National Park - Dalat - Nha Trang Beach

08:00 We leave for Cat Tien National Park (150km, 3hours), with a short rest stop in Dau Giay. We slowly gain in altitude as we approach Dinh Quan volcanic area. There are quite many volcano craters around Dinh Quan, dated back to Jura and Kreta era about 100 million to 65 million years ago.

Upon arrival Cat Tien national park, we cross the Dong Nai river and head to the park’s administration building. After lunch you will begin 5-km hike along the nature trail where we will see many gigantic trees before returning to the administration building.

What kind of trees on this trail? There are Lagerstroemia Ovalfolia (BangLang), Tetrameles nudiflora (Tung), Cycas rumphii (Thien Tue), Ancistrolandus tectorius (Trung Quan), Afzelia cyclocarpa (Go).

Then we head back to the park center for relaxing, soft drink at the riverside hut. Or you may choose a short cycling ~ 12km inside the park area. Please check with our guide for arranging the bicycle.

18:30 A jeep transport us to the Ta Lai buffer zone for a night site where we may spot tree shrews, civets, mouse deer, wild boars, and pygmy loris.

20:00 Back into guesthouse for dinner. Overnight in Cat Tien National Park

The types of Cat Tien terrain alternating pools, marshes, streams systems, plus more than 90 km length of Dong Nai river has created unique landscapes with waterfalls and wetlands and semi-submerged … Especially the crocodile swamp (Bau Sau) area, a tourist attraction is very interesting. Our jeep transports us 9km to a junction, where we hike 5km to Crocodile Lake Station. You can paddle small sampan in crocodile lake for exploring the fresh water lake here. Following a short rest stop at the lake’s watch tower, we hike back to the main road and a jeep bring us back to our lodgings. After we check out, we have lunch and then take the ferry across the river where we meet our transport for Da Lat. End route, you will see mulberry tea and coffee plantations along Highway 20. If time permits, we will visit the waterfall before heading up and over mountain pass to Da Lat where we will overnight.

Da Lat is quite different from anywhere else you’ll visit in Vietnam. Known as the “City of Eternal Spring” for its distinctive temperate climate, Da Lat is blessed with lakes, waterfalls, evergreen pine forests and gardens. It remains a small charming city. We spend the day sightseeing around the city. We visit HangNga (a hotel known as “Crazy house”, the Bao Dai Summer Palace (where Bao Dai vacationed), the Old French Cremaillere railway, the Dalat Flower Garden, the Truc Lam Pagoda, the Tuyen Lam reservoir and other sights. Another option for this day would be to visit to Lat village and, from there, trek up Langbian mountain (2167m) at whose summit breathtaking views await, including great overviews of Dankia Lake as well as Dalat city. It’s a moderate five-hour hike up and back. We overnight in Da Lat.

The last look around Xuan Huong Lake in Da Lat, we travel up to the summit of Hon Giao pass by local road 723. This local route connects Dalat to Lac Duong district and Dien Khanh district of Khanh Hoa province. Hon Giao Mountain Pass at 1,650m high 33 km long. The pass goes through the rugged mountains, with many sharp turns, high cliffs, and 300m depths to create the majestic scenery on either side. This route also passed Bidoup Nui Ba National Park – a diverse biological resource. We go downhill to Khanh Son and keep on to Nha Trang where we overnight. If time permits, we will stop at the Ponagar Cham temple en route. Ponagar temple was a great Hindu temple of Champa kingdom back in the 8th century, gradually adapted to local religion. The name “Po Nagar” is used to describe the whole structure, but actually, it is the name of the largest tower 23 meters high. Above the main door is the shaped goddess Uma, wife of Shiva. There is a panorama view of Nha Trang beach from the temple. Our tour concludes at your hotel.