Bach Ma National Park Tour

The national park covers an area of about 22,000 ha in the districts of Phu Loc and Nam Dong. With steep mountains and dense forests this area is home to a wide variety of animals and plants. At the base of the mountains there is tropical monsoon forest, above 900 m sub-tropical forest. There are species from both northern and southern Vietnam, and Bach Ma is recognized as one of the areas of Indochina with high biodiversity. Bach Ma mountain peak is the highest point in the park at 1,450 m above sea level and is only 18 km away from the coast.

The Bach Ma got its name ("white horse") from the white cloud which continually caps its peak. The area first attracted the attention of conservationists in 1925 when a plan to create a national park protecting the Edward's pheasant was submitted to the French colonial authorities.

On 29 July 1932, the summit plateau was selected by the French chief engineer Girard to become a hill station for the colonial administration of Hue. In the following years, a village including 139 villas and hotels was created, which soon became known as the Dalat of Central Vietnam. For accommodating holiday makers and to avoid commuting on the steep, 19 km long road to the next major town, there were even a post office, a market, and a hospital. After the French left Vietnam in 1954, the hill resort was soon forgotten and the remains of some of these buildings are now being smothered by the returning jungle.

The South Vietnamese government designated the Bach Ma - Hai Van National Park in 1962 but the conservation initiatives did not last very long. The Vietnam War saw heavy fighting in the park as the summit was used as an advanced helicopter base by the US Military. The American troops took advantage of the view from Bach Ma summit across the coastline and attempted to control the area between Hue and Da Nang. Evidence of this period remains in the form of unexploded ordinance and some hills still have not fully recovered from the spraying of defoliants.

After the reunification in 1976, several projects intended to develop fruit tree and vegetable plantations in the mountains but due to the harsh weather conditions these attempts failed consecutively.

Eventually, Bach Ma summit and a surrounding area of 22,031ha were given the protected status it deserves when Bach Ma National Park was created in 1991.

The flora of Bach Ma includes 2,147 species which represents around one-fifth of the entire flora of Vietnam. Of these, 86 species are listed as endangered in the red book of Vietnam. There are also over 500 species which have commercial potential as medicinal plants.

The fauna of Bach Ma National Park is very various with a lot of endemic and rare species. Until now, scientists have identified 1.493 species including 132 species of mammals (occupy half of all mammals known in Vietnam), 358 bird species, 31 reptile species, 21 frog species , 57 fish species and 894 insect species. Nine species of primates are confirmed in Bach Ma, including macaques, langurs, loris and the white-cheeked gibbon. The elusive Saola (Pseudoryx nghetinhensis) was only discovered in Vietnam in 1992 and is also present in the protected area. Large predators, such as tiger and leopard, may still remain in remote areas of the park.

The 358 species of birds that have been observed in the park represent over one-third of the species found in Vietnam. There are seven species of pheasants, including the rare endemic Edward's pheasant (Lophura edwardsi). Historically, this species was very common in the forests along the foot of the mountain but was already considered to be extinct by the 1940s. More than 50 years later, it was rediscovered in the park and has become the symbol of Bach Ma National Park.

8AM: Pick up from your hotel and drive to Bach Ma National Park, about 40km from Hue. Then take a walking tour through the forests, and visit the flora & fauna of Bach Ma National Park, Do Quyen and Ngu Ho falls. From Bach Ma summit (at the height of 1,450m), you will have a panoramic view of Cau Hai and Tam Giang Lagoons. You will also visit the old villas. You will enjoy a picnic lunch in the forest or at the canteen of Bach Ma Park. After lunch, you will be driven back to Hue.

Services included: English or French speaking guide, A/C private car with driver, entrance fee, one lunch, cold water and towel during the tour.

Services not included: Drinks, tips, personal expenses & others.