Thung Nham Bird Park > Cuc Phuong National Park > Hanoi

The safety measures implemented at Halong Bay resulted in the closure of the area for a day following the tropical storm. As a backup plan, we decided to visit the nearby Thung Nham Bird Park and Cuc Phuong National Park before going to Hanoi.

After breakfast, we set off to the bird park in hopes to spot some wildlife.

Thung Nham Eco Zone is a beautiful garden with many photo spots. Walk around the compound to admire the scenic green. Since the area was vast, we purchased buggy tickets to return to the entrance.

To catch a glimpse of the Asian openbill storks, we needed to take a manual-operated boat ride. Many storks can be seen at the deserted end of the water point. Some flapping their wings, while many others nestled on the trees. So excited to spot many wild storks up close.

Continue on the road to another national park.

Cuc Phuong National Park, the largest in Vietnam, was established in 1962. With a great ecosystem and conservation sites for endangered species, this is a must-visit for wildlife lovers.

The Endangered Primate Rescue Center, founded in 1993, is a project between the Frankfurt Zoological Society and Cuc Phuong National Park. This center is home to the highly endangered primate, such as the Delacour Langur. The center is to rescue, breed, research, and do conservation work for these primate species. We had a guided tour that briefly explained and introduced us to the different species.

Towards the end of the tour, the guide spotted a family of Delacour Langur jumping around the trees behind the center. According to the guide, the family still lingers around the forest since they release them back into the wild. A female gibbon was also spotted nearby at the same time. Spotting these primates was considered super lucky for us as there are only 150 Delacour Langurs in the wild.

Our tour in Ninh Binh had come to an end, so it was time to return to Hanoi.

Vietnamese Women’s Day is celebrated on October 20th, which causes most hotels in the Old Quarter to become fully booked. In our case, we were only able to secure a reservation for the night at one of the IHG hotels earlier in the day.

Unlike the Old Quarter, the area we’re staying in is packed with high-rise apartments and office buildings. The region is known as a mini Korea due to its building names, shops, and restaurants which are all written in Hangul.

After several days in the countryside, tonight feels like a luxurious hotel stay, with our room upgraded to a junior suite. Dinner for the day is, of course, at a Korean restaurant.

Overnight at Intercontinental Hanoi Landmark72