TEAM BUILDING IN DONG NAI

Instead of having to travel far to go to popular coasting tourist sites, spend less time moving to Dong Nai right next to Ho Chi Minh City. Find a vantage point to have a beautiful picture of the natural beauty with endless greenery in the background. Stroll around a nature reserve at your own pace to find out more about what’s all around, you might even spot a wildlife or two on a lucky day. Photo: Exotic Vietnam

Introduction: Inlaid between the lowland Mekong Delta and the mountainous Central Highlands, Dong Nai is a midland province at an average height of 100m, just a few dozen kilometers northeast of Ho Chi Minh City

Favored by nature from grey alluvium, red volcanic soil and abundant water from Dong Nai River, the Vietnamese settled in Dong Nai more than 300 years ago, turning rugged mountains and dense forests into rich villages, rice fields and orchards. By the early 18th century, the Chinese immigrants had built Cu Lao Pho in Bien Hoa into a bustling trading port attracting vessels from Japan, China and even Western countries. Today, Dong Nai is known for its large industrial parks, Long Thanh international airport project, surrounding rubber plantations, the system of lakes, dams and rivers and lots of little known volcanic sites

Many verdant natural landscapes are preserved to become a captivating destination for tourists from Ho Chi Minh City. It is also easy to connect attractions in Dong Nai with nearby tourist centers such as Vung Tau, Mui Ne or even further afield, Da Lat.

Highlights: Cat Tien National Park, Dong Nai Nature and Culture Reserve, Suoi Mo Park, Dao O – Dong Truong Islands, Buu Long Park.

Facilities & services: domestic standard hotels, rustic restaurants, and cafes.

As one of the South’s most popular national parks, Cat Tien boasts some of the stunning views, attractive hiking trails, and vacation opportunities for people from Ho Chi Minh City. The park is also known for its giant trees, which are estimated to be over 400 years old, such as Tung tree (Acacia) its huge spreading roots or Bang Lang tree (Lagerstroemia) with six tops soaring straight up into the sky. Photo: Exotic Vietnam

Cat Tien National Park

Cat Tien National Park is a virgin destination during the stages of Covid-19 flu season in 2021, where you are free to breathe in the oxygen-filled air, the scent of wild flowers in the endless breeze.

Established in 1992, Cat Tien National Park covers an area of 71,350 ha consisting of three sectors: Nam Cat Tien (Dong Nai Province) in 39,627 ha, Cat Loc (Lam Dong Province) in 27,530 ha and West Cat Tien (Binh Phuoc Province) in 4,193 ha. In 2001, the park was recognized by UNESCO as the 411th Biosphere Reserve and the 2nd Biosphere Reserve of Viet Nam. In 2005, Bau Sau wetland, a flooded area of about 137km² in the park was recognized by the Ramsar Convention as the 1,499th most important wetland of the world and is currently one of eight Ramsar sites in Viet Nam.

Cat Tien National Park is the ideal place for team building activities in the forest for those looking for an unforgettable feeling. Discovering the different corners of this fantastic place in a team building program gives you the ecological knowledge and the real benefit of team spirit boost. Photo: Exotic Vietnam

The park is home to various species from fauna to flora, some are listed as rare animals and plants, together with grass lands and streams. The convergence of green treasures with 5 types of forests (broad-leaved evergreen; evergreen & semi-deciduous; mixed bamboo; pure bamboo and submerged vegetation). You can also admire different types of strange mushrooms, the charming forest flower branches, hundreds of medicinal plants, precious orchids.

Dong Nai River has lots of rapids embracing the southeast side make the park become an ideal team building playground with some main reasons:

  • About 150km from Ho Chi Minh City along Long Thanh – Dau Giay Highway and National Highway 20, you can easily access for a full day program, or a stopover at the midway of the journey to Da Lat or Phan Thiet (via Me Pu).
  • Due to the type of evergreen & semi-deciduous forest with 5 layers of canopy, there are not many shrubs on the forest floor, you can do team building programs in The Amazing Race format or run station by station on paths through the forest (concrete or paved). More challenging, you can find a shortcut in the forest with a GPS device.
  • The landscape is so wonderful, sometimes the butterflies fly, sometimes the sunlight dances under the forest canopy, and so on. More luckily, you can admire the mesmerizing dance of the peacocks amidst the grandeur and romance of the wild world.
  • Many bike paths range from a few kilometers to tens of kilometers including simple dirt roads and trails of basalt outcrops and vines or shrubs. Going in the rainy season, you will experience the slime of the clay layer clinging to the soles of shoes or wheels.
  • Rafting on Dong Nai River is also a breathtaking experience. The flow is regulated by hydropower plants upstream and the discharge time is announced in advance, so the river is quiet all year round. You can have refreshments at Heaven Waterfall and Ben Cu Waterfall along the rafting challenge route.

According to the criteria of eco-team building based on three main pillars (economic, environmental, and social), the team building program at Cat Tien National Park helps your company enhance its CSR efforts. The trip strengthens the relationship among your employees, fosters a sense of company pride, and gives back to the nature you visit. Your employees have opportunity to learn about environmental lessons (aesthetic, scientific, economic, etc.), and contribute to reduce non-biodegradable waste as keeping used PET bottles to refill water or being careful every step while entering the primeval world. Let’s explore it with Exotic Vietnam!

