Tam Dao National Park

Tam Dao National Park is just 70 kilometres north west from Hanoi. Tam Dao was originally built by the French as a hill station to escape from the oppressive humidity of Hanoi. The remnants of the French era can only be seen in the form of rubble of once grand villas. After the defeat of France the Vietnamese destroyed any sign of their occupation in Tam Dao and have since installed harsh Soviet-style architecture, which still blots the landscape. Although it isn't the most picturesque village in Vietnam, it is a good base from which to explore one of Vietnam's many well-hidden gems. There has recently been a pleasant new hotel built in the colonial style, which offers a reasonable standard of accommodation.

Tam Dao contains a valuable tropical rainforest ecosystem, which is the home to many rare and endemic species. The high level of biodiversity can be partly attributed to the location of the Tam Dao mountains, located on an ecological frontier zone with species from the tropical forests of south east Asia, the temperate forests of southern China and the alpine forests of the eastern Himalaya.

Tam Dao, known as the "Island in the Sky" is host to a highly diverse population of species. In has attracted researchers from all over the world who spend prolonged periods cataloguing the different species. Tam Dao is now considered home to the most diverse snake population on the planet. At the present time 108 different kinds of snakes or 4 percent of the world's 2,700 species have been found in the National Park.