Tram Chim National Park (Dong Thap) Travel Guide

Tràm Chim is one of four national parks in the Mekong Delta and a rich area of biodiversity. What stuns everyone is that the park is the habitat of red-crowned cranes, a rare bird listed in the book of endangered species. Besides that, there are also plenty of enthralling things to uncover when you pay a visit to the park. It promises to be a rewarding excursion you will have in the Delta.

A brief overview of Tràm Chim National Park

Perhaps, you have ever set foot at other different national parks before, but Tràm Chim National Park in Đồng Tháp Province, the Mekong Delta will be a special one and certainly worth a visit. In order to know some valuable information about the park, ranging from its history to biodiversity, let’s take a look at its brief overview.

Establishment and Development

In 1985, the authority of Đồng Tháp Province approved the establishment of an agriculture, forestry, fishing enterprise in Tràm Chim, which specialized in growing cajuput, exploiting fisheries, and keeping Đồng Tháp Mười intact as itself in the old days. One year later, red-crowned cranes were discovered in the region. In 1991, Tràm Chim became one provincial nature reserve where endangered species were conserved.

In 1994, the The Prime Minister signed to recognize Tràm Chim as a national nature reserve, and then in 1998, it was designated as a national park, playing a crucial role in protecting the mangrove ecosystem of Đồng Tháp Mười. Besides that, it also serves as the center of preserving values about the culture and history of this land.

Climate and weather

The average temperature of Tràm Chim National Park is around 27oC and lower than it from December to February. The highest temperature is 37oC, falls in April, and the lowest is 16oC.

Average annual precipitation in Tràm Chim National Park is approximately 1,650 mm. The rainy season falls in May to November, when the area gets more than 90% of the annual precipitation. Meanwhile, the dry season falls in January, February and March when there are just 110-160 raining days.

Biodiversity

Tràm Chim National Park is inhabited by more than 130 freshwater fishes, occupying ¼ of the fish population of the Mekong Delta, 132 bird waterfowls, and 32 endangered bird species, listed in Vietnam’s Red Data Book, e.g. spot-billed pelicans, oriental darters, and bustards.

The flora species are diverse, unique, and divided into a few distinctive biomes of over 130 species: lotus, oryza, eleocharis dulcis, grasses, and cajuput, all of which form a rich area of biodiversity in Đồng Tháp Mười.

Because the majority of Tràm Chim National Park is a forest of cajuput, dotted with grasses, wild flowers, and other flora and fauna species, natural landscapes there look enchanting and magnificent. Visitors can move deeper through the forest to admire those wonders.

What to experience at Tràm Chim National Park

Gifted enchanting landscapes, formed by fauna and flora species, Tràm Chim National Park is definitely ideal for a sightseeing tour. However, apart from sightseeing, there are also plenty of enjoyable things deserving to be experienced, you ought not to miss when you arrive there.

Going on a rowing boat trip for sightseeing

You will be rowed by boat through waterways to soak up cool breezes and contemplate breathtaking scenes of the deep forest. Additionally, what fascinates you so much is birdwatching. You can see birds fly and hunt for their prey; when your boat moves forwards, many waterfowls fly up and down as if they welcome you to their habitat.

The boat weaves through cajuput trees to lotus ponds and oryza fields where you can get to know more about rare species of flora of Tràm Chim. All the white and pink lotus flowers, green meadows, white and black birds form a picturesque perspective.

A stopover at the observation tower enables you to enjoy a panoramic view of the whole forest below, get closer to nature, and soak up the cool fresh air there.

Exploring distinctive features of the region in the floating season

The floating season lasts from the 8th lunar month to the 11th lunar month (September - December). This is also the peak season of Tràm Chim National Park, when you discover a magnificent landscape of green meadows, lotus flowers, and water lily flowers, illuminating the whole region. Different species of fauna, especially birds and storks help enhance the ravishing beautiful scenery.

Activities to experience in the floating season are rowing a wooden boat along waterways of the forest, being a farmer to catch fish by nets and bamboo traps, and hunt for voles. Do you know that roasted voles are one of the attractive specialties of the Mekong Delta in the floating season.

