Cuc Phuong national park adventure

We will depart for Cuc Phuong National Park in the morning. Our drive will take us past a mosaic of rice paddies, rural hamlets, limestone cliffs and green mountains. Located south of Hanoi, the forested limestone slopes of Cuc Phuong protect an impressive variety of animals and plants. It is home to some spectacular primates including gibbons, macaques and rare and endemic Delacour’s leaf monkey as well as some fantastic birds including red-collared woodpeckers, limestone wren-babblers, fork-tailed sunbirds and many others. During April and May, just before the onset of the rains, the Park is filled with literally millions of butterflies. 
We will arrive at Cuc Phuong in the early afternoon and will visit the Park’s Turtle Conservation Center.
This sanctuary was established to protect and breed many species of Asian turtles and tortoises all of which are endangered from over-harvest for the food markets of China and Taiwan. In the late afternoon we will have our first chance to look for wildlife along the Park’s main road before we settle into our rustic, but comfortable, accommodations at the Cuc Phuong Guesthouse. We will have dinner and overnight at the Cuc Phuong Guesthouse.

Rising this morning with the sounds of the forest all around us, after breakfast we take a drive to the center of the park, where we commence our today trek through the lush rainforest, pass centuries-old trees and to the cave once inhabited by prehistoric humans. Returning to our accommodation in the heart of the forest we will spend a second night drifting off to sleep to the sounds of the nocturnal activity outside.

After breakfast, we will hike deeper into the forest to visit Ancient Tree. After lunch, we continue searching from wild animal. Mammals are difficult to see in the Park, but birds are common and we should observe some reptiles as well. We will have our meals and overnight at the Cuc Phuong Guesthouses.

After breakfast, we will visit the Endangered Primate Rescue Center located near Park Headquarters. The Center is home to around 14 species of primates, mostly gibbons and langurs that have been rescued from the illegal wildlife trade. The Center not only rescues the animals, but is breeding them for eventual reintroduction back into the wild. Vietnam is home to a fantastic array of primates most of which are endemic or near-endemic. They are almost all endangered as well so the Center is doing really important conservation and education work. Our visit will also likely be our only chance to see some of these animals. The exception to this may be the rare Delacour’s langur which is endemic to the region in and around Cuc Phuong.
After lunch we will travel to Van Long Nature Reserve to hopefully observe these fantastic black and white primates as they scamper up and down the limestone pinnacles and cliff faces. When we arrive at Van Long we will board traditional reed boats that will take us to the edge of the towering cliffs that rise up out of the water. The langurs are most active in the late afternoon and early evening and it will truly be a privilege to observe them in the wild. The boats are operated by the local community providing a sustainable income that also promotes wildlife protection. Go back to Cuc Phuong for dinner and overnight. 

After breakfast, we will take the resting time before heading back to Hanoi.