Cát Tiên National Park
A UNESCO biosphere reserve of lowland rainforest — ancient tung trees, gibbons and langurs, night drives and birding among the best in the country.
About Đồng Nai
East of Hồ Chí Minh City, Đồng Nai pairs an industrial heartland with some of the wildest green in the south: the rainforest of Cát Tiên National Park, the vast Trị An reservoir and the river that gives the province its name.
Most travellers come for Cát Tiên — gibbon song at dawn, night safaris, the trek to Crocodile Lake — then find the quarry lakes of Bửu Long, orchard towns and a granite peak worth climbing on the way back.
Top things to do in Đồng Nai
Bàu Sấu (Crocodile Lake)
A wetland deep inside Cát Tiên reached by a ~5km forest trek, where Siamese crocodiles were successfully reintroduced.
Trị An lake
A reservoir scattered with islands — lakeside camps, fishing hamlets and big open sunsets an easy drive from the city.
Bửu Long scenic area
Old stone quarries turned emerald lakes beneath pagoda-topped hills in Biên Hòa — a quick, photogenic escape.
Chứa Chan mountain
The second-highest peak of the southeast — a half-day hike (or cable car) through banana forest to wide plains views.
Long Khánh orchards
In fruit season (roughly May–August) the orchard towns open their gardens — durian, rambutan and mangosteen straight from the tree.
Eat & drink
Tân Triều pomelo
The famous pomelo village on an islet of the Đồng Nai river — eaten fresh, in salads, even as pomelo wine.
Long Khánh durian
Red-soil orchards make this one of the south's best durian regions; season peaks early summer.
Grilled river fish
Lakeside hamlets on Trị An grill the day's catch — simple, smoky and best at sunset.
Tips & FAQ
The practical questions we hear most about Đồng Nai, answered briefly.
How far is Cát Tiên from Hồ Chí Minh City?
~150km, about 3.5–4h by road. Buses toward Đà Lạt can drop you at the Tân Phú junction, with local transfer to the park ferry.
Do I need to book the park in advance?
Book night drives, the Bàu Sấu trek and in-park lodging ahead through the park office — capacity is limited, especially at weekends.
When is the best season?
December–April (dry season) is best for wildlife and the Bàu Sấu trail; in the rains, expect mud and pack leech socks.
Is Đồng Nai a day trip or an overnight?
Bửu Long and Trị An work as day trips from the city; Cát Tiên deserves at least one night inside or beside the park.
Plan your trip
Getting there
Road links from Hồ Chí Minh City are the way in (~1h to Biên Hòa on the expressway); the new Long Thành international airport is rising in the province's south.
Getting around
Your own wheels or a chartered car work best — sights are scattered; inside Cát Tiên you switch to park jeeps, bicycles and boats.
How to pace it
- 1
Days 1–2 — into the rainforest
Cross the ferry into Cát Tiên: giant-tree trails and the Bàu Sấu trek by day, a spotlight night drive after dark.
- 2
Day 3 — lake & city
Loop back via Trị An lake for a lakeside lunch, then the Bửu Long quarry lakes before returning to the city.
Areas of Đồng Nai
Biên Hòa
The river city next door to Hồ Chí Minh City — Bửu Long lakes and pomelo islets.
Nam Cát Tiên
The national-park gateway hamlet across the ferry — lodges, trailheads, gibbon dawns.
Trị An
Reservoir country — island camps, fishing hamlets, big-sky sunsets.
Long Khánh
Red-soil orchard capital — fruit-season garden visits.
Xuân Lộc
Home of Chứa Chan mountain — hikes, cable car and plains views.
When you're ready
Ready for Đồng Nai?
Tell us who is coming and what you want to see. A specialist replies with a route and a clear price — usually within a few hours.
Plan this trip