Tram Chim is a haven for over 230 bird species, including 32 rare ones of which 16 are endangered. It was recognized as a Ramsar site in 2012, the fourth in Vietnam. Photo by VnExpress/Ngoc Tai
February is the ideal month to visit Tram Chim National Park to observe as migratory birds return. The flocks of birds showcase remarkable diversity and beauty.
Visitors can see picturesque scenes reminiscent of an ancient Mekong River Delta landscape with flocks of storks, lively fish and native plants.
Co oc - the Asian openbill stork - is part of the stork family and strictly protected. These birds play a beneficial role for farmers by consuming pests like snails.
The park is home to a diverse range of bird species, including storks, snakebirds, gray herons, and grey-headed swamp hens.
Red-crowned cranes, the symbol of Tram Chim, have not come to the place for many years. To remedy this, Dong Thap Province has earmarked VND185 billion ($7.63 million) for a recent initiative to get 60 cranes from Thailand.
It hopes they will have 40 offspring. The goal of the project is to release 100 cranes into the wild and aim for a 50% survival rate.
Tourists can explore Tram Chim throughout the year, with specific seasons offering unique attractions. For instance, nhi can tim - lentibulariaceae bloom in late January-early February and hoang dau an - xyris indica from March to May.
The xyris indica (pictured) bloom in vibrant yellow hues that paint the landscape, especially between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Visitors to Tram Chim National Park can see vast expanses of white and red water lilies stretching over hundreds of hectares. They are harvested manually by taking their long stems from deep water and bundling them into rings for convenient transportation.
Freshwater lilies harvested in Tram Chim can be used to make various foods, including salads, braised and stir-fried dishes and soups.
The park can be explored from motorboats or wooden canoes. The latter go in batches of three with one of them with a pilot pulling the others behind it. Passengers can admire the landscape and eat right on the boats for a relaxed and scenic experience.
There are two main routes spanning distances of 12 kilometers and 21 kilometers, and the boats leave at 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m.
Along these routes, visitors can see a miniature of Dong Thap Muoi, or the Plain of Reeds, a wetland straddling Long An and Dong Thap provinces.
It features melaleuca forests, grass meadows, lua ma - oryza rufipogon fields, and lotus ponds.
Under the water are some unique plant species not easily found in the wild like reu tuong - funaria hygrometrica, rong duoi chon - coontail, water lilies, lentibulariaceae, and xyris indica.
The tours include a stop at the C4 area in the middle of the forest, where a 16-meter-high observation deck offers visitors a panoramic view. Next to it are shops offering countryside foods typical of the delta.
Photo by VnExpress/Ngoc Tai
Visitors to Tram Chim National Park include not just tourists but also researchers and photographers.
Ngo Tran Hai An, a photographer, says shooting wild birds in the park demands patience and a passion. “It may take considerable time, sometimes an hour of careful observation, but any carelessness can cause the birds to fly away.”
The quality of wildlife photography depends on the camera and lenses used, he adds.
To enter Tram Chim National Park, visitors are required to buy tickets, and they can rent a motorboat or canoe for going around it. The boats have a maximum capacity of 20 people. Visitors are requested not to throw litter in the park.
Next to the tourist operations center is a freshwater fish and bird museum. It houses a specimen of a red-crowned crane that has been displayed in the park for two decades. Often researchers affix radio collars to the cranes to track their migration patterns.
During the flooding season from August to November, Tram Chim offers sightseeing and engaging activities like unloading fish traps, setting nets and catching rats. Besides, it coincides with the bird breeding season as they take advantage of the abundance of fish and shrimp brought by the floodwaters for food.
For those planning a visit, reaching Tram Chim involves flying to Can Tho and proceeding to Cao Lanh City 80 kilometers away. They then have to travel to Tram Chim Town in Tam Nong District, 30 kilometers from Cao Lanh.
From Ho Chi Minh City there are also buses operated by Phuong Trang, Kim Cuong and Quoc Hoang to Cao Lanh. From Cao Lanh, visitors can take a Phuong Trang bus to Tram Chim.
There are restaurants in Tram Chim offering a variety of dishes made from fish, snails and lotus.
The Wildbird Hotel near the national park has a restaurant and offers specialized tours for bird watching and cultural experiences.
Tram Chim Town also has various accommodation choices including hotels, motels and farmstay.
