is flooded, the plants are lush green, and the whole area is dotted with pink lotus flowers and blooming water lilies.
This time is also the season when birds gather to breed, therefore, tourists will get a chance to see the life of the birds up close.
What’s more, tourists can participate in interesting activities such as rowing a dinghy to experience life in flooded areas and carrying out the livelihood work of the residents here, for example: setting nets, setting roofing, sheltering, fishing, harvesting “heaven” rice, etc., especially, hunting field vole - a specialty of the Mekong Delta during flood season.
The dry season
The dry season (around January - June) is the only suitable time of the year to fully feast your eye on the red-crowned cranes.
Unlike many bird species in the area, red-crowned cranes only forage on the ground, so during the flood season in Dong Thap Muoi, they have to go looking for food elsewhere. Therefore, red-crowned cranes can only be seen in the dry season.
The Xyris Indica season
The Xyris indica season is considered a "specialty" of this land, usually starting December to February every year. The flowers bloom simultaneously from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. each day, creating a bright, poetic carpet of yellow flowers.
On this occasion, the Tram Chim National Park tourism center is also organized to take visitors around by motorboat and cross-field walking. There is also a tour program for guests to travel by buffalo cart during this special flower season.
The Nhi Can flower season
The Purple Nhi can, also known as Purple Seaweed Lily, lives in natural wetlands. The flower begins to bloom in January and lasts about 30-40 days. It is a submerged aquatic species, living in low terrain and acidic wetlands, often mixed in water lily. This is one of the rare plant species, very important to maintaining the ecosystem of Tram Chim National Park. The flowers have beautiful colors, creating interesting landscapes for tourism. They only bloom once a year.
3. Explore Tram Chim National Park
Besides seasonal attractions, Tram Chim National Park also has other interesting activities and destinations such as:
Go on a boat trip
You will have the opportunity to sit on a canoe (tac rang) and weave along the cool green canals, watching all kinds of birds flying around. After that, the canoe takes you to admire the beauty of fields of pink lotus, white lotus, Melaleuca forests, and “heaven” rice.
Climb the observation tower
When you reach the platform, the boat will stop so you can climb to the upper deck, enjoy the panoramic view of the immense green of Tram Chim National Park from above, relax with the caressing gentle breezes, and feel the closeness with nature.
Watch the sunset
Another very interesting thing at Tram Chim is watching the dusk falls. At the right time of the day, the sun is like a silver-coated ball surrounded by colorful halos that slowly sink to the horizon.
The entire river area suddenly turned pink and radiant. The afternoon sunlight splashes on the water's surface with variegated colors created by a magical, multi-colored mixture: bright yellow, orange-pink, and bright white - truly a masterpiece of nature.
Enjoy the food
After exploring Tram Chim National Park, you will have the opportunity to sit on a cool thatched house in the middle of the forest or on floating rafts, enjoying delicious rustic dishes with country flavors such as grilled snakehead fish, and braised fish. water lily, snails steamed with pepper, crab hotpot, eel stewed with lemongrass, crispy fried fish cakes, dried snakehead fish, catfish, grilled barramundi, etc.
If you have the opportunity to come here during the lotus blooming season, you can also enjoy many attractive dishes made from lotus.
5. Road to Tram Chim National Park
Tram Chim National Park is located about 160km from the center of Ho Chi Minh City and the road is quite easy to travel. From Saigon, you just need to go straight along the Trung Luong - Tan An - Tan Thanh highway. When you reach the My An-Moc Hoa intersection, you turn to Truong Xuan and drive a little further to reach Tram Chim town. Then you will see many signs leading to Tram Chim National Park. Just follow the signs and you'll get there.
Located about 35 km away from Cao Lanh city center, the road to Tram Chim National Park is quite easy. You can refer to the following suggested travel routes. Start at Cao Lanh City Center (Cao Lanh City Children's Park, April 30 Street) - follow National Highway 30 (NH30) to the intersection near Thanh Binh District Medical Center - continue to turn right to Tram Chim and follow the road signs.
From the Tam Nong district of Dong Thap province, you run straight across the Tram Chim bridge and then continue about 800m to reach the conservation center of Tram Chim National Park. Remember to look on the left side.
If you do not want to drive by yourself, please send us your inquiry for a customized private tour. You can contact us via email at sm@izitour.com.
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