BA DEN MOUNTAIN

Ba Den Mountain, the highest elevation in the south at 986 m, is the last peak in the Truong Son Mountain Range. It is located 15 km northeast of Tay Ninh. The area is a historical and beautiful site, and covers more than 24 sq. km.

Ba Den is also called Black Lady Mountain. Legend has it that the beautiful Ly Thi Thien Huong was forced to marry the son of a rich mandarin while her true love was fighting against Chinese invaders. Rather than marrying the man she did not love, she threw herself from the peak of the mountain.

Several shrines and pagodas were built on the mountain and in caves. The Ba and Hang pagodas attract many pilgrims during the Lunar New Year and Vu Lan Festivals. Unreligiously, Ba Den Mountain was also once the headquarters of the liberation force of South Vietnam. Many battles were fought in the area.

NAM CAT TIEN NATIONAL PARK

Nam Cat Tien National Park is in Dong Nai Province, 160 km north of Ho Chi Minh City. In 1978, the Nam Cat Tien Forest was classified as a restricted area; being transformed into a national park in 1992. Along with Tan Phu Forest, Nam Cat Tien is part of the primitive and tropical rainforests of South Vietnam.

The area attracts many biologists and tourist, who come to study and admire 600 plant species, including hundreds of valuable medical herbs and flowers. It is said there are 240 species of birds, including rare examples such as the red pheasant. Over 50 species of mammals such as the one-horned rhinoceros also live in the vicinity.

In early 1997, a tomb of primitive man was excavated in the center of the park.

From Long Xuyen, one has to travel almost 60 km to get to Sam Mountain that lies west of Chau Doc, at approximately 2 km from the fronties between Vietnam and Cambodia.

The 230m high mountain does not only offer beautiful landscapes, but it is also where many historic remains deeply loved by the inhabitants of Nam Bo plain are located Ba Chua Xu Temple, Tay An Pagoda, Thoai Ngoc Hau Tomb, Tao Ngo Garden, and Bach Van Hill are among the famous sited to visit near Sam Mountain.

U MINH FOREST

A large percentage of Ca Mau province’s area is covered by forest, 150,000 ha being alluvial soils, typical of the tropical monsoon climate. Being flooded everyday by tidal waters, the salt-bearing trees grow in this environment with animals and microoganisms. U Minh forest comprises several types of plants, the most common being man, mangrove, and indigo. The biological productivity of this land is the highest among Vietnam's’ecosystems.