Nam Cat Tien National Park is located in the system of Cat Tien National Park – one in eight World’s Biosphere Reserve in Vietnam recognized by UNESCO. Though accounting for approximately 10% of the total area of Cat Tien National Park, Nam Cat Tien owns one in two Ramsar Wetlands in Vietnam. With high biodiversity, varied terrain, rare and precious plants and animals together with beautiful sceneries, Nam Cat Tien National Park has become a tourist attraction for years.
Nam Cat Tien National Park is set up in January 13th, 1992 and listed in protected area then. The most outstanding characteristic of this park is wet and lowland tropical forest. There is a myth about the formation of Cat Tien National Park. Long time ago, a hunter saw a strange and sparkling cylinder; he was so curious that he shot into that cylinder. Suddenly, from the holy cylinder, a strong current angrily flowed forming a vast wetland area and huge lakes. On the sand near the lake, tales were playing and singing. Deer, herds, rhinos were grazing around the stream, birds were singing and butterflies were flying over blooming flowers making up peaceful and romantic scenery like in the fairy tale. Cat Tien in Vietnamese means the place of gods and fairies.
Nam Cat Tien National Park not only has beautiful scenery with different terrains of river, stream, waterfall, wetland area, mountains but also the rich and diverse flora and fauna with many endemic and rare species in protected list. Especially, Bau Sau – one in two wetlands in Vietnam is an interesting destination. Moreover, Nam Cat Tien National Park is living place of Stieng and Ma ethnics in Vietnam. With traditional lifestyle, unique cultural features and authentic festivals of buffalo sacrifice, tales and myths, and sole musical instruments, life of Stieng and Ma ethnic in Nam Cat Tien National Park will fascinate tourists’ desire of exploring.
Thanks to tourism potential, managers of Nam Cat Tien National Park have promoted different types of tourism for different goals: discover academic research, relax, volunteer, so on. Wonderful nature, beautiful landscapes, unique and diverse ecosystem, fresh atmosphere, Nam Cat Tien National Park is absolutely a great destination.