Explore Cat Tien: Crocodile Lake Trek

For those looking to experience the best of what Cát Tiên National Park has to offer, join us on our full-day trek to the legendary Bàu Sấu, better known as Crocodile Lake. This is by far one of our most popular experiences, an extraordinary journey through some of Vietnam’s most untouched natural spaces, rich in biodiversity and open to curious travellers of all ages.

The adventure begins at daybreak with a scenic drive from the park headquarters through evergreen and lowland rainforest to the start of the trail. Keep an eye out for Northern Red Muntjac crossing the road and Southern Yellow-cheeked Gibbons singing from the treetops. From here, we begin our walk through one of the most spectacular patches of old-growth rainforest in Indochina. Amongst towering figs and massive Dipterocarps, you’ll encounter ancient cycads and twisted-rooted Tetramelaceae trees, some of which are over a thousand years old.

With dawn light flickering through the trees, we hike the 5 km trail to Crocodile Lake, taking around 2-2.5 hours at a gentle, exploratory pace. Along the way, we’ll search for the critically endangered Black-shanked Douc Langur, and keep our eyes open for other forest highlights like the prehistoric Wreathed Hornbill, Giant Black Squirrel, Banded Kingfisher, Germain’s Peacock-Pheasant, Indochinese Roller, Banded Broadbill and even the tiny Indochinese Flying Dragon (what a collection!).

By mid-morning, we’ll emerge from the forest and take in the breathtaking sight of Crocodile Lake, a sweeping wetland alive with birds, insects, reptiles and other wildlife. Here lives Vietnam’s only viable population of the Siamese Crocodile, a species once extinct in the country and now thriving thanks to an ambitious and successful reintroduction project. We’ll settle in at the Ranger Station for what we believe is one of the best meals in the park, served with a view of the lake. While you relax, keep your binoculars handy, this is the perfect place to spot Lesser Whistling Ducks, Cotton Pygmy Geese, Stork-billed Kingfisher and even the lightning-fast Silver-backed Needletail. Look out for Bronze-winged Jacana tiptoeing across lily pads, the towering Asian Woolly-necked Stork, or even a Grey-headed Fish Eagle plunging from the sky to snatch a fish from the shallows.

After lunch, we begin the return walk through a forest transformed by afternoon light. This is prime time for barbets, woodpeckers, and another chance to encounter troops of Northern Pig-tailed Macaque. If luck is on our side, we may even glimpse one of Cat Tien’s most elusive primates, the ghostly Annamese Silvered Langur, moving like shadows through the canopy. We return to the trailhead by mid-afternoon, where our vehicle will be waiting to take you back to park headquarters.

This tour is led by our team of professionally trained local guides, expert naturalists with deep knowledge of everything from birds and mammals to reptiles, insects, fungi, and plants. It’s the perfect experience for wildlife watchers, birders, photographers, families, day-trippers, and curious travellers alike. For those short on time but hungry for the wild, this is one of the most species-rich and rewarding day hikes in all of Vietnam.