Ninh Binh is a northern province of Vietnam, located in the Red River Delta, covering an area of 1,412 square kilometers. Its name, Ninh Binh, comes from the Sino-Vietnamese characters 寧平, meaning “peaceful and level.” This province is famous for its rich historical heritage, with landmarks such as the ancient capital of Hoa Lu and the unique Phat Diem Cathedral.
NINH BINH’S STUNNING LANDSCAPES
Beyond its cultural treasures, Ninh Binh is blessed with breathtaking natural landscapes and extraordinary biodiversity that will leave you speechless — the kind of place that makes you want to linger just a little longer.
Not only that, Ninh Binh possesses breathtaking natural landscapes with fantastically enriched biodiversity that surely make you emotionally speechless and just want to stay as long as possible! This is also a part of our 15-day Primate Photography Tour where we nature lovers immerse ourselves in the serenity, the lush greenery of wilderness while contemplating beautiful creatures here.
One of the locations our tour groups set foot in is the untouched Van Long Nature Reserve, the largest wetland reserve in Vietnam and one of the few lowland inland wetlands that still remains intact. The name “Van Long” became official in the Le Dynasty and it means “Dragon flying in clouds” (“Long” = dragon, “Van” = clouds). Spanning over 3,500 hectares, Van Long harbors two important ecosystems: Wetland and Limestone ecosystems. This destination attracts visitors by stunning landscapes featuring towering limestone karsts enclosed by wetlands, marshes, and shallow lakes.
MEETING THE WHITE-PANTS LANGURS
Van Long Nature Reserve is the place where a plethora of critters calls home, one of them is the Delacour’s langur (Trachypithecus delacouri), a crested langur that is endemic to Vietnam. This primate species is covered with black hair and dotted with a white marking on the underpart, giving it the nickname “White-pants Langur” or “Vooc Mong Trang” in Vietnamese. The infants have a bright orange, which is believed to encourage alloparenting, a form of care made by other adults besides biological parents. Delacour’s langurs inhabit limestone karst areas with a population of around 200-250 individuals that are currently protected from emerging threats entailing deforestation, agricultural conversion, hunting for illegal trade, medicinal, and food purposes, etc. Our tour group, with ardent guidance by the local trackers, was truly fortunate to be able to witness, take photos, and record at least 3 langur families traversing across limestone cliffs. Truly a rewarding experience!
INTO THE MAJESTIC FORESTS OF CUC PHUONG
Coming to Ninh Binh but ignoring Cuc Phuong would leave you remorse! Cuc Phuong is famous for being the very first National Park of Vietnam, with a wide array of organisms from fauna and flora. When entering, we were overwhelmed by the tropical evergreen rainforest with layers of canopies. Though it may be tough, our group was determined to experience the beauty of the park. During the trip, we had a chance to see wildlife roaming, including the silver pheasant (Lophura nycthemera) crossing the road. But perhaps the most unforgettable moment was when we finally found the endemic Vietnam’s mossy frog (Theloderma corticale) and Gordon’s bug-eyed frog (Theloderma gordoni). The encounter actually put smiles and pure joy on everyone’s faces!
All of this being said, the journey to Cuc Phuong and Van Long was an unforgettable memory for all of us. Every natural sight we came across and wildlife we discovered has offered us a sense of tranquility, excitement, and jubilance. Our customers wished the journey had been longer. In the end, The journey also reminds us about the importance of conservation for a more sustainable ecotourism.
LE QUANG