Tam Dao
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.
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