Where is it?Situated 120 South-West of Hanoi, with a 22,200 - ha rainforest, CucPhuong National Park is the centerpiece of Vietnam’s conservationefforts and one of the most accessible parks in the country.

Looking at "Nguoi Xua" Cave (Caveof the Early Man), you will see the two new discovered ancient tombsalong with Neolithic remains and evidence of stone implements. Youwould have similar findings at the following caves: Trang Khuyet(Crescent Moon), Thanh Minh and Con Mong, and Hang Dan (well known forBat).

Does such a natural landscape have a cultural value?The answer is YES. In earlier times, Cuc Phuong was home to the Muongminority people and today, you can still see their traditional stilthouses. The rocky outcrops of Cuc Phuong contain very valuablearcheological vestiges such as a fossilized sea reptile, dated at 200 -230 million years old and evidence of prehistoric people, who lived inthe forest some 7500 years ago.

As the oldest national park of Vietnam, Cuc Phuong is attached to a long-lasting history.In1960, Cuc Phuong was turned into a forest reserve, and then granted a“National Park” 2 years later by President Ho Chi Minh for remindinghis people of the environment’s core role in their life. Yet there hadalready been some relationship between mankind and Cuc Phuong beforethis event. The remains of prehistoric men dating 7,000-12,000 yearsago have been found in the numerous caves in the park.

Diversified Flora-Fauna. Cuc Phuong is also popular for being home to a huge diversity of flora and fauna. Thebotanical richness of the forest is impressive since it supports a widevariety of flora species and patches of primeval forest, includingancient trees with thick clusters of roots, parasitic plants andligneous creepers. Surprisingly, some plant species have beenintroduced from Burma, India, and Borneo. Stepping to the caves, youcan find at entrances the ideal moisture conditions and light, you willfeel relaxed when seeing clusters of growing orchards as well asvanilla, snow-white and butterfly orchids.

Asregards fauna, the park has 97 species of mammals, 300 species ofbirds, 36 reptilian species, 17 species of amphibians, 11 species offish and thousands of species of insects, most of which do not bite. Anumber of species in the park are listed on Vietnam Red Book ofendangered species.

Visitingthe park, no one could help keeping an eye on the primates; includingmacaques, gibbon, Francois' leaf monkey and slow loris. Besides, thispark is the home for other mammals including bats, porcupine, squirrel,leopard, clouded leopard and jungle cat in Cuc Phuong.  Migrantspecies include thrushes, flycatchers, tits, finches, pipits amongstothers. Hornbills can also be spotted in the forest.

Entertainment activities. Should you are keen on cultural aspects, do not hesitate to join in the community-based eco-tourism and home-stays. Whydon’t you take a trek to the Muong village where the hospitable localpeople offer you 1 or 2 nights' home-stay in their traditional stilthouses? This does bring you an opportunity to explore their culture and try out bamboo river rafting!

You can also discover excellent hiking opportunities, and spend some days trekkingthough the forest. Popular trails to 1000 year old tree, other ancienttrees, silver cloudy peak and Muong village. Tourists may joinnight-spotting trips into the primary forest. These offer opportunitiesto see the more exclusive mammal species of the park, including theblack giant squirrel, the Indian flying squirrel, samba deer andseveral small carnivores.
Do not forget to bring with you thebinoculars because Cuc Phuong is home to a wealth of beautiful tropicalbirds, many of which are endemic in Vietnam and Indochina. Some of the307 species of rare birds that you might encounter are thesilver-pheasant, red-collared woodpecker, brown hornbill, bar-belliedpita, and so forth.

For further interests, we suggest you take a tour to biodiversity hotspots. Atthe moment Cuc Phuong has a total of 43 biodiversity hotspots. All ofthese are recognized by the scientific department of the national parkand they offer you and excellent opportunity to study and see manydifferent species of tropical plants.

One of the fantastic ways to experience Cuc Phuong is by cyclingthrough the forest. Biking offers the visitor not only silence and acool breeze, but it is also a great way to discover the more secretiveanimals and birds of the national park.

Suggested means of transport.Take a bus from Hanoi at Giap Bat Bus Terminal- the city’s southern busterminal, at around 20,000 VND, to Nho Quan, then catch a motorcycletaxi to the park headquarters for about 30,000 dong. The total traveltime is 2.30 to 3.30 hours.
If you plan on making only a day tripto the park, you should go through a travel agency. However, if you’regoing to stay for one or more nights then the public bus option isviable.