Cuc Phuong National Park

Great park, I came on a weekend and there was a kids camp going on nearby, as well as kids in some sort of school. Paths are easy to ride, some parts are bumpy but manageable. If you want nature, come here and enjoy the lake with a cool drink. Nice people that work there, no issues with anything. Good views, good food, interesting cave. There are also some old trees you can check out, but it’s a bit of a walk to get to them. Overall nice.

The national park itself is absolutely beautiful. The ancient trees and the prehistoric man cave are incredible, and I would definitely recommend everyone to see them. However, it was disappointing that reception didn’t mention that many of the other sights require a guide who must be booked in advance. If I’d known, I would have arranged to see the fossil site and more of the ancient trees. I also stayed overnight at the Bong Substation. Online it says the cabins are well maintained, remote, but still have “creature comforts.” Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. Our first cabin smelled strongly of damp, had black mould on the walls, a dirty bed, and even a large hole in the ceiling. We asked to move, and the second cabin was slightly better, but still had no hot water and no curtains, meaning anyone could see right into where you’re sleeping. You also can’t lock the door from the inside, we had to put a chair against it and hope for the best. The water in the sink came out brown, and overall there were very few comforts at all. You’d honestly be better off camping in a tent, where you’d at least have more privacy. In the morning, we visited the primate sanctuary and paid extra to see all the animals. There’s really no point paying extra the additional animals are nocturnal, so you can’t see them because they’re asleep. The receptionist should have mentioned this before selling the tickets. The primate section itself is okay you can see a variety of endangered species. They don’t look particularly happy, but knowing the end goal is rehabilitation and release makes it feel a bit more acceptable. the national park is stunning, but the lack of communication and the poor condition of the overnight cabins really affected the experience.

Just returned from Cuc Phuong National Park and I’m blown away! The jungle trails are lush and peaceful, and spotting langurs and rare birds was a highlight. The visitor center is very informative, making it perfect for both nature lovers and families. A must-visit for anyone exploring northern Vietnam.

the trip to the park from Ninh Binh (adviced by motorcycle) is already half of the experience for what sceneries you will see underway. the national park is accessible by moto because it is to big to do by walking. once you get to one of the trails, you walk them, you have many choices, doing all of them would really take you more then one day. the plan delivered to you when you pay the 60k entrance gives you all the details about the waling time of every trail would take.

We stayed here for five nights. The highlights were the beautiful forest setting, friendly staff, and welcoming atmosphere. The scenery was stunning, and we had an excellent hiking experience with rangers guiding us through the trails. However, there were some challenges. The insect bites took weeks to heal, and leeches were abundant, we counted around 35 in a single day of hiking, fall down several times as we got a bit of rain and wet.. Outch :). It was still an adventurous and memorable experience, but proper boots and leech socks are essential. Even with those, we were bitten quite badly. We didn’t encounter any large wildlife, but the night safaris were still a highlight. Thousands of fireflies lit up the forest, a beautiful sight. We also observed a few snakes chasing frogs, birds settling into the leaves for rest, and a variety of fascinating insects and bugs. Toward the end, we were lucky to come across a group of deer. The food at the restaurant was generally good, though there is room for improvement. Overall, a rewarding stay for nature lovers, but be prepared for the elements.

Nice experience. We went there after the floods so the road was a bit slippery but we managed to get to get to the Preshistoric man cave and it was great. The whole route through the jungle is also very impressive.

Beautiful nature, but inconsistent visitor experience We stayed overnight in Cuc Phuong National Park to enjoy its landscapes and wildlife, and while the natural setting is worth visiting, our overall experience felt confusing and poorly managed. The park itself is stunning — ancient forest, unique biodiversity, and decent rescue centers (EPRC and Turtle Conservation). These are the real highlights and worth your time. However, the organization around accommodation and activities leaves a lot to be desired. Prices were unclear and seemed to vary depending on who you asked. For example, we were charged 800,000 VND for a second-class room (quoted as $37 USD, which doesn’t match the official rate), and transport plus a night safari guide were quoted by a lady at reception at $75 USD — far above the normal local rate. All while snickering and laughing with co-workers in Vietnamese. Felt like we we're being ripped off with a smile, especially seen as there was no option tot pay electronically. Staff were unpolite and communication was limited, and rather than offering clear options when weather made night tours difficult, they simply discouraged us from joining. It felt as if the visitor experience wasn’t really prioritized. Overall, Cuc Phuong’s beauty speaks for itself, but management and hospitality could be improved significantly — especially with clearer pricing, consistent information, and better guest engagement. Tip: pay in VND only, confirm prices in advance, and focus on the rescue centers and short hikes, which are genuinely rewarding. For good jungle experiences, go to Pu Luông.

This National park is purely amazing. Take a scooter (or a bike) and ride through it, enyoing the nature and jungle in its purest form! I came up from Ninh Binh and can only recommend doing so if you are in the area it is a quite relaxing drive with the scooter without any traffic. Make sure to visit the prehistoric human caves and the ancient tree. The tree might not sound too spectacular, but it was probably my favorite thing to do! You have to take a small path into the jungle and you can continue on this path deeper into the jungle if you want (a guide i met on the way told me it goes on for 10km). It is really amazing to experince the jungle this way and no worries, you cannot get lost, the path is quite easy to follow. At the end of the road through the park you can find a restaurant for lunch. There is also a monkey reservatory but i was too late to visit (it is only open from 13:30 to 16:30). I highly recommend visitinf this park if you are in the Ninh Binh area!