Most tourists were eager to participate in the tour, according to a park representative.
"I used to take wildlife night tours at many places, but this is different because of its complete nature. It's a pity that there weren’t many fireflies yesterday," said Thanh Tung from Ninh Binh Province.
"It was difficult to take photographs because it was too dark, but seeing fireflies and wildlife with the naked eyes was really enjoyable," another visitor added.
Cuc Phuong National Park’s wildlife night tour is open from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. every day of the week, traveling by electric car. The tours span about an hour, and the last tour starts at 8:45 p.m.
Fireflies in Cuc Phuong National Park. Photo courtesy of the park |
The tour begins at the experience and creativity zone for kids, where visitors then go with guides through trails to explore the nightlife forest, see fireflies and animals such as deer and insects.
Visitors can even encounter rare animals such as pangolins, striped civets, ink otter civets, wild cats, otters and lorises. The tour also helps visitors understand rescue programs and conservation for the forest.
Pham Kien Cuong, director of the Center for Environmental Education and Service in Cuc Phuong National Park, said the tour helps environmental education, increasing understanding about nature and wildlife.
To ensure the tour does not affect creatures' natural habitat, there are only about 100 visitors per session, and they can only visit certain areas in the forest, he added.
The night tour costs VND100,000 (US$3.94) for adults and VND50,000 for kids.
Personal items to prepare include long clothes, as well as mosquito and insect repellent. Updated information about butterflies and the firefly season is available on the park's website and Facebook fanpage.
Situated in the southwest of Hanoi and across the three provinces of Ninh Binh, Hoa Binh and Thanh Hoa, Cuc Phuong is the first national park in Vietnam, and is characterized by a tropical rainforest.