U Minh Ha National Park in Ca Mau Province, southern Vietnam is home to a distinctive wetland ecosystem with a wide range of flora and fauna species such as cajeput trees, vines, fishes, pythons, snakes, monkeys, and deers, making it among the top destinations worth adding to the bucket list of adventure explorers. 

Located some 30km from the provincial city of Ca Mau, the U Minh Ha National Park was recognized by UNESCO as one of the three core zones of the Ca Mau Cape World Biosphere Reserve.

Top things to do in U Minh Ha National Park

From the entrance of the U Minh Ha National Park, located in Tran Van Thoi District, tourists can travel along a paved road with lines of various orange, jackfruit, banana, and cajeput trees to reach a 25m-high observatory.

After climbing to the top of the observatory, tourists can admire the stunning beauty of lush green forests, the infinite sky, and vast rivers.

Visitors can rent boats to go deep into the forest for fishing and setting fishing gear during the rainy season.

Those who are adventure seekers can join the locals’ trips for catching eels and hunting snakes in permitted areas, which will offer visitors unforgettable memories.

In addition, visitors should not miss out on 'honey hunting' in the U Minh Ha area, home to cajeput trees whose flowers produce an enticing aroma that attracts honey bees.

Must-try dishes in U Minh Ha

After taking an authentic adventure trip through the forest, visitors can reward themselves with another genuine experience of local life by sitting on the floor of a stilt house nestled under green trees and savoring mouth-watering local dishes such as crispy deep-fried snakeskin gourami as well as canh chua (Vietnamese sweet and sour soup) with snakehead fish and edible wild vegetables.

Visitors must also try other specialties of the forest, such as lẩu mắm with climbing perch, snakes stewed in coconut water, or forest mice fried with lemongrass and chili, and take sips of locally-made wine.

Lẩu mắm is a traditional hotpot which is common throughout Vietnam’s Mekong Delta region. It consists of a broth made from fermented fish and is served with a variety of pork, seafood, and vegetables.

After enjoying local dishes, visitors can opt to rest or take part in traditional folk games at some ecotourism sites in U Minh District and Tran Van Thoi District, as lodging establishments like hotels or resorts are currently not available in the U Minh Ha area.

Recently, the provincial administration approved a project to build the ecotourism and resort areas at the U Minh Ha National Park, with a total investment of over VND1.45 trillion (US$61 million) so as to promote local tourism, protect forest resources, and improve livelihoods.

The project will comprise two main zones spanning over 1,318 hectares and will be implemented from now until 2030.

The development of the sustainable tourism project is also aligned with the conservation and development of the cajeput ecosystem of the U Minh Ha area.

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