Phu
Quoc National park covers more than 50% of the island so it is
definitely worth considering a visit, especially if you would like to
escape the heat of the daytime sun, a walk along a park trail or
motorbike ride on one of roads in the north will give you a taste of
this natural environment on Phu Quoc.
Background and Park Area
Phu
Quoc National Park was established by the Vietnamese Government in 2001
after upgrading the previous Natural Protection Area and Nature Reserve
to include an area of 31,422 hectares, which includes 8603 hectares of
strictly protected area, 22,603 hectares of biological restoration area
and 33 hectares for administration and services. An additional 6,144
hectares is dedicated to a land-buffer zone and around 20,000 hectares
of sea-buffer zone, though the final Marine protection zones are yet to
be declared.
Location and Topography
The
National Park is mostly located across the North of the island with the
northerly and eastern boundaries following stretches of the coastline,
except for the northerly villages of Gành Dầu and Rach Vem and Cửa Cạn.
The park is situated within the boundaries of the following communes:
Gành Dầu, Bãi Thơm, Cửa Cạn and in part of the Communes of Cửa Dương,
Hàm Ninh, Dương Tơ, and Duong Dong Township.
The highest point
in the national park is Mount Chua at 603m, with plans in future for a
walking trail to a look out from this point. The national park contains
a number of seasonal streams, with the most sizable being the Rach Cua
Can river, which flows into the gulf of Thailand on the West Coast of
the island just north of Cua Can village.
Visiting the National Park
Phu
Quoc National Park is not strictly defined, however until the National
park is made more accessible for the needs of tourism, the following
options are available for visitors keen to explore what is on offer:
Hire
motorbike on your own and explore the northerly parts of the island.
The best areas and most forested parts can be found on the road toward
Ganh Dau. To get there, take the road from Duong Dong towards Bai Thom
and turn off toward Ganh Dau, the National park becomes more apparent
the closer you get to Ganh Dau Village.
Walking Trails are
limited, though for a great way to experience the national park there
is a good walking trail 5kms before Ganh Dau, where the going is
relatively easy and trail wide enough to take in the surrounding
environment. The walk is a particularly pleasant way to escape the
heat, as the vegetation provides cover from the heat of the sun. Take
the same road mentioned previously towards Ganh Dau and 100m after the
5km Ganh Dau road marker on the left hand side you’ll find an opening
in the national park with a clearly defined walking trail which
continues for a couple of kilometers. Note, besides the 5km Ganh Dau
marker, the actual trail is not sign posted.
If you’d like to
experience the National Park along with other sites, you might consider
booking a tour through one of the many tour operators on the island, or
enquire with your hotel.