Located in Bai Tu Long Bay in the northeastern province of Quang
Ninh, Ba Mun Island is one of the largest and most beautiful clusters
of isles with the greatest abundance of flora in Bai Tu Long National
Park.
It is also an extremely interesting destination for those who love adventure and nature.
It takes only 45 minutes on a high-speed boat from Cai Rong wharf in
Van Don district to Ba Mun Island. The first impression tourists have
when arriving at the island is pristine natural landscape with green
forests embraced entirely by blue sea.
The east of the
island (known locally as the “exterior”) is pummeled by strong waves
with water spray launching tens of metres high, while the west (the
“interior”) features tranquil scenery and calm water that ripples
against the side of boats.
Ba Mun covers an area of about
1,800 hectares with diverse flora and fauna including rare and valuable
species. The most prominent plants are Tram Do (Syzygium zeylanicum), as
well as Lim (Erythrophleum fordii), Sen (Madhuca pasquieri) and Tau
(Vatica fleuryana Tardieu).
It is notable that
the Lan hai orchid (Cypripedioideae), which was mistakenly thought to be
extinct a few years ago, still exists here. At present, this orchid
species is found only in Lao Cai and Ba Mun.
Ba Mun has
several rare species of animals, including the golden deer, which is
still quite populous and the only population in northeast Vietnam.
Golden deer often search for food at night. Therefore, it is hard to
spot them during the day but visitors can see their footprints.
There are a lot of other species of animals such as antelope,
monkeys, langurs and more, as well as sea and migratory birds. With its
diverse fauna, Ba Mun Island is the largest wild animal reserve in the
southeast region. For this reason, locals often call it “ Animal
Island”.
On Ba Mun Island, there are seven large streams
with unique names such as O Lon To (big pigsty) and O Lon Con (small
pigsty), as well as Mieu Danh, Van Lau, Cao Lo streams, and Che flume.
The water runs all year round and is very clean thanks to large coverage
of the forest. This is a valuable source of fresh water amidst the vast
sea.
Travelling to Ba Mun, tourists can explore on their
own, following some natural trails on the island or patrol routes
serving forest management. It takes at least 3 days to complete a tour
of Ba Mun Island and 5 hours if going around the island by motorboat.
The island has a wildlife rescue centre belonging to the Bai
Tu Long National Park. Tourists can contact the centre in case they need
any support.-VNA