Are you dreaming of exploring unspoiled nature, delving into heroic historical values, and savoring rustic Mekong Delta cuisine? U Minh Thuong National Park is the ideal destination for you. This place is not only the “green lung” of the Mekong Delta but also hides countless fascinating things waiting for you to discover. Let “Travel the World” pocket the complete U Minh Thuong National Park travel experience to have a fulfilling and memorable journey!
Best Time to Visit U Minh Thuong National Park
U Minh Thuong National Park, the green gem of Kien Giang province, is located about 50km west of Rach Gia city. With an area of over 21,000 hectares, this forest is one of the rare and precious acid sulfate soil flooded melaleuca forest ecosystems remaining in the world. Coming here, you will be overwhelmed by the pristine and majestic beauty of nature, feel the unique biodiversity, and discover special historical imprints.
According to the travel experiences of many visitors to U Minh Thuong National Park, the best time to come here is during the flooding season, from August to November every year. During this season, the melaleuca forest puts on a lush green color, and the immense water creates a poetic and lyrical scene. You will experience riding a “vo lai” boat weaving through the melaleuca forest, enjoying the fresh, cool air and admiring the diverse and rich ecosystem. In addition, the dry season from December to April is also a suitable time to explore U Minh Thuong forest. At this time, the water recedes, and you can walk or cycle to explore the forest, visit the grasslands, and learn about the lives of wild animals.
Melaleuca forest during the flooding season, the ideal time to explore U Minh Thuong National Park
Directions to U Minh Thuong National Park
To get to U Minh Thuong National Park, you can choose from many different means of transportation depending on your starting point and personal preferences.
By Bus
If you depart from Ho Chi Minh City or neighboring provinces, bus is the most popular and convenient means of transportation. You can buy bus tickets to Rach Gia at Mien Tay bus station, Le Hong Phong bus station, or contact reputable bus companies directly such as Ngoc An, Tuyet Hon, Hai Quan, etc. Travel time is about 6-7 hours. Upon arriving in Rach Gia, you can take a bus or taxi to continue your journey to U Minh Thuong National Park. From Rach Gia bus station, you can take bus number 08 or Rach Gia – U Minh Thuong bus to get to the national park.
By Private Vehicle (motorbike, car)
For those who love freedom and want to take control of their schedule, motorbike or private car is an ideal choice. From Ho Chi Minh City, you can follow National Highway 1A towards the West, then turn into National Highway 63 to get to Rach Gia. From Rach Gia, continue to follow these directions: Follow National Highway 61 to Nga Ba Minh Luong, turn right to Tac Cau to National Highway 63. At Cong Su intersection, turn right onto Ho Hoa Mai street to reach U Minh Thuong National Park.
Note that the road to U Minh Thuong National Park has some quite bad sections, with many potholes. Therefore, if traveling by motorbike, you need to prepare your vehicle carefully, check tires and brakes, and drive carefully to ensure safety.
A section of rough road leading to U Minh Thuong National Park, requiring careful driving
Discovering the Beauty and Unique Experiences at U Minh Thuong National Park
U Minh Thuong National Park attracts visitors not only by its pristine natural beauty but also by unique and interesting tourist experiences.
Exploring the Diverse Ecosystem
Coming to U Minh Thuong National Park, you will have the opportunity to explore the unique acid sulfate soil flooded melaleuca forest ecosystem with amazing biodiversity. This place is home to more than 254 plant species, including many precious timber trees such as melaleuca, gáo, bùi, trâm… and hundreds of different animal species, from birds and mammals to amphibians and reptiles. In particular, U Minh Thuong forest is also home to many rare animal species listed in the Vietnam and world Red Books such as the hairy-nosed otter, the Sunda pangolin, and the black-shanked douc langur.
You can visit the ecotourism routes in the forest to explore this diverse ecosystem. Taking a “vo lai” boat on Cai Tau canal, Tu Dinh canal, you will admire the green melaleuca forests, watch flocks of storks and herons flying around, and learn about the lives of wild animals. In addition, you can walk on forest trails, explore grasslands, and learn about the characteristic plants of U Minh Thuong forest.
Exploring Historical Sites
U Minh Thuong forest is not only a natural forest but also a land rich in historical traditions. During the two resistance wars against the French and Americans, U Minh Thuong forest was an important revolutionary base, marking the glorious feats of arms of our army and people. Coming here, you can visit historical sites such as the Provincial Party Committee base, the Vuon Mit base, to learn about the heroic history of this land.
Experiencing “Vo Lai” Boat Rides and Recreational Fishing
Riding a “vo lai” boat is an unmissable experience when traveling to U Minh Thuong National Park. “Vo lai” is a traditional boat of the Mekong Delta people, made of melaleuca wood, with a slender shape and very flexible for moving on canals and ditches. Sitting on a “vo lai” boat, you will relax and admire the green melaleuca forest scenery, enjoy the fresh air, and feel the slow pace of life in the riverine countryside.
In addition, you can also experience recreational fishing on the canals and ditches in the forest. U Minh Thuong forest has many freshwater fish species such as snakehead fish, perch, catfish… You can rent a fishing rod and catch fresh fish yourself to enjoy or process into local specialties.
Visiting Mang Doi (Bat Cave) and Trang Chim (Bird Meadow)
Mang Doi and Trang Chim are two famous attractions in U Minh Thuong National Park. Mang Doi is home to thousands of bats, especially the wrinkle-lipped free-tailed bat, a rare bat species at risk of extinction. Coming here in the afternoon, you will witness the scene of thousands of bats flying out of the cave to forage, creating an extremely impressive scene.
