You'd be hard pressed to find a mention of Vietnam’s Cat Tien National Park in any of the current rack of guidebooks. Vietnam may have opened the doors to tourism, but some places it seems remain off the tourist radar. Destinations that fit comfortably on the Ho Chi Minh City - Nha Trang - Hoi An - Hue - Hanoi route are over run by buses and cars full of eager eyed tourists. Step off that trail just 20km or so and you might be surprised to find yourself in a tourist free biodiversity hotspot surrounded by tropical rain forest and an abundance of wildlife.

Cat Tien National Park is 174km north out of Ho Chi Minh City and 20km off the main road to Dalat. Getting there is half the fun and for the moment at least that involves hopping on a ferry to take the short jaunt over the Dong Nai river to the Park Headquarters. There is no bridge over the river to the main entrance of the park, although there are plans to build one in the not too distant future. Such isolation coupled with steep muddy hills and dense Rattan forest have combined to help protect the environment from destruction and it has also gone some way to help saving what WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature) define as “perhaps the most endangered large mammal in the world.” Between 5 and 8 Javan (Vietnamese) Rhinos are thought to remain in one very small, highly protected area of the park. There is no chance to meet this giant of the forest as the area it inhabits is strictly off limits to the casual tourist. But, it isn't just Rhinos that help make this park special.

Cat Tien National Park plays host to a cornucopia of species, endemic birds, Asian elephants and wild cats. All of which inhabit the forest surrounding the park headquarters on the banks of the Dong Nai river. However unless you go with a guide, who knows what to look for and where to look for it, the likelihood is that you won’t get to see all the park has to offer. Forearmed with the knowledge that Rhino sightings were out of the question, Elephants were extremely doubtful and Leopard Cats were for the lucky, the next best thing is to go in search of Siamese Crocodiles at Bau Sau lake otherwise known as Crocodile lake 16km from park headquarters.

Siamese crocodiles were hunted out for their meat or captured and put into farms before and during the Vietnam War. The result being that Siamese crocodiles haven't been seen in the wild in Vietnam since the war. However, December 2001 saw the first reintroduction of the species in Vietnam when park authorities released ten relatives from the original Bau Sau family into the park. These new residents were taken from farms in the Mekong Delta area and rigorously vetted via DNA testing done in Australia to certify that they were indeed the genuine article and not a result of crossbreeding with their Cuban cousins which are numerous in the Mekong Delta area. A further eight were released in 2002 and more are due to follow.

Bau Sau is deep within the forest, a two hour trek off the main trail passing through dense tropical woods, ferns and fungi. The deeper you go the more the forest comes alive as the birds and animals become aware of your presence. Gibbons and Langurs will call out your presence, but you'll need a keen eye or an expert guide if you are to catch a glimpse of them. The path is clear and the trek is relatively easy although the jungle on either side is dense. During my trek I was accompanied by David Murphy, a WWF biologist from Park HQ, who stopped to point out the tell tale gouge marks made by the paws of a Sun Bear which is the smallest bear in the world. Sun Bears are known to attack at short notice, but fortunately for trekkers, they like to rest during the day.

Bau Sau is an unexpected oasis in the jungle. The only building around the lake is the forest guard house which doubles up as accommodation for visitors whenever they are staying the night. Apart from the resident forest guards, the only other regular visitors are conservationists, scientific researchers and bird watchers who come to spot some of the rarer species that inhabit the park. Twitchers the world over come in the hope of spotting one of the four species of Pitta, four varieties of Sunbird or Hornbill or the ultra rare and endemic Orange Necked Partridge and White Winged Duck. Easier to spot, but just as rare as the birds in South East Asia as a whole, are the Siamese Crocodiles one of which could be seen upon our arrival hanging in the water just below the guard house.

WWF Volunteer Murphy told me, “We go Crocodile spotting once a month, after dark during the middle of the lunar month just to monitor the density of numbers.” The spotters take a rowing boat in a circuitous route around the lake waiting to pick up the tell tale red eyes in the torch light beam. Although the species has only recently been reintroduced and numbers could be assumed to be the same, a regular programme of checking started early on to help monitor the success or otherwise of the reintroduction. And so far so good, the population has taken well to their new home.

It is by night the forest and lake wake up. For the fortunate a night trek around Bau Sau with a spotlight can occasionally reveal the rare Gaur, a large herd animal. Cat Tien National Park is one place where seeing Gaur is relatively easy. Herds of 15 or more are a fairly common sight as the animals come to the lakeside to feast on grass and herbs. The largely nocturnal and endangered Sambar deer can also be seen coming down to drink as darkness falls.

The Bau Sau Guards will rustle up a basic but tasty meal for you, usually consisting of fish caught from the lake, rice and water spinach. Accommodation in the guardhouse is basic. You'll need to bring a hammock with you or rent one from the park HQ. The guardhouse sleeps a maximum of eight, although some people choose to string their makeshift beds up in the forest for the night. There is no running water only a well. Birders are happy to slum it given the unique opportunity there is to observe the local rarities. However, for others the abundance of leeches during the wet season gathered from the forest trek coupled with basic living conditions can be somewhat uncomfortable. Just spare a thought for the Forest guards who live there day in, day out managing the lake and protecting the wildlife from poachers.

Although most of the wildlife comes alive at night, Bau Sau lake itself is best seen as the sun melts over the canopies or upon waking just before sunrise. In the morning, the lake is often covered with a thin layer of mist which slowly evaporates with the sun’s rays. Osprey can be seen hunting for breakfast and the occasional flock of ducks or Great Hornbills flit across the lake. While on the far side opposite the guardhouse the troops of Gibbons, Macaques and Black Shanked Douc Langurs make their presence known as they howl to greet the morning. Even with the sounds of the jungle, waking at Bau Sau has to be one of the more peaceful experiences to be had in Vietnam. In a country so densely populated and polluted by noise Bau Sau deep within Cat Tien National Park is a welcome retreat.

©2003 Graham Holliday

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