4 eco-resorts for families

About the author

Cao Manh Tuan

• Year of birth: 1978
• Place of residence: Hanoi
• Hobbies: Traveling and sharing information with the community

Cao Manh Tuan has nearly 20 years of experience working on Vietnam's ecological conservation. In addition to his main job as a reporter for the Ecological & Animal Protection section, he is also the person behind the management of many Fanpages and Groups on Facebook such as:VTV3,Animal world, groupPeople who love to travel...

Cat Ba: A promising destination

Although tourism is being exploited very well, most tourists still come to Cat Ba for relaxation needs, not for ecology. However, with the advantage of having 367 islands in the Ha Long Bay system with the center being Cat Ba National Park (a world biosphere reserve), Hai Phong is gradually turning this place into an ecological destination for those who love nature.

The most popular traditional tourist routes in Cat Ba are resort combined with visiting fishing villages, overnight on a boat. Existing ecological routes: 27 km long cross-island road, exploring Cat Ba National Park, learning about animals, navigating through the system of limestone caves on land and underwater. Just by taking a boat around the National Park area, visitors can easily encounter herds of Golden-headed Langurs, White-thighed Langurs gathering to play, foraging on cliffs close to the sea, or the Land Phoenix with its characteristic "giant" beak.

Due to the impact of industry and tourism, there are not many corals and seaweeds left in Cat Ba today. If you want to see them, you have to go to the National Park area, which is strictly protected. There are many projects to restore corals, algae and marine life here, but they are not effective and it may take a long time for them to recover.

Phu Quoc: Hidden wildness

When mentioning Phu Quoc, most tourists will immediately think of an area that is "booming" with resort tourism development; but for those who love ecology, no matter how much the Pearl Island develops, there are still many "nooks and crannies" to turn to and explore the wildness of this place.

When it comes to ecotourism in Phu Quoc, the first thing to mention is the primeval forest. With very thick vegetation, multi-layered forests, a system of streams and small waterfalls, just exploring it alone can take you a whole day. The fauna here is also very diverse with 30 species of animals, including some species listed in the Vietnam Red Book such as Forest Wolves, White Monkeys, Pile Gibbons; along with 200 species of birds, 50 species of reptiles... If you have enough opportunity and luck, you can meet sea turtles, dolphins, dugongs (Dugongs) under the sea.

Despite its popularity and crowds, Phu Quoc still has many deserted beaches. You can take a boat to Rach Vem and freely explore the pristine areas, or turn into the Melaleuca forest to pick mushrooms, learn about millipedes up to 30 cm long, or the tiny sunbirds that often fly in pairs with beautiful chirps... Another interesting experience suitable for children is to try "being" a farmer for a day in pepper, rose myrtle, and vegetable gardens. Not many companies provide this type of service, but you can still find it if you book in advance.

Con Dao: Vietnam's ecological stronghold

Con Dao used to be famous as a destination for spiritual tourism, but in the past 5 years, ecotourism has become a new highlight of this island. Domestic and foreign tourists, especially young people, often come to Con Dao to experience turtle birthing, scuba diving, mountain climbing... For those who love ecotourism, there are many special things in Con Dao that can keep them here such as: conquering the peaks of the mountain system, searching for endemic monkeys, watching the nightlife of tank crabs, exploring all the ancient coral reefs, registering to be a turtle rescue volunteer, cleaning up trash on the beach or under the coral reef, learning about rare plants such as ginseng, oil, Melaleuca mushrooms...

The fauna of Con Dao forest has so far recorded 144 species, including some endemic animals such as: Black squirrel, Black squirrel, Con Dao deer mouse, Con Dao gecko... The marine ecosystem here is also diverse and rich with about 1,321 species of marine life, 37 of which are listed in the Vietnam Red Book, many species have high economic value such as aquatic products and seaweed.

Con Dao also has rare marine mammals such as blue whales, dugongs, and dugongs. Of course, it is impossible not to mention that this is currently the place with the largest number of sea turtles coming to lay eggs in the country. Every day, there can be up to 20 mother turtles coming to the beaches across Con Dao to breed.

Ninh Van: A "valuable" destination

Tourists often have to consider carefully when choosing to stay in Ninh Van, because there are currently only two most expensive resorts in Vietnam. However, for those who have economic conditions and love nature, Ninh Van is the number one choice, because here they will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in real nature.

When talking about Ninh Van, we must first mention the rare Black-shanked Douc Langur population, which is currently strictly protected. It is very difficult to meet Douc Langurs, but when staying in Ninh Van, many people easily see them coming down to the foot of the mountain to play or find food and water. In addition to Langurs, there are many other wild animals here that are very tame. The most common are squirrels, birds, and lizards, which even fly and jump right in front of tourists without fear.

The marine ecosystem in Ninh Van is also extremely unique. Due to being completely separated from the free tourist area, with no fishing boats, Ninh Van sea is very clean and clear, many areas can be used for diving and watching marine life. If you want to experience ecological tours, in addition to the services provided by resorts such as kayaking, snorkeling, diving, etc., you can also try other outside services such as mountain climbing, learning about wildlife, catching seafood with fishermen, etc. However, outsourced services require tourists to have good skills in forest trekking, high awareness of ecological protection, and often do not have insurance and are mainly spontaneous.

Notes for families when participating in eco-tours

1. Provide accurate information

When registering for tours, travel companies always ask specific questions about each individual such as health, diet, etc. Some special tours such as scuba diving, paragliding will ask more about the means of transport your family uses, cardiovascular, bone and joint diseases, mental illness, etc. Families are required to answer honestly and accurately. This will help the tour organizers make appropriate preparations and ensure the safest trip for you.

2. Be a role model for children

Be brave and set an example for your children instead of being afraid to “replace” them. When I take families on exploration trips, many parents, instead of letting their children experience things, prevent them from interacting with and learning about the surrounding issues. This can ruin the organizer’s plan and prevent the child’s legitimate need to explore and be curious. In order for their children to be comfortable accepting new things, parents must set an example and create a sense of safety for them first.

3. Prepare personal belongings carefully

Be proactive in preparing your own necessary equipment. Always have a thin jacket, dry food, sweets, and water in your backpack. Sun protection, rain protection, and insect protection should be compact and easy to carry. Finally, make sure your shoes are suitable for the trip because if they are not suitable, you will quickly get sore feet and return home with more or less damaged feet.

Cao Manh Tuan