The chances of seeing in a tiger in Vietnam are slight. There may be tiger and leopard in Bach Ma National Park but it is some time since there have been any sightings. The Park is a great place for hiking and travellers who come to Vietnam can certainly enjoy the fresh air and natural environment if they spend some time in this Park in Central Vietnam. It is in Hua Thie Hue Province not far from the old Nguyen Dynasty Capital of Hue. The Dynasty ruled during the time of the French so it had limited powers but there is much to see and do in the region as a whole. Hue is likely to be on many standard Vietnam packaged tours so you can discuss with your Vietnam tour operator how the National Park can be fitted into your holiday.

The National Park has a mountain of the same name, 1450 metres above sea level. The sea is just 18 kilometres away. Whether you want to climb the mountain is another thing but the hiking trails are great through interesting forests, tropical as well as sub-tropical. One of the most spectacular sights is the 300-metre waterfall that has 5 tiers.

There is plenty of life in the forest though as mentioned earlier it is questionable whether there is still tiger and leopard, the former of course seriously endangered. There are several species of monkey, the most common being the languor. Only recently the muntjac or barking deer, a very small species, has been discovered and the Park is home to the Saola, one of the world’s rarest mammals and related to cattle, goat and antelope. It has only been photographed relatively recently so it is obviously elusive. In addition, over 350 bird species have been recorded.

This is one of the wettest regions in Vietnam with September through to December the wettest period and February to April the driest.

Communities live within the Park and there is a community centre facility. It provides a chance to meet the locals and observe their daily lives. Perhaps you can ask them if any of them has ever seen a tiger? There is a body of rangers to protect the Park both from poaching as well as illegal logging. They provide an extra level of reassurance as you will be hiking in a place that you have never been before.

If you are on an organised Vietnam package all transport arrangements will be made for you. The Park is fairly accessible with buses from Danang, the biggest city in the region and 65 kilometres away, and Hue, 40 kilometres to the south.  Central Vietnam offers both a wonderful natural area like this and only a short distance away the chance to enjoy the stunning coastline. Perhaps it does not get as much attention as Hanoi in the north and Ho Chi Minh City in the south but it deserves further inspection?