Vietnam
Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park is world famous for some of the most beautiful and expansive caves in the world. But while most visitors come for the caves, many overlook the park’s other important component: one of the richest and most important wildlife ecosystems in Southeast Asia. In particular, it is known for its fantastic population of primates, many of which can’t be found elsewhere.
The area around Central Vietnam has been inhabited since prehistoric times. As early as the Colonial era, the region was recognized for its historical importance and magnificent caves. Because of this, early protection of the region extended to local wildlife reserves, which helped to preserve some of the native animal population. The area was established as a national park in 2001 and later named a world heritage site.
Phong Nha-Ke Bang boasts a diverse population of species, many of which are rare or endangered. The park’s largest mammals are black bears and sun bears. But the big draw here are the large numbers of primates, which include several species of Macaque and Gibbon, as well as the world’s largest concentration of Langur.
Phong Nha-Ke Bankg National Park is located close to the narrow center of Vietnam, approximately 200 miles south of Hanoi. It is open year round. As of this writing no visitor information was available. Web: www.vietnamnationalparks.org (official website).
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