Bidoup Nui Ba National Park

Bidoup Nui Ba covers around seventy thousand hectares of the Lang Bian plateau above Da Lat and is the core of the Langbiang UNESCO biosphere reserve, declared in 2015 - the first in the Vietnamese highlands. Bidoup reaches 2,287 metres, the highest point in Lam Dong. The forest is unusual for Vietnam: pine and evergreen with cloud forest above, holding conifers including Pinus krempfii, a pine with flat leaves rather than needles found only in this region, and Fokienia. Birds include several highland endemics. Treks to Bidoup summit and to the Giang Ly forest run with park guides.

Background

Bidoup Nui Ba National Park lies in the Lạc Dương and Đam Rông districts of Lâm Đồng province, Vietnam. Established in 2004, it is named after Bidoup (2,287 m) and Nui Ba (2,167 m), the two highest peaks of the Langbiang plateau, and ranks among the five largest national parks in the country. More than 1,933 species of vascular plants have been recorded here, including 96 endemics and 62 rare species on the 2009 IUCN Red List. Over 14 of Vietnam's 33 conifer species grow in the park, among them the Himalayan yew. It also holds over 441 vertebrate species from 30 orders and 98 families; thirty-two of them are in the IUCN Red Book, such as the pygmy slow loris, the yellow-cheeked gibbon and the Asiatic black bear.

Source: Wikipedia, "Bidoup Núi Bà National Park"

What you'll find

• The southern highlands' highest point - Bidoup at 2,287 metres.
• Pinus krempfii - a flat-leaved pine found only in this region.
• Cloud forest above pine - unusual for Vietnam.
• A biosphere reserve since 2015 - the first in the highlands.

When to go

November to April, the drier months. Two days.

Practical notes

Treks require park guides and permits arranged in advance. It is cold and wet at altitude, and leeches are a factor in the wet season. Roads inside the park are limited. Bird endemics need patience and a guide.

Nearby

Da Lat is south-west; the Khanh Le pass to the coast runs through the park.

Key facts