From the war relics scattered in the legendary War zone D, lots of small islands that still keep their pristine features on Lake Tri An, to the wonders of the natural world hidden in the nature reserve, etc. Dong Nai cultural and nature reserve offers you a completely new experience, through a sightseeing trip as well as an exciting team building program. Photo: Exotic Vietnam

Dong Nai Culture and Nature Reserve

Along with Cat Tien National Park, Dong Nai Culture and Nature Reserve is a vast set that covers three fifths of the area of ​​the Dong Biosphere Reserve recognized by UNESCO in 2011. This interesting spot is 74km away from Ho Chi Minh City.

Covering an area of ​​100,304 ha, the reserve, known locally as Ma Da forest, has outstanding values ​​such as the biodiversity of tropical rainforests, spectacular natural landscapes, many historical sites, and distinct cultures of 13 ethnic minorities who have lived here. With the presence of 1,401 species of plants, the ecosystem of the reserve includes many forest types: evergreen broadleaf, semi-deciduous broadleaf, deciduous broadleaf and bamboo. It is home to 1,729 species of animals, including globally threatened species such as elephant, leopard, sun bear, gaur, etc. Due to its strategic location and protected by thick forest, from 1946 to 1975 this forest was called War Zone D, where the headquarters of the resistance forces against the French and Americans (COSVN – Central Office for South Viet Nam) were secretly stationed.

Travel through the reserve is done for visitor enjoyment including biking, hiking, camping and staying the night in forest ranger station, participating in historic tours of famous war relics in all its glory. You can enjoy fishing, boating and swimming in Lake Tri An or visiting to organic farms to get insight to daily rural life of the locals. It is also a fantastic outing venue for many types of team building activities.

Apart from the splashing in laughter, Suoi Mo Park is also impressive with surrounding lovely waterfalls that sparkle with sunlight all day. Choose your own way to feel peaceful or relax with crystal clear waters, breezy winds and verdant backgrounds. Photo: Exotic Vietnam

Suoi Mo Park

Nestled close to Cat Tien National Park, Suoi Mo Park is 125km from Ho Chi Minh City. It’s easy to know why the area got its name – it really does look like a place lifted out of a fairy tale, Suoi Mo means a spring of mythical dreams.

Covering an area of ​​30ha, the park is a blend of manicured lawns, colorful flower beds that bloom all year round, and abundant groundwater resources from crevices within the basalt formations. If you are bored of crowded beaches, but still want to immerse into the beauty of the waters, here is the nice option. With a system of small dams and natural swamps, nature and humans have created a great water body of 15ha, taking up half of the entire park area.

The adult swimming pool on an area of ​​1,500 sq.m is surrounded by lush canopy trees and small sparkling multi-tiered waterfalls. This is a romantic space to fully capture breathtaking views while soaking in the cool and refreshing water, even with many schools of fish wandering around and nibbling at your feet. There is also a specially designed children’s swimming pool on an area of ​​2,000 sq.m, with colorful slides so that children can comfortably enjoy their own space.

In the water or out, you’ll be spoiled for choice with options such as frocking, swimming, camping, trekking through a national park, exploring a lava tube cave, or just in need of a new playground to take part in team building activity. Find your great way to experience what Suoi Mo Park has to offer. The park is open for visitors all year and generally very busy during the weekends.

You can enjoy water sports, camping, and team building events held around the islands. The entire area has a resort-like feel, which makes it a great place to visit with family. Photo: Exotic Vietnam

Dao O – Dong Truong Islands

70km from Ho Chi Minh City, O Island or “Buzzard Island” because this used to be the home of this bird species. Surrounded by the immense water of Tri An hydroelectric reservoir, O Island – Dong Truong are two small islands about 30 minutes by boat from the pier. This area has an area of ​​24ha, mostly covered with trees, lots of grass and flowers and a 300-meter-long pontoon bridge connecting the two islands. With fresh, green air, refreshing water and many services such as accommodation, dining, swimming pool, etc., this is an attractive place to attract tourists to rest, entertain, and participate in team building activities.

Wandering around the ancient pagodas will make you feel like you have stepped back in time. Besides experiencing other popular things to do include frocking on pool, boating on lake, sightseeing the orchids, camping overnight, etc. Photo: Internet

Buu Long Park

Located just 30km from Ho Chi Minh City, dubbed by the locals “miniature Ha Long Bay”, Buu Long Park is famous for the image of small islands rising on the calm water of Lake Long An (Hidden Dragon), which is an ideal place to escape the harsh sun of Saigon.

Originally a dense mountainous area, many monks came here to practice and build pagodas. Now you can see the ancient Buu Phong pagoda on Binh Dien mountain built in 1676, which still keeps many valuable ancient artifacts.

Due to the need to develop Saigon, the South government used to mine open-pit quarries here to make roads and build houses. This mining was stopped in the late 1980s. The mining mountain part is concave to become a lake, the unexploited rocks become small islands. The old quarry has become a giant rockery, the deepest place is about 20m, on an area of ​​​​nearly 20ha.

Buu Long Park covers an area of ​​84 ha, including natural landscapes as mountains, lakes, caves, architectural values ​​as pagodas, temples, … and many green patches of forests and grass. Tan Trieu pomelo village and Buu Long stone carving village with a centuries-old history are also interesting points near the park.

This is a wonderful team building destination with a spacious, green, refreshing, and very close to Ho Chi Minh City.