Forest reserves in Vietnam are protected and with restricted access. In most cases, forest reserves are national parks that cover some wetlands and special bird areas. Also, they may have some areas of scientific significance. Here are ten of the most important forest reserves in Vietnam.
1. Bidoup Núi Bà National Park
The park was established in 2004 in Lâm Đồng Province. It covers a total geographical area of 64,800 hectares, which is equivalent to 160,000 acres. The largest part of the park is the forest area. It's famed for being home to 1468 species of plants and 52 animal species.
2. Yok Đôn National Park
Yok Đôn National Park is located in Đắk Lắk Province and covers an area of 446.12 sq. mi. The park has plenty of deciduous forests and also the semi-evergreen forest. Also, there are 474 different plant species. Some highly endangered species of animals such as Asian elephant, Indochinese, gaur, leopard, and tiger are found here.
3. Tam Đảo National Park
The park, which was established in 1996, covers a total area of 91,140 acres. Fifty-four thousand three hundred twenty acres out of the entire area is covered by natural forest. Also, 3,340 acres are made up of plantation forests. There are varieties of tree, insect, amphibian, and reptile species.
4. Cúc Phương National Park
Cúc Phương park is at the base of the Annamite Mountains on the north, and it was established in 1982. It has a beautiful multi-layered tree that forms canopies. Also, there are 97 mammal species, 300 bird species, and 2,000 vascular plant species.
5. Ba Bể National Park
Ba Bể National Park is located in Vietnam’s Bắc Kạn Province. Ba Be refers to three lakes. The lakes form one water body that is 8 kilometers long and 800 meters wide. Reportedly, there are about 332 species of butterflies in this park. You’ll also find François's leaf monkey and Owston's civet here.
6. Cát Bà National Park
This park is found in the Cát Hải District, which is in Hai Phong. The total reserve area is 38,000 acres. The park, which was established in 1986, holds within marine areas and small islands. There are 839 vascular plant species in Cát Bà. It is the exclusive home to Cat Ba langur species in the world.
7. Cát Tiên National Park
Cát Tiên National Park came into existence in 1998. It’s located in Đồng Nai Province and covers an area of 280 sq. mi. The park covers the largest part of lowland tropical rainforests in Vietnam. There is a combination of evergreen, tropical, and deciduous forests. Reportedly, the park has 1,300 vascular plant species.
8. Lò Gò-Xa Mát National Park
Lò Gò-Xa Mát was established in 1993 in Tây Ninh Province. The park covers an area of 91,140 acres, of which, 54,320 acres are natural forest while 3,340 acres is plantation forest. There are also elfin forest types, covering an area of 1,500 acres. The majority of the park is covered with tree species.
9. Phú Quốc National Park
Phú Quốc is found in Northern Phú Quốc island, Kiên Giang Province. It has a strictly protected area of 21,260 acres. It also has a biological restoration area and an administrative area, which covers an area of 55,850 acres and 82 acres, respectively. It mostly has lowland evergreen forests with 929 different plant species.
10. Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park
Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng was gazette as a National Park in 2001. Its total geographical area is 331.10 sq. mi. It also has a buffer zone of 754 sq. mi. The beautiful landmark is located in a province called Quảng Bình. It is home to the two largest karst regions in the world, with 300 grottoes and caves.
