Exploring unique forest ecotourism in Dong Nai

Dong Nai Province has nearly 349,000 hectares of planned forest area, making it one of the southern localities with the most unique and diverse forest ecosystems. This represents both a potential and an advantage for the province in developing its forest-based ecotourism.

Tourists take photos beside a heritage tree in Bu Gia Map National Park. Photo: Ngoc Lien

When visiting Dong Nai, tourists can explore a variety of forest ecosystems, including tropical rainforests, evergreen closed forests, semi-deciduous evergreen forests and bamboo forests. These ecosystems are distributed across the province in destinations such as Bu Gia Map National Park, Cat Tien National Park, the Dong Nai Culture and Nature Reserve, the Tan Phu and Long Thanh protective forests, as well as Ba Ra Mountain and Chua Chan Mountain. Each destination offers visitors a memorable tourism experience that keeps them coming back.

A wide range of forest ecotourism products

Cat Tien National Park (located in Nam Cat Tien commune, Dong Nai province) is among the country’s most renowned parks that enjoys international recognition. Known as “home of the wildlife”, the park is inhabited by more than 1,100 species of mammals, reptiles and insects. It is also a habitat for dozens of wild elephants and many other wildlife species, including endangered and rare animals listed in the global Red Book such as yellow-cheeked gibbons, Asiatic black bears, sun bears, gaurs, elephants, black-shanked douc langurs and muntjacs.

Director of Cat Tien National Park Pham Xuan Thinh said the park, spanning more than 82,000 hectares, is a prime destination for visitors to explore forest ecosystems. Recently, it has become a popular destination for visitors seeking to immerse themselves in nature and explore the province's biodiversity. The park also promotes responsible tourism to preserve natural and environmental values.

Dong Nai currently houses thousands of industrial enterprises. In the future, foreign direct investment (FDI) attraction will continue to receive more attention and expand. The challenge for Dong Nai now is to preserve its ecosystems to the maximum extent in order to “absorb” the emissions generated by production companies. Alongside raising environmental awareness about conservation, many scientists and provincial leaders are also taking an interest in the province’s carbon balance, considering it one of the tools for FDI attraction in the coming time. Therefore, Cat Tien National Park is striving to develop tourism in parallel with the strict protection of biodiversity, promoting the values of forests and ensuring the sustainable growth of the local “smokeless industry”.

PHAM XUAN THINH, Director of Cat Tien National Park

With the goal of fostering sustainable and responsible tourism, Cat Tien National Park always conveys clear messages to visitors right from the moment they enter the park: please do not litter, minimise plastic waste, and protect the surrounding environment. For its staff members, a strong sense of environmental responsibility is always upheld, with each individual asked to always pick up litter whenever they see it. Thanks to such practices, Cat Tien National Park has earned high praise from tourists for its environmental standards and distinctive character.

Upon arriving in Bu Gia Map National Park, located in the northern part of Dong Nai province, visitors enter an area spanning two communes, including Bu Gia Map (which contains over 88% of the park’s forest area) and Dak O. The park is also home to ethnic minority communities, mainly the M’nong and S’tieng who make up over 70 percent of the local population.

Director of Bu Gia Map National Park Vuong Duc Hoa shared that the park has recently opened new routes for exploring forest resources, waterfalls, and natural landscapes that characterize the transition zone from the Central Highlands to the southern plains. The park has also collaborated with local authorities to restore historical sites, such as the endpoint of the VK96 petrol pipeline, and to preserve the traditional crafts, cuisine, and traditional costumes of the S'tieng and M'nong peoples, as well as those of other ethnic groups. It is also developing distinctive tourism products, including local One Commune - One Product (OCOP) items.

According to Hoa, in the near future, the park will continue to work with local authorities to open training classes on skills such as guiding, cooking, and running homestay services. Community-based ecotourism activities are being developed in an environmentally-friendly way, emphasizing green tourism and volunteer tourism, with active participation from local communities. These initiatives have created new livelihood opportunities, contributing to promoting the province's image, preserving and enhancing traditional cultural identities.

Developing forest ecotourism products at an international level

With its abundant values of forest ecotourism resources and its position as one of the country’s leading provinces in FDI attraction, Dong Nai also possesses a large domestic and international tourist market. In particular, the Long Thanh International Airport, once operational, is expected to serve as a “springboard” for the province’s tourism industry to take off.

The Ecotourism, Resort and Recreation Project by the Tan Phu Protection Forest Management Board (Dinh Quan commune) was approved by the provincial People's Committee in early 2023. It aims to tap into local tourism advantages, especially the area around Mai Waterfall, with its pristine landscape and diverse ecosystems, and Nuoc Soi Lake, whose water remains at 500-600°C all year round, making it suitable for resort tourism and wellness tourism. This is the first forest ecotourism project in Dong Nai that has been approved after years of adjustments. The project outlines 13 sites and eight tourism routes established in the Mai Waterfall - Nuoc Soi Lake area. Most of these tourism spots are located in Dinh Quan commune, with a small portion in Tan Phu commune. Investors are currently engaged in implementing the project.

Following the Ecotourism Development Project for the Mai Waterfall - Nuoc Soi Lake area, at the end of 2023, the provincial People's Committee approved the Ecotourism, Resort and Recreation Project for the Dong Nai Culture and Nature Reserve for the 2021-2030 period, with a total estimated investment of nearly 1 trillion VND. This is the province’s second tourism development project, designed to harness the ecological values of forests in combination with lakes as part of the strategy on planning high-end tourism destinations.

In April 2025, Dong Nai launched the Ecotourism, Resort and Recreation Project on Chua Chan Mountain. The project covers an area of 107 hectares, with a total estimated investment of nearly 18 trillion VND. Chua Chan Mountain, standing 837 metres above sea level, is regarded as the “roof” of Dong Nai Province and the second-highest peak in the southeast region (only after Ba Den Mountain in Tay Ninh.

The Chua Chan Mountain Ecotourism Project has been proposed with the aim of investing in the construction of facilities such as resort villas and adjacent commercial properties; recreational, accommodation, and hotel services; and tourist transport infrastructure, including a cable car and mountain railway systems. These will be integrated with parks, greenery and a synchronized technical infrastructure system to capitalize on the potentials of Chua Chan mountain's distinctive climate and ecological landscape.

In addition to these ecotourism, resort and recreation projects, several tourism destinations and resorts in the province are also being oriented towards sustainable and green development, contributing to socio-economic growth.

Some tourism routes under planning for future development include ecotourism experience tours in Bu Gia Map National Park; sightseeing, picnicking, and camping tours at Bu Lach grasslands; recreational and culinary activities at Dao Yen Son Ha tourist site; and exploration tours of Ba Ra Mountain. International tours are also being surveyed and developed, traversing localities such as Ho Chi Minh City - Dong Nai - Cambodia - Laos - Thailand. These will be ecotourism and exploration routes, expected to position Dong Nai as an attractive tourism destination in the near future.

Translated by Thuc Oanh, Thu Ha