Wildlife in Vietnam

Ba Be Lake is Vietnam's largest natural freshwater lake - three connected bodies of water (Pé Lèng, Pé Lù, Pé Lầm) stretching 8km through karst mountains in Bắc Kạn. Ramsar Wetland site, Tày homestays, boat through Puong Cave, and some of the most intact lowland forest in the northern highlands.

Ba Hồ Waterfall is Nha Trang's best jungle adventure - three tiered pools fed by a 10km stream running off 660m Hòn Sơn peak, 25km north of the city. The trail between pools stays genuinely rugged and undeveloped even though basic facilities exist near the entrance, so this rewards visitors prepared for real rock scrambling rather than a casual walk.

Bản Giốc is the largest waterfall on any national border in Southeast Asia - a 300-metre-wide curtain of water crashing across three tiers on the Vietnam-China border in Cao Bằng, surrounded by karst mountains and emerald pools.

Bat Pagoda (Chùa Dơi) in Sóc Trăng is a Khmer Buddhist temple over 400 years old where thousands of large fruit bats roost in the ancient trees year-round - an extraordinary and unexpected combination of active religious site and wildlife spectacle, best seen with time for both the architecture and the dusk bat departure.

Bàu Sấu is a remote oxbow lake deep inside Cát Tiên National Park - a 3-hour jungle trek from the park headquarters leads to one of southern Vietnam's last viable crocodile habitats and a prime birdwatching site.

Bidoup Núi Bà National Park protects one of the largest remaining tracts of highland cloud forest in southern Vietnam - a roughly 64,800-hectare wilderness of montane jungle, endemic birds, and multi-day trekking routes 50km north of Đà Lạt, centred on Bidoup Peak, the highest point of the Đà Lạt Plateau.

Bù Gia Mập National Park is one of the last intact lowland rainforest blocks in southeastern Vietnam - 26,000 hectares on the Cambodian border, 200km from Saigon. Difficulty 2/10, suitable for beginners. Famous for leeches, gibbon calls at dawn, and camping by Đắk Manh stream.

Búng Bình Thiên, the largest natural freshwater lake in the Mekong Delta, is a peaceful border-district lake in An Giang known for its year-round clear water, a striking two-toned confluence at C3 bridge, surrounding Cham Muslim villages, and a flood-season lotus bloom - a quiet cultural and nature stop for travellers who don't need a dramatic 'wow' view to feel it was worth the trip.

Cần Giờ Monkey Island sits inside a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve 50-60km from central Saigon - a river island in the mangrove forest where over 2,000 long-tailed macaques live in large semi-wild troops, reached by boat through the Cần Giờ waterways and often paired with the nearby Rừng Sác War Base on the same day trip.

Cát Bà National Park covers 17,363 hectares of the island's rugged interior - the last habitat of the critically endangered golden-headed langur, with jungle trails to a summit viewpoint over Ha Long Bay and Lan Hà Bay simultaneously, a 12km trek through primary forest to Việt Hải village, and butterfly swarms along the trails in April and May.

Cát Tiên National Park - established 1992, 71,920 hectares (larger than Singapore), UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Over 1,610 plant species, 1,568 animal species, 300+ bird species (nearly 50% of Vietnam's total). Once the last mainland Asian refuge of the Javan rhinoceros, declared extinct here in 2010. Winner of 4 awards at the 2025 AEN International Ecotourism Awards including top prize for Biodiversity Conservation.

Con Dao National Park - Vietnam's premier wildlife and marine conservation area. 19,883 hectares, Ramsar Wetland since 2013. Vietnam's most important sea turtle site: 400+ turtles nest annually. Three endemic species found nowhere else on earth. Rainforest trekking, coral reefs, dugong, and sea turtles in one protected area.

Suối Cửa Tử in Thái Nguyên province is a 9-gate stream trek through primary forest in Đại Từ district, approximately 2 hours from Hanoi - with natural swimming pools, waterfall jumps, and camping options that make it one of the most accessible wilderness day trips from the capital.

Bãi Đầm Trầu is one of the most striking beaches on Côn Đảo - a crescent of fine white sand backed by primary rainforest, ranked in Travel + Leisure's Top 25 Beaches in the World in 2021. Its most unusual feature: it sits directly below the flight path of Cỏ Ống Airport, where planes pass just overhead on approach - one of the only places in Vietnam where you can swim while watching aircraft land.

Thác Đỗ Quyên (Rhododendron Waterfall) in Bạch Mã National Park drops nearly 400 metres through primary mountain forest - reached by 689 stone steps or via an adventure package with via ferrata, zipline, and suspension bridge. One of the tallest waterfalls in central Vietnam.

The Duck Stop is a family-run duck-feeding farm in Bong Lai Valley near Phong Nha - a quirky, TikTok-famous attraction where visitors become 'Duck Leader' for a day, feeding and interacting with over 120 free-roaming ducks, riding a buffalo named Donald Trump, and sampling a homemade bánh xèo pancake on a genuine working farm.

Hang En is the third largest natural cave in the world - 3km from Sơn Đoòng, accessible by 2-day 1-night trek through jungle and Bru-Vân Kiều village, with a night camping on a white sandbar inside the cave under a 145m ceiling. The accessible alternative to Sơn Đoòng.

Hang Rai is a wild stretch of Ninh Thuận coastline inside Núi Chúa National Park - ancient coral rock formations shaped by centuries of waves, best at sunrise or late afternoon when the light turns the jagged stone red and gold. Part of the Vĩnh Hy - Hang Rai - Vườn Nho coastal route.