Tràm Chim National Park is blessed with oryza during the floating season. This flora species is considered as a food resource of locals in Đồng Tháp Mười. They use this ingredient to create a lot of different delicious special food.

Another thing to see in Tràm Chim in the floating season is fauna species. It’s known that the park is a concentration of birds and storks, nesting, breeding, and feeding their young, so it’s obviously ideal for birdwatching and learning about their wildlife.

Watching red-crowned cranes

The dry season, ranging from the 12th lunar month to the 5th lunar month (January to June), is a good time to see red-crowned cranes dancing in Tràm Chim National Park. Different from other bird species, the red-crowned cranes will fly to other places during the floating season because they just walk on the ground for food.

Enjoying special food at Tràm Chim National Park

After a short trip deeper through Tràm Chim National Park, you will unwind at shelter in the middle of the forest and enjoy special food from indigenous ingredients, such as burned snakehead wrapped in a lotus leaf, edible snails steamed with fresh peppercorns, crab hotpots, eels cooked with lemongrass, dried snakehead, and fried fish paste.

Where to stay at Tràm Chim National Park?

It’s sure you will search for information about where to stay before going about a trip to Tràm Chim National Park. The first recommendation is Tràm Chim Homestay inside the park, ranging from VND150,000 to VND300,000/room. The rooms are clean and convenient as if they are of a large hotel. During the peak season, keep in mind that you should make a reservation in advance.

Address: 4 Tràm Chim, Tam Nông District, Đồng Tháp Province.

Special Notes:

• Bring mosquito repellents with you when you enter Tràm Chim National Park.
• Have a pair of flip flops to wade through mud.
• Prepare a swimsuit in case you wish to go swimming.
• Bring a fishing rod if you want to go fishing in the forest.
• Bring some fruit and snacks with you in case you are hungry.
• Trash should be thrown in the right place.

Remarkable tours of Tràm Chim National Park

Green Route

Green Route to see around Tràm Chim National Park has been open to tourists since August, 2015. The routes stretched in 12 km, 4 km of which is for trams, and 8 km is for rowing boats.

Route 01

This route is the longest one - 36 km, and it takes about 3 hours to move deep into the forest by boat. It’s from the reception area - Station C4 - Phú Thọ Station - Phú Thành B Station - Station C1 - Observation Tower 3 - Mười Nhẹ Canal - Phú Đức 2 Station - the reception area.

Route 02

This route lasts 29 km. It’s from the reception area - Station C4 - Observation Tower 3 - Station C1 - Phú Hiệp Station - the reception area.

Route 03

This route stretches 25 km and is frequently selected by many tourists. It’s from the reception area - Station C4 - Mười Nhẹ Canal - Observation Tower 3 - Mười Nhẹ Canal - Phú Đức 2 Station - the reception area.

Route 04

Route 4 is 17 km, and you can watch birds breed in the floating season when you take this route. It’s from the reception area - Canal A3 - Quyết Thắng Station - Cà Dâm Canal - the reception area.

Route 05

Route 05 is the shortest one to Tràm Chim National Park, and it takes about 1 hour to move through the forest by boat. It’s from the reception area - Station C4 - Mười Nhẹ Canal - Phú Đức 2 Station - the reception area.

Of the most deserving travel spots, Tràm Chim National Park is always picked out and added to most journeys to explore the Mekong Delta. The ravishing beauty of the delta is illustrated through natural scenes of forests, fields, lotus ponds, flocks of birds, e.g. in Tràm Chim National Park, unique cultures, e.g. floating market culture, traditional villages, and festivals, glorious chapters in its history, and innocent smiles of locals. Those great things make a miraculous land like the Mekong Delta you see nowadays. If you have a chance to visit Vietnam, don’t forget to drop by the Delta where you can uncover the natural charms, especially in Tràm Chim National Park. Just experience all activities in the park, and you will catch the most precious things there and feel the locals’ identity.