Wetland cajuput forests in U Minh Thuong Forest in the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang. Boat tours can take you through the huge park in the wet season - Photo: Dang Hoang Tham

U Minh Thuong covers 21,100 hectares. The 8,000 hectare core area is strictly protected and locals live in the remaining 13,000ha growing rice, fruit and vegetables and  developing cajuput forests. In the core area, there is 500 hectares set aside for tourists to go fishing.

Tourists should pay VND40,000 for admission to the fishing ground and the ticket price includes a rod and baits but they should hire a wooden boat for VND30,000. If they catch any fish, they can ask locals for help to prepare dishes right there with indigenous vegetables.

This is one of the few protected tropical mangrove forests left in the world. It is home to over 250 species of flora, 200 insect species, 24 animal species and about 180 species of birds, many of them rare and some in the red book.

There is also a 44-hectare bird sanctuary with more than 70,000 birds.

Taking a stroll around the park, tourists will see many monkeys staring at them, birds perching on tree branches, worms lurking under leaves and thousands of bats buzzing noisily. The wind blows through trees, fish snatch seaweed, and birds twitter in the sky. All create what is like a natural symphony, entertaining tourists and helping them forget all urban life stresses.

Sunset there is fantastic as thousands of birds return from feeding grounds to their nests.  So tourists can get to watch towers of forest guards to take a panoramic view of the park.