Hòn Yến is a small coral island 15km north of Tuy Hòa in Phú Yên - two islands (Hòn Yến and Hòn Sụn) connected by a rock path at low tide, with exposed coral reefs, lobster farming, and floating seafood restaurants. Named for the swifts that once nested here.

K50 Waterfall (Thác Hang Én) is a 54-metre cascade inside Kon Chu Rang Nature Reserve on the Gia Lai–Bình Định border - accessible only by multi-day trek with permits, with a swallow cave behind the falls, a King Kong-shaped boulder in the pool, and leeches regardless of season.

La Ngâu Stream in Tánh Linh, Bình Thuận is a rocky jungle stream with natural pools and multiple campsites - one of the top weekend camping destinations from Ho Chi Minh City (4-5 hours). No electricity, weak signal, cold water, and a dam that releases without warning. Far enough from Saigon to feel genuinely removed. Close enough for a 2-day trip.

Langbiang is a mountain range north of Đà Lạt topped by Núi Bà, its highest peak at 2,167 metres - most visitors instead reach the easier, jeep-accessible Đồi Ra-đa (Radar Hill) viewpoint, while the true summit is a genuine trek through Bidoup-Núi Bà National Park, home to the K'Ho ethnic minority and their legend of the star-crossed lovers K'Lang and H'Biang.

Mũi Cà Mau National Park is the southernmost point of Vietnam's mainland - a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve of 42,000 hectares of mangrove forest at the tip of the Cà Mau Peninsula, where the East Sea meets the Gulf of Thailand. The only place in Vietnam to watch both sunrise and sunset from the same spot.

Bãi Nhát is one of Côn Đảo's most dramatic beaches - a tide-dependent stretch of white sand and multicoloured rock formations on the road between Con Son town and Bến Đầm port. Once ranked among Asia's top wild beaches by news.com.au, it is best known for its sunset views across to Đỉnh Tình Yêu (Love Peak), its boulder-strewn shoreline that vanishes completely at high tide, and the memorial to 198 prisoners who attempted a failed escape from the island in 1952.

Pa Sy Waterfall (Thác Pa Sỹ) is the centrepiece of an eco-tourism park in Măng Cành commune, Kon Plông district - a roughly 45-metre cascade formed from the confluence of three highland streams near Măng Đen, set at about 1,500m elevation amid pine forest, and tied to the Mơ Nâm legend of 'Seven Lakes, Three Waterfalls'.

Phong Nha Botanic Garden is a protected forest reserve on the edge of Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park, 7km from Sơn Trạch village - despite the name, the main draw is a jungle trek to Gió Waterfall and its natural swimming holes, not a classic flower garden.

Sơn Trà Peninsula is Đà Nẵng's wild backyard - a 4,439-hectare nature reserve rising directly from the sea, home to one of Vietnam's last populations of the endangered red-shanked douc langur. Known for scenic mountain roads, quiet northern beaches, and Linh Ứng Pagoda with its 67m Lady Buddha.

Tà Đùng Lake in Đắk Nông is called the 'Hạ Long Bay of the Central Highlands' - a reservoir with 47+ forested islands that are actually the hilltops of submerged terrain, formed by the Đồng Nai 3 hydroelectric dam. Sea of clouds visible at 5-6 AM during rainy season. 250km from Saigon.

The Tà Năng - Phan Dũng Trek is the most celebrated multi-day wilderness route in southern Vietnam - a 30-55km crossing through 3 provinces (Lâm Đồng, Ninh Thuận, Bình Thuận) from highland to coast, passing a tri-province peak at 1,701m. Standard format 2 nights 1 day. First opened around 2015.

Thung Nham Bird Park is a flooded karst valley and wetland in Ninh Bình home to one of northern Vietnam's largest egret and heron colonies - over 40,000 birds nesting in the bamboo forest during breeding season, explored by rowing boat through the flooded valley.

Trà Sư Cajuput Forest is an 845-hectare flooded cajuput woodland in An Giang - navigated by rowboat through mirror-flat green waterways, with over 70 bird species, a 10km bamboo walkway through the forest, and an observation tower over the canopy. Best September to November.

Tri An Lake is a large reservoir in Dong Nai province, 65-70km from Ho Chi Minh City, formed by the Tri An hydroelectric dam on the Dong Nai River. A popular weekend camping and kayaking destination for city residents, with 76 forested islands, calm water, and dramatic sunset views.

Vân Long Nature Reserve, nicknamed 'the waveless bay,' is Vietnam's largest inland wetland - a flooded valley of karst peaks, submerged rice fields, and clear shallow water navigated by rowing boat, home to Vietnam's largest population of the critically endangered Delacour's langur.

Vinpearl Safari is Vietnam's first and largest open-format wildlife park - 380 hectares of savannah and jungle habitat on Phú Quốc Island housing over 3,000 animals including lions, giraffes, white rhinos, zebras, and orangutans in semi-open enclosures.

The White Sand Dunes of Mũi Né are Vietnam's most surreal landscape - vast white dunes stretching to the horizon beside two freshwater lakes, nicknamed the 'Sahara of Vietnam', best experienced at sunrise when the light turns the sand pale gold and the lakes reflect the sky.

Y Tý is a remote Hà Nhì highland commune at 2,000m in Bát Xát district, Lào Cai - one of northern Vietnam's last genuine hidden gems. Famous for sea-of-clouds photography, golden rice terraces, Thác Rồng waterfall, and trekking to peaks like Lảo Thẩn (2,860m), Ky Quan San, and Nhìu Cồ San.

Yavly Waterfall is a remote cascade deep in the forest along the Tà Năng - Phan Dũng trekking route, one of the most celebrated multi-day wilderness treks in southern Vietnam. Reached only on foot after a full day of hiking through grasslands and primary forest, it is the kind of waterfall that has to be earned.