Established in 2003, Ca Mau National Park, located in Ca Mau Province at the southernmost tip of Vietnam, covers nearly 42,000 hectares across the districts of Ngoc Hien, Nam Can, and Phu Tan. Ca Mau is approximately 300 kilometers from Ho Chi Minh City.
It is the largest primary mangrove forest in Vietnam, bordered by both the East Sea (South China Sea) and the West Sea (Gulf of Thailand). Due to its location, the park is affected by two different tidal systems. The East Sea has two high tides and two low tides each day, while the West Sea has one high tide and one low tide.
The park serves as a breeding ground for aquatic species and is a stopover for migratory water birds. In 2009, it was recognized by UNESCO as the Ca Mau Cape World Biosphere Reserve and became the 2,088th Ramsar site globally in 2012.
The park offers four main forest tours, ranging from 20 to 55 kilometers, each showcasing different areas such as mangrove forests, alluvial beaches, and primary forests.
The forest tour through the Ca Mau National Park, introduced in 2019, has become a popular attraction. Participants travel by canoe or boat through canals lined with mangrove trees, offering views of nature's canopy.
As the journey takes them into the mangrove forest, often spanning tens of kilometers, visitors can walk across wooden bridges and immerse themselves in the landscape of the mangroves.
In the image, two visitors have traveled more than 20 kilometers into the mangrove forest, stopping to explore a primary forest area.
Pham Thuy Quyen (R) experienced the canoe trip through the forest for the first time with a friend on Oct. 2. She described the activity as "enjoyable, exciting, and worth continuing."
During the tour, visitors can also visit a version of the Hanoi Flagpole at Ca Mau Cape.
The Hanoi Flagpole, built in 2016 and completed in late 2019, stands within the Cape Ca Mau Tourist Area on a plot of over 16,000 square meters and rises 45 meters tall.
The Cape Ca Mau Tourist Area also features historical sites. The National Coordinate Landmark GPS0001, which marks one of the four farthest points on Vietnam's mainland, to the north, south, east and west.
The ship monument at Cape Ca Mau is another highlight of the national park, frequently visited by tourists for photos.
Yen Thao (R), from Ho Chi Minh City, and her friend pose for photos at the 3-kilometer-long wave breaker that surrounds part of Cape Ca Mau. She shared that stepping foot on the southernmost point of Vietnam was a "dream come true."
"The scenery is stunning. It's the first time I've seen mangrove trees this big," Thao said.
At the end of the tour, visitors reach the alluvial beach of Cape Ca Mau. This area provides a livelihood for more than 50 households who are part of the Dat Mui clam farming cooperative, along with many other locals who harvest other seafood.
Experiencing clam harvesting on the alluvial beach is a hands-on activity that connects visitors with nature.
In addition to exploring the mangrove forests and clam harvesting, visitors can stop at local community tourism spots to learn about the daily lives of people in the mangrove areas. Nguyen Ai Tran (L), from Ca Mau City, shared her excitement about getting to remove crab traps and catch fish in local shrimp ponds.
The forest tours are priced between VND800,000 and VND2.2 million ($32 to $88) per trip, depending on the mode of transport, the number of participants, and the length of the route.
