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 natural escape - three tiered pools fed by cascades in a jungle gorge 25km north of the city, reached by a 3km trek through rainforest and swimmable year-round in the middle and upper pools.

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 400-year-old Khmer Buddhist temple where tens of thousands of large fruit bats roost in the ancient trees year-round - an extraordinary and unexpected combination of active religious site and wildlife spectacle.

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 the largest remaining tract of highland cloud forest in southern Vietnam - a 70,000-hectare wilderness of montane jungle, endemic birds, and multi-day trekking routes 50km north of Đà Lạt.

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.

Bưng Bình Thiên is a natural freshwater lake in An Giang's border district, known as the 'holy lake' - it expands dramatically during Mekong flood season and fills with lotus blossoms, surrounded by Cham Muslim villages.

Cần Giờ Monkey Island sits inside a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve 60km from central Saigon - a river island in the mangrove forest where long-tailed macaques live in large semi-wild troops, reached by boat through the Cần Giờ waterways.

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 is the most accessible serious wildlife destination from Ho Chi Minh City - a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve of 72,000 hectares protecting lowland rainforest, over 350 bird species, and the Dao Tien Endangered Primate Species Centre.

Con Dao National Park protects 80% of the Con Dao archipelago - 14 islands of pristine coral reefs, sea turtle nesting beaches, hawksbill habitat, and jungle trails through one of Vietnam's least disturbed coastal ecosystems.

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 1km 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.

Elephant Mountain near Buôn Ma Thuột rises above the Central Highlands coffee belt and takes its name from the wild elephant herds that have roamed its forested slopes for centuries - still one of the few places in Vietnam where elephants exist in semi-wild conditions.

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.

Kho Muong Cave (Hang Kho Mường) is a 2.5km karst cave formed 250 million years ago in Pù Luông Nature Reserve - considered one of the most unique caves in the reserve core, with a 20-metre arch entrance dropping into darkness and an underground river system connecting to Pốn Village in Lũng Cao.

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 Mountain is the highest peak in the Đà Lạt plateau at 2,167 metres - a twin-peaked massif rising above pine forest north of the city, home to the K'Ho ethnic minority, with a summit trek rewarded by panoramic views over the entire Central Highlands.

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. Ranked among the top 6 wild beaches in Asia, 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 is a remote multi-tier cascade deep in the primary forest of Đắk Glei district, Kon Tum - one of the least-visited waterfalls in the Central Highlands, reached by a trail through jungle inhabited by local Jẻ-Triêng minority communities.

Phong Nha Botanic Garden is a 2,000-hectare protected forest reserve on the edge of Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park - a network of jungle trails, a canopy walkway, and some of the most accessible wildlife habitat in central Vietnam, 7km from Sơn Trạch village.

Sơn Trà Peninsula is Đà Nẵng's wild backyard - a 4,400-hectare nature reserve of dense jungle rising directly from the sea, home to one of Vietnam's last populations of the endangered red-shanked douc langur, and connected to the city by a scenic coastal road.

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, 60km 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 forested islands, calm water, and dramatic sunset views.

Vân Long Nature Reserve 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.