“Escaping the heat” in the great forest

Amid the sweltering heat of the South, Cat Tien National Park (Nam Cat Tien Commune) has become an ideal destination for visitors to “escape the heat”.

Cat Tien National Park is currently an ideal getaway for tourists seeking to escape the heat. Photo: Ngoc Lien.

In recent days, the number of domestic and international tourists visiting Cat Tien National Park has increased significantly. Especially on weekends, the park welcomes thousands of visitors each day to experience and explore the cool green natural space, listen to the breath of the forest, and recharge after stressful days of work and study.

Relaxing with nature

Returning home after stressful study days, Truong Diem Quynh (a resident from Cat Tien Commune, Lam Dong Province) and her group of friends decided to spend a relaxing day in the green forest at Cat Tien National Park. Visiting the park for the first time, with its cool atmosphere completely different from the prolonged heat in urban areas, and arriving during the flower and butterfly season, Quynh and her friends had a truly “chill” day. They cycled through forest patches, admired the blooming summer flowers such as pink cassia and crape myrtle. At the same time, they observed unique ancient trees hundreds of years old preserved in the park, such as the giant tung tree, the hundred-trunk fig tree, the six-topped crape myrtle forest, and the loc giao banyan tree.

In 2025, Cat Tien National Park welcomed 160 thousand tourists for lodging, sightseeing, and exploring its rich biodiversity. Total tourism revenue reached over VND24 billion.

Quynh shared: “Although cycling was very tiring, the natural scenery and flowers here made us extremely excited to explore. Even though it was my first visit, I feel very fond of this place. We will definitely return to Cat Tien to explore other seasons of the year and fully admire the beauty of the park.”

As a well-known destination for both domestic and international tourists, located at the forest gateway of Cat Tien National Park and along the Dong Nai River, Nam Cat Tien Green Bamboo Lodge Resort is a destination chosen by many visitors when they want to explore the forest. Truong Cong Vung, Director of Tre Xanh Nam Cat Tien Co., Ltd., the resort owner, said: To welcome tourists during the holiday period and the peak summer tourism season this year, the resort has increased manpower to serve visitors, renovated its accommodation system, and expanded restaurant and café services to diversify services for visitors.

Truong Cong Vung shared: In recent years, the number of tourists to Cat Tien has increased significantly. In particular, domestic tourists seeking nature-based experiences with demand for high-quality services has been on the rise. International tourists have also increased sharply, accounting for 40% of total visitors to the resort. According to Vung, tourists visit Cat Tien National Park year-round, but peak periods are usually from November to May of the following year. Especially in May, the park coordinates with localities to organize forest sports events, leading to a sudden increase in visitors; currently, all 70 rooms of the resort have been fully booked.

The green forest is ready to welcome visitors

Nguyen Dinh Quoc Viet, Director of the Center for Environmental Education and Services (Cat Tien National Park), said: Cat Tien is ready to welcome visitors during the 2026 summer peak season and holidays, including the Hung Kings Commemoration Day (the 10th day of the third lunar month), Reunification Day (April 30), and International Workers' Day (May 1). Accordingly, the park has upgraded and refined tourism services and products, including installing 600 tree name boards along visitor routes. Visitors can scan QR codes to learn about each species. The park aims for visitors not only to relax but also to gain deeper understanding of nature.

Cat Tien National Park is entering its most vibrant flower and butterfly season of the year (from April to May).

Assessing current tourism trends, Viet said that over the past three years, the number of visitors to the park has increased by about 50% annually. In particular, domestic tourists have increased, mainly from Ho Chi Minh City and Lam Dong province; experiential outdoor tourism among students has grown strongly compared to previous years. This shows a growing trend of nature-based tourism and increasing demand for environmental education among students to raise awareness and responsibility for nature protection. International visitors have also increased by 15-20%. “As the number of visitors is increasing, the park has proactively strengthened management to ensure harmony between conservation and the development of forest ecotourism”, Viet added.

Cat Tien National Park has a total area of more than 71 thousand hectares, surrounded by over 80km of the Dong Nai River. The park possesses rich biodiversity with more than 1,700 animal species and over 1,600 plant species. With this biodiversity, the park plays an important role in ecosystem formation and conservation and was recognized by the Government as a Special National Monument in 2021.

Over more than 25 years, Cat Tien National Park has received many awards and recognitions related to cultural-historical values, conservation, and leading global biodiversity. Notably, it was recognized by UNESCO as a World Biosphere Reserve in 2001; Bau Sau Wetland was recognized by the Ramsar Convention Secretariat as a Wetland of International Importance in 2005. Especially, in 2024 and 2025, the park was officially recognized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature with the IUCN Green List status; and awarded four international ecotourism awards 2025 (AEN-IEA 2025) by the Asian Ecotourism Network in categories, including Biodiversity Conservation, Ecotourism Promotion, Destination Management, and Community Award.

To continue promoting its potential for forest ecotourism, strengthen conservation, and effectively and sustainably manage natural, cultural, and historical resources while improving livelihoods for communities in the buffer zone, in late 2025, Cat Tien National Park received approval from the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment for its Ecotourism, Resort, and Recreation Development Project for the 2025–2030 period. The project aims to create jobs, increase income, and improve the material and spiritual life of ethnic minorities, buffer zone residents, and forestry workers, thereby contributing to local socio-economic development.

By Ngoc Lien - Translated by Diec Quyen, Thu Ha