By Trần Hoàng Nam

The central province of Quảng Bình is well-known for its long, pristine coastline and various ecological sites in the vicinity of Phong Nha – Kẻ Bàng National Park.

Ozo Treetop Park is a new tourism destination, covering nearly 5ha, which is among the first parks to be located inside a primitive forest in the country.

The park is located inside the Phong Nha- Kẻ Bàng National Park, in Tân Trạch Commune, Bố Trạch District of Quảng Bình Province, which hosts rich flora and fauna of the karst mountain forest ecological system.

Visiting the Ozo Treetop park, tourists walk on wooden bridges hung through the trees. The total length of the walkways in nearly 1km.

“I like the fresh air and the cool water of Ozo stream running through the park,” said Phạm Lan Anh, a visitor from Hà Nội. “My family enjoy camping, bonfires at night and watching wildlife. The whole park is like a night safari. At sunrise, we were awakened by the chirping of birds. We also kayaked on the stream. The nature here is so fantastic."

The park also offers various activities for adults and children, both in the trees and on the water.

Thrill seekers will love the zip lines and tightrope walks.

The upper Ozo Treetop Park has tents set up on high locations, offering magnificent views of mountains and the stream, while the lower park area has a beautiful swimming area with small waterfalls.

Ozo Cave is a new destination for tourists in the area, which is an underground cave stretching 2.7 kilometres, with lots of stalagmites and stalactites.

“The more we go into the cave, the bigger it gets,” said visitor Đinh Chí Kiên, from Đà Nẵng. “My children are afraid of the dark and narrow spaces, but they are fond of exploring the cave. At the end of the cave, there is a space with lots of light.”

There is an area of deep water at the entrance, so visitors have to swim into the cave.

“Walking among stalactites is quite different from the feelings at other caves in Phong Nha – Kẻ Bàng National Park,” Kiên said.

“The stalactites here look like sparkling curtains hanging from the ceiling of the cave. In some places, stalagmites look like terrace rice fields or big pumpkins.”

“The air in the cave is so cool,” he said. “Deep inside, there is a smooth yellow sandy area by turquoise water.”

“The food here is good, with various delicacies like baked chicken, fish and pork at fairly reasonable prices,” Lan Anh said. “Next summer, my family will return.”

How to get there

From the centre of Đồng Hới City, the park can be reached in two ways.

The first is from Phong Nha Kẻ Bàng Tourism Centre, turn onto local Road 36m, go straight to Road No 20 Quyết Thắng and go straight to Ozo Treetop Park, right before the junction of Trạ Ang Bridge, which is located 5km from the Botanical Garden.

The second is from Xuân Sơn Bridge, go straight to Troóc, turn into Hồ Chí Minh Highway's west wing, passing Chày River, Dark Cave, Moọc Streamline and Thiên Đường Cave, to the junction of Trạ Ang Bridge, turn left into Road No 20 Quyết Thắng, go straight for some 200m, the park is on the left.

Quảng Binh hosts rich tourism resources as it is home to the Phong Nha – Kẻ Bàng National Park and the world’s largest cave Sơn Đoòng as well as the longest coastline in the country, with beautiful beaches and delicious seafood.

It was chosen as one of the filming sites for the Hollywood blockbuster movie “Kong: Skull Island”.

Last year, the province received more than 3.9 million visitors, a year-on-year rise of 18.2 per cent – including 200,000 foreign tourists, up 53.8 per cent.

The tourism sector has earned nearly VNĐ4.5 trillion (US$192 million) in revenue last year, a 20.3 per cent increase.
The province aims to welcome 4.3 million tourists in 2019, including 250,000 foreigners, and gross of over VNĐ4.5 trillion ($191.9 million) in revenue. VNS