An ethnic minority group performs at the Song Thanh Nature Reserve in the central province of Quang Nam

Not far from the Lao border, the Song Thanh Nature Reserve is home to a vast diversity of both flora and fauna as well as ethnic minority cultures.

The waterfall hike is a good way to start exploring the area. A path leading to the crystal clear falls begins behind the Song Thanh Nature Reserve Management Board Office. The two-hour forest walk is made all the more pleasant by the sounds of singing birds above.

Some tourists also enjoy exploring the Co Tu, Gie Trieng and Mo Nong ethnic minority communities in hamlets just outside the reserve’s major jungle areas.

At night, guests may be invited to join the locals for gong shows and song and dance around the bon fire. The Co Tu are known for their lively performances as well as their traditional brocade weaving.

Surveys by the WWF Indochina and the Forest Inventory Planning Institute show that Song Thanh is home to 831 high-grade plant species, 38 species of which are endangered in Vietnam.

The provincial Forest Control Bureau says Song Thanh is home to nearly 360 animal species, 51 of them are endangered in Vietnam. The most special animals here are the langurs and mang Truong Son (Truong Son Muntjac), a kind of deer.

Located in central Quang Nam Province’s Phuoc Son and Nam Giang districts, Song Thanh Nature Reserve is 110 km northwest of Tam Ky Town and 85 km southwest of Da Nang City. Both the Vu Gia and Thu Bon rivers start in Song Thanh before flowing into the province’s main rice cultivation areas.

Song Thanh is most easily reachable from Tam Giang District’s Thanh My Town. The Dong Truong Son and Huong Giang guesthouses provide adequate accommodation while the meals at Thanh My Restaurant are tasty. Good shopping can be found at the Thanh My Town Market and medical services are available at the Nam Giang District Health Station. Travel is easiest by xe om (motorbike taxi).

Reported by Nguyen Huu