Pu Mat National Park is located in the middle of Annamite Range in Nghe An, about 358 km away from Hanoi, a province in the middle region of Vietnam, you can break your trip to sleep at authentuc Dong Du Village Lakeside Farmstay at midway (186 km away from Hanoi). Originally known as Pu Mat National Reserve, it stands along three districts including Anh Son, Con Cuong and Tuong Duong. What’s more, Pu Mat national park is in the tropical monsoon climate zone, which explains why Pu Mat boasts amazing biodiversity in its wet forests with 2500 plant species and 1000 animal species. To most of the scientists, Pu Mat is too famous for being the first place to discover a rare species “Sao la” (Saola), a long-horned bovid. Together with many unique animals, the primitive forest also has many beautiful landscapes. Among the favorite destinations are the 150 meter Kem Waterfall, Giang River and ethnic minority villages in the forest such as Thai, Tho, Dan Lai and H’Mong. Its beautiful landscape and abundance of fauna and flora have also made Pu Mat a popular tourist destination.

Pu Mat National Park is located on the eastern slope of the Truong Son mountain range, spanning the Con Cuong,  Anh Son, and Tuong Duong districts of Nghe An province. Pu Mat, in the Thai language, means ‘high slopes’. 

The park was established in 2002 and recognized by UNESCO as a World Nature Reserve in 2007,with a core area of 94,000 ha and a buffer zone of 100,000 ha. 

At 1,840 meters above sea level, Pu May is cloudy the year around. It is one of Vietnam’s principal nature reserves, with 2,400 flora species that include numerous valuable herbal plants. 

Of these flora species, 37 are listed in Vietnam’s Red Book and 20 which are in the world Red Book.

The forest also has 240 fauna species that include elephant, tiger, and a rare animal called a saola, that looks like a cross between an antelope and a goat or cow.

The saola, also known as the ‘Asian unicorn’ is one of the world’s rarest species. It was completely unknown before 1992 and has been found living only in the Truong Son forest of Vietnam and Laos.  

It is also on the Red List of Threatened Species of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. 

Cao Tien Trung, an official of Vinh University, said, “Pu Mat Nature Reserves has great biological importance. Pu Mat National Park, Pu Huong Nature Reserve, and Pu Hoat Nature Reserve represent a rich source of rare and precious genetic material.”

Running across Pu Mat National Park is the Giang River, whose magnificent waterfalls, channels, and caves draws many tourists and has boosted local incomes. 

Nguyen Van Vinh, a tourism official in Nghe An province, said, “Pu Mat National Park has a great tourism potential in mountain climbing, kayaking, and camping. Ecological tours are becoming increasingly popular in Vietnam as in the rest of the world.”

In the buffer zone of the National Park are villages inhabited by Thai, Kho Mu, O Du, and Dan Lai ethnic minority people, who still cling to their traditional customs and culture. 

Ngo Kim Hong, a tourist from Hanoi, said, “Dancing over bamboo poles and drinking rice wine through bamboo tubes are impressive experiences. Visiting the Thai villages, I love to watch the locals weave their brocades. It’s fun to pose for a photo in a beautiful Thai brocade dress while standing beside a waterfall or in the dense forest.”

Pu Mat National Park is a place where scientists can explore a rich biodiversity of unspoiled nature while tourists explore the area’s beautiful scenery and rich ethnic cultures.

According to Thai ethnic people, “Pu” means the mountain peak. “Pu Mat” is the highest mountain peak in this region with the height of 1,814 meters. With a huge area covering three districts, Pu Mat has three typical weather seasons. From December to March, it would be cold when the temperature is less than 20 degree Celsius, whereas it will be sunny from April to July and rain heavily from August to November. Therefore, summer time is the best period you can enjoy visiting this attractive destination and swim at Khe Kem waterfalls.

One of the most famous places in Pu Mat National Park is Kem Waterfall. Locating 20 kilometers from Con Cuong in the south and standing at the height of 150 meters, it is considered to be almost the most primitive waterfall in Vietnam. It is quite adventurous to reach there due to the small and unstable path. Once arriving at  Kem Waterfall, you will have a change to view a wonderful landscape that you can hardly find in your busy and crowded life. Kem Waterfall, standing in the distance, may be seen like a ribbon of white silk on the green background of above and along the waterfall if a carpet of wild plants and hundreds of colorful flower garden. Visiting Kem Waterfall, tourists can hire a boat or a raft to catch fish, enjoying one-in-a-life primitive beauty of mother of nature.

At Pu Mat National Park, the trekking tours, where travellers have an opportunity to explore the jungle and unique villages, are among the top choices. Since Pu Mat is the main living area of Thai – an ethnic minority of Vietnam together with Dan Lai and  a few of Kinh people, these tours also allow visitors to speak to ethnic minorities and learn about their arts and culture. Besides, tourists can visit some villages making brocades or tho cam, which is the main job in Pu Mat and enjoy special food such as “com lam” which means rice in bamboo cylinders. One more thing is that if you want to stay for a night, there is a wide range of hotels and motels with almost fully equipped furniture so you don’t have to worry about the accommodation.

Another appealing destination is Sang Le Forest standing 40 kilometers from Pu Mat National Park’s headquarter. It is a well-known tourist site where you can see leaves’ endless green color mixed Sang le stems’ white color. Needless to say, Sang Le Forest is suitable for tourists to go camping or relax breathing the breezy and cool air like they are lost in a fairy cave that is never discovered by human.

It is not easy to have a chance to explore one of the most primitive forests existed in Vietnam. While there are tons of poisonous air and toxic gas in the urban areas, you can find a resting place hidden under the green color of trees and flowers and forests. Let’s pick up your backpack and discover Pu Mat national park and you won’t regret with your decision.

Help Peer Into the Forests of Vietnam's Pu Mat National Park
Pu Mat National Park in the Annamite Mountains is one of the most important sites for conservation in Vietnam, in particular for a host of mammal species that have recently captured the imagination of biologists and writers alike, including the wild cow-like Critically Endangered Saola, the Annamite-striped Rabbit and the Critically Endangered Large-antlered Muntjac.

As these populations plummet at the hands of indiscriminate poaching using snares, we aim to conduct the first-ever comprehensive camera-trap assessment of ground-dwelling species across the park, which will inform our targeted and effective anti-poaching strategy.