The primate rescue centre
Rare primates up close.
hds — CC BY 2.0 · Khoitran1957 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · No machine-readable author provided. Ravikiran r assumed (based on copyright claims). — Public domain · hds — CC BY 2.0
Vietnam's first national park, opened in 1962: a block of limestone mountains and old-growth forest on the edge of Ninh Binh province, about 45 km west of the city. Its trails lead to giant trees, the best known said to be a thousand years old, and to caves where people lived 7,000 to 12,000 years ago. Near the entrance, the Endangered Primate Rescue Center cares for langurs, gibbons and lorises rescued from trafficking and breeds them for release; it is the easiest place to see rare primates up close. A turtle conservation centre next door does similar work. The park is home to some 97 mammal and 300 bird species, but the forest is dense and the animals hard to see; the real reward is the walking. In spring butterflies swarm along the roads, and the dry months from November to February are the most comfortable for hiking. The visit needs a full day from Ninh Binh, and the old-growth forest lies deep in the park, far from the gate, so a car is essential.
Rare primates up close.
The park's best-known walk.
In spring along the roads.
About 45 km west of Ninh Binh city
Two hours cover the primate rescue centre near the gate; walking in the old-growth forest needs a full day, since it lies deep in the park.