Ba Mun Island - green pearl in Bai Tu Long Bay

Published: 10:02 Wednesday - November 13, 2013

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.

Ba Mun island

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).

There are diverse rare flora species in Ba Mun forest

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.