Dong Thap Muoi region in Dong Thap, 6 months walking on foot, 6 months walking on hands, full of wild birds

Dong Thap Muoi is the name of a low-lying area, often flooded for a long time during the rainy season, located on the east side of the Tien River, along the Vietnam - Cambodia border, spread over 3 provinces: Long An, Tien Giang and Dong Thap. The center of Dong Thap Muoi is Kien Tuong town (Long An province).

From National Highway 1 to the intersection near My Thuan cable-stayed bridge on the way to the West, turn onto Provincial Road 30, go about 30km to Cao Lanh City - the capital of Dong Thap province and go another 30km along the Tien River to Thanh Binh town.

From here, there is an asphalt road running straight to Tam Nong district, about 4km to Tram Chim National Park.

Tram Chim has a natural area of 7,588 hectares, located in 5 communes: Tan Cong Sinh, Phu Duc, Phu Tho, Phu Thanh, Phu Hiep. The park is located in the middle of the lowland of Dong Thap Muoi. During the rainy season, the entire area is flooded, with some places nearly 3 meters deep.

In the dry season, the land is severely arid. Tram Chim National Park is a type of wetland forest remaining with a “unique” habitat in Indochina. This is one of eight important bird sanctuary areas, accounting for about a quarter of the bird species in Vietnam.

Tram Chim has 32 bird species of conservation value, 12 species are listed in the Vietnam Red Book such as white-winged duck, crested kite, red kite, brown-backed owl, black eagle, red-throated bulbul, yellow-throated dragon,...

The flora and fauna here include 198 species of waterfowl, more than 50 species of fish and reptiles, 191 species of plants, nearly 3,000 hectares of cajuput and 1,000 hectares of wild rice, lotus, water lily, reeds, sedge, etc., creating a beautiful natural landscape with vast rivers, immense cajuput forests, endless fields and rich vegetation. The land of "Six months on foot, six months on hand" (*) is a "biological museum", a unique and attractive eco-tourism center that attracts many visitors to visit, study, research, etc.

Coming to Tram Chim during the flood season from August to November, taking a boat around or through the fields and forests, visitors will feel the wonderful beauty of a wild swamp.

The dry season, from late December to early May every year, is when red-crowned cranes fly to Tram Chim to live and find food. Flocks of cranes fly from the fields of Thailand and Cambodia to look for food in large numbers.

The tubers are a favorite food of the cranes, even though they have to fly hundreds of kilometers. Visitors can witness some amazing, strange and extremely attractive scenes. Many red-crowned cranes are nearly 2 meters tall, with smooth gray feathers, long legs and necks, wide wings, and legs pointing in the direction of flight.

They gather on wide, open fields in the reed fields, fluttering, dancing, and performing rhythmic dances with shrill calls and calls to their mates, often at dusk when the dim sun is about to set over the grasslands.

Reed grass field eaten by red-crowned cranes in Tram Chim National Park (Tam Nong district, Dong Thap province).

Dawn broke. We got on a small boat and went to Tram Chim A1 area. The boat ran at a moderate speed so that visitors could visit both sides of the road.

Many birds were foraging in the fields. Hearing the sound of the motorboat approaching, a flock of hundreds of teals suddenly flew high into the sky and spread their wings towards the deep green cajuput forest in the distance. There were a few kingfishers wearing blue coats, calmly perched on the cajuput branches.

Several scarlet-crested, dark-green-feathered, tail-whistling sparrows appeared and disappeared in the grass along the canal bank. A rather large snake swam across the river very quickly in front of the boat, startling us. “It” crossed the river, hiding under the shadow of the boat to avoid being “eaten” by the lapwing.

After passing a part of Tram Chim's ring canal, the boat turned into a small creek full of lotus. The lotus grew all over the path.

From the observation deck, you can see a primeval cajuput forest, layer upon layer, with large, tall trunks and leaves rustling in the early morning wind.

Tram Chim Observatory, Tam Nong District, Dong Thap Province.

In the center of Tram Chim National Park there is an observation tower about 20m high, visitors can follow the sturdy stairs up to the tower.

From above, looking far away, Tram Chim appears like a colorful natural picture with vast cajuput forests, fields of reed grass, lotus, and wild rice competing to grow green, creating a rich and unique wetland ecosystem.

When the flood season comes, the whole area puts on a green "coat", birds fly all over the sky, creating an attractive and poetic scene.

Tram Chim appears like a colorful natural picture with vast cajuput forests, fields of reed grass, lotus, and wild rice growing green.

Currently, Tram Chim National Park is being invested in by the State, upgraded and expanded into a natural museum, an attractive eco-tourism center.

Many international conservation organizations have also provided funding to maintain, develop and protect Tram Chim. In particular, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has conducted survey and research programs to support Tram Chim National Park in conserving the biodiversity of its unique ecological environment.

(*) "Six months on foot, six months on hand": Six months on foot (dry season). Six months on hand (flood season, must go by boat, rowboat, paddle by hand).

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