Trang Chim is a large grassland, where many rare bird species gather such as the red-crowned crane, the Asian openbill stork, and the painted stork. During the bird breeding season (from December to April), you can come to Trang Chim to see these bird species and learn about their living habits.
Exploring the melaleuca forest by "vo lai" boat is a unique experience in U Minh Thuong
Enjoying the Unique Cuisine of U Minh Thuong
Traveling to U Minh Thuong National Park will not be complete if you miss the opportunity to enjoy the rustic specialties imbued with the flavor of the riverine countryside. The dishes here are often prepared from fresh ingredients, typical of the U Minh Thuong forest region such as snakehead fish, perch, snails, and wild vegetables.
Some dishes you must try when coming to U Minh Thuong forest:
- Grilled Snakehead Fish (Ca Loc Nuong Trui): A rustic, familiar dish but with the characteristic flavor of the Mekong Delta. Snakehead fish is grilled over straw, retaining its natural sweetness and aroma.
- U Minh Hot Pot (Lau Mam U Minh): A specialty hot pot of the U Minh region with a rich, delicious flavor of fermented fish sauce (mam ca linh), combined with fresh wild vegetables and seafood.
- Perch Braised with Giang Fruit (Ca Ro Kho Trai Giac): A dish with the sour taste of giang fruit, the rich flavor of braised perch, served with hot white rice, nothing could be better.
- Snakehead Fish Fermented Fish (Mam Ca Loc): U Minh Thuong snakehead fish fermented fish is famous for its delicious, rich flavor, can be eaten with white rice, vermicelli, or used to prepare many other dishes.
- Grilled Snails with Green Pepper (Oc Nuong Tieu Xanh): Apple snails or giant river snails grilled with fragrant, spicy green pepper, an ideal snack for gentlemen.
You can enjoy these specialties at restaurants and eateries in the U Minh Thuong National Park tourist area or local eateries around the area.
Rustic and unique cuisine is an indispensable part of the U Minh Thuong forest travel experience
Overnight Stay in U Minh Thuong National Park
If you want to have more time to explore U Minh Thuong forest and enjoy the fresh, peaceful atmosphere of this place, you can choose to stay overnight. Currently, in U Minh Thuong National Park, there are several accommodation options such as:
- Huong Tram Tourist Garden (Vuon du lich Huong Tram): Ecotourism area with rustic wooden bungalows, close to nature, providing dining, accommodation, and forest tour services.
- Guesthouses and hotels in U Minh Thuong: Around the U Minh Thuong forest area, there are some budget guesthouses and hotels with affordable prices such as Tan Dat guesthouse, Huynh Nhu, Anh Hoai, Ngoc Giau, Hai Huong…
Depending on your needs and budget, you can choose suitable accommodation to have a comfortable night’s rest in U Minh Thuong forest.
Huong Tram Tourist Garden, a popular accommodation choice for visitors to U Minh Thuong National Park
Travel Costs to U Minh Thuong National Park
Travel costs to U Minh Thuong National Park are quite reasonable, suitable for many types of tourists, especially students and those with limited budgets. Specific costs will depend on the length of stay, means of transportation, dining choices, and entertainment activities.
Here are some reference costs:
- Entrance fee to U Minh Thuong National Park: Free
- “Vo Lai” boat rental: Approximately VND 30,000/person
- Fishing ticket: Approximately VND 40,000/person
- Motorboat ticket: Approximately VND 20,000/person/route
- Dining costs: Approximately VND 100,000 – 200,000/person/day
- Accommodation costs: Approximately VND 200,000 – 500,000/room/night (depending on type of accommodation)
The total cost for a 2-day 1-night trip to U Minh Thuong National Park is estimated to be around VND 500,000 – 1,000,000/person.
Travel costs to U Minh Thuong National Park are quite affordable, suitable for many visitors
Important Notes When Traveling to U Minh Thuong National Park
To ensure a smooth and safe trip to U Minh Thuong National Park, you need to note the following:
- Prepare appropriate clothing: Wear long-sleeved, breathable, sweat-absorbent clothing to avoid sun and insect bites. Bring a hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen to protect your skin from the sun.
- Bring necessary medications: U Minh Thuong forest is a flooded forest area, with many mosquitoes and insects. You should bring mosquito and insect repellent, antiseptic, stomachache medicine, cold medicine, etc.
- Be careful when traveling by boat: When riding a “vo lai” boat, you need to sit still, do not stand up, sit down, or sway strongly to ensure safety.
- Maintain environmental hygiene: Do not litter indiscriminately in the forest, and do not make loud noises that affect wild animals.
- Check the weather forecast in advance: You should check the weather forecast before going to prepare luggage and a suitable schedule.
Prepare personal items and appropriate clothing for a complete trip to U Minh Thuong National Park
Conclusion
U Minh Thuong National Park is an attractive ecotourism destination, offering visitors experiences of exploring unspoiled nature, learning about heroic history, and enjoying unique cuisine. With the detailed U Minh Thuong National Park travel experiences above, “Travel the World” hopes you will have a fun, meaningful, and memorable trip. Don’t forget to share your wonderful moments in the trip with the travel community! Wish you a journey to explore U Minh Thuong forest with many beautiful memories.