Bach Ma National Park
Joining a tour to hike the trails in Bach Ma National Park
VIETNAM
Bach Ma National Park is a protected area located in the Mountains of central Vietnam. Established in 1991, the park covers an area of 22,031 hectares and is home to a wide variety of flora and fauna. It sounded like a great area to hike and explore, so while we were in Hue, we booked a tour with a local agency and was picked up early in the morning to make the drive.
The history of Bach Ma National Park dates back to the early 20th century, when French colonists established a hunting reserve and villas in the area which were later abandoned. The villas still stand today but are falling into disrepair as the weather and elements take their toll. We were visiting in January and unfortunately had a day where the rain and clouds totally obscured the views. Even at the peak it was limited visibility and all you could see was fog and rain.
The rain was on and off, the tour company provided us with rain ponchos to help keep us dry. The one thing that I don't think anyone was expecting was that the forest and trails were full of tiny leeches! The tour company didn't mention anything about leeches until we got to the trail head! Then they were like, "Oh, by the way, there are these tiny leeches that climb on you and suck your blood. But don't worry, they don't carry any diseases."
Many people on the tour were only wearing shorts and open toed sandals due to the warm temperatures. Luckily, Janet and I had worn our long pants and hikers but several of the other participants ended up with bloody feet and legs from the leech bites. When we reached the peak viewpoint the guides provided some hot chocolate and a reminder to scan our bodies for leeches. They had found some on their clothing and demonstrated what they looked like by holding them on their hand as the leeches wiggled around.
The tour wasn't the experience we were expecting with the rain, fog, and especially the leeches! But certainly gave us an insight into why several previous development attempts in the park had failed.
It really surprised us that the leeches would be so prevalent on the trail but not be mentioned in the online details for the park. If you decide to brave the park remember to wear long pants and hiking shoes. Happy exploring!
