Hong Kong newspaper suggests experiencing the Son Tra forest ‘hunting’ douc langurs

Visitors come to Da Nang often for many familiar reasons such as clear blue beaches, location near Hoi An ancient town, cuisine and vibrant nightlife. According to the newspaper’s writer Andrew Sun South China Morning Post, the natural experience activities here have not been properly evaluated. After trekking across the Son Tra peninsula and encountering red-shanked douc langurs, Andrew suggests that visitors should experience the journey to explore this pristine reserve when coming to the central coastal city.

During the trekking trip, Andrew went with his tour guide, Mr. Chu Duc Huy, a tour guide from Next Continent, a unit specializing in wildlife consulting and natural tourism in Vietnam. The tour guide said that the appropriate time to go to Son Tra peninsula is after the rainy season, after February. In April, about 4,000 species of butterflies appear.

Separated from the center of Da Nang city, the roads on Son Tra peninsula have sea views, giving visitors the opportunity to observe the rare red-shanked douc langur. The nature reserve is about 60 square kilometers wide, and a famous destination for tourists is the 67-meter-high Guan Yin Buddha statue at Linh Ung Pagoda, completed in 2010.

Son Tra does not have many hiking paths to protect the habitat of animals, including more than 100 species of birds, many species of butterflies, deer, snakes, wild monkeys and especially the red-shanked douc langur. The world currently has about 3,000 individuals of red-shanked douc langurs, 2,000 of which are living on the Son Tra peninsula. This attracts nature lovers to the reserve.

According to Andrew, the Monkey Mountain trekking journey on Son Tra peninsula requires good physical strength. The walking distance is about 10 km long on a common road with vehicles, leading to the 700 m high mountain peak. Andrew combines traveling by car on winding mountain passes and walking on forest trails. Along the trekking route, many distinctive orange salamanders appear sunbathing on the median strip.

Pen SCMP said that Son Tra peninsula retains its pristine features because it has not been over-exploited for tourism. Some trekking routes are temporarily closed due to landslides after major storms. Camping is currently not allowed to prevent the risk of bushfires.

The resort, located in the conservation area of ​​the Son Tra peninsula, also regularly organizes short guided trekking trips to introduce the flora and fauna on site. Around the campus, ancient banyan and fig trees are the main food source, attracting red-shanked douc langurs. The best time for visitors to observe this primate is early morning or late afternoon, when the weather is cool.

During the return trekking journey, Andrew’s group was “lucky enough to encounter” a family of douc langurs. On a tree branch, a dominant male langur is resting, while females and young langurs feed on higher branches. When the tour guide gave the signal, the whole group quietly approached the langurs, they almost did not pay attention to the presence of humans.

Unlike long-tailed macaques, which are often bold and seek food from visitors, red-shanked douc langurs are plant and fruit eaters. They are shy and only focus on eating leaves on high tree branches, and do not tend to approach to seek food from humans.

This species of langur often moves in herds consisting of a family. This group of langurs has several young males constantly moving branches from one tree to another. The large male sits still with the distinguishing features of a white beard, black hands, red legs and a long white tail. This color structure makes them classified by naturalists as one of the most morphologically special primates in the world.

To further explore the Son Tra ecosystem, visitors can choose walking routes through the forest that are suitable for their physical strength. The biggest challenge is the 8km long steep road connecting from Yet Kieu street straight to Ban Co peak. A gentler route is a 3 km long walking route leading to the heritage banyan tree that is more than 800 years old.