Jungle Beach

Jungle Beach is 50ks north of Nha Trang and about 10 ks from the turnoff on Highway 1. I went there sometime ago, in January, during my research trip for Travelfish. Although I didn't stay there overnight, my visit gave me a taste of what a guest could expect...that is, a lot of quiet time. The place is run by Sylvio, a Canadian with a Vietnamese wife, they started JB in 2001. He told me that when he found the spot it was by boat as there was no road. The natural beauty is amazing. Totally secluded, altogether peaceful and utterly serene. To stay here costs 300,000 dong and that's including all your meals. Accommodation is, err, basic. Various options exist -- this sleeping area is literally on the beach. Roll down the blinds for some privacy, get the mosquito net set up and then drift off to the sound of the ocean frothing and foaming.

Days or weeks of doing absolutely nothing apart from swimming and napping. Living in sandals and shorts without a care in the world. Spending long evenings with nothing to think about except how damn lucky you are to be able to spend long evenings thinking about nothing. This is the kind of place it can happen, one of many dotted around the SE Asia circuit.

All of JB is set in a garden setting, with lush tropical plants sprouting up over hammocks spread throughout the mazy walkways.

And the beach looks something like this:

Aside from this, the wildlife is another amazing part of the area around Jungle Beach. Sylvio lists a number of creatures..Pigmy Loris, White Belly SEA Eagle, Malay Eagle, Serpent Stripe Eagle, Mouse Deer, Spotted Deer, Flying Squirrel, King Cobra, Python and Stick Bug. Most amazingly of all however are the monkeys.....Sylvio explains all:

We have seen the primates off and on from the beginning not knowing what we were looking at...Our 1st encouter was when I went up the hill taking a Aussie dude along, who was trailing behind me quite a ways... being so used to being in the forest / mountain, I managed to get under a tree where at leat 2 dozen were sleeping, this guy comes noisily around the bend, wakes them up and they take off in a fury, scaring the shit out of me...but what a trip to look up and see these critters, or should I say monsters of the trees taking off... This was summer 2002.

Since then we have had many guests who have seen them from close and far...but it was Jan. 13, 2006 when Shane, from Campbell river BC, Canada that we got our 1st set of very nice pictures, these were e-mailed all over the place; CucPhuong primate center north VietNam, CatBa island primate center, HaLong bay VietNam, San Diego State University...'

'Then on March 15, 2006, the folks from CucPhuong Primate center, came here and we went out trekking looking for stools to get a DNA analysis done, soto get an actual what is what about them...

Here we have it, a DISTINC GROUPING of Black Shank Douc Langurs, [ Dr.Christian Roos, Primate Genetics, German primate center, Gottingen Germany] and it solves a query going over 10 years about 2 langurs confiscated in HCMC, that folks had no idea where they had come from as they were different DNA grouping from all other Black Shank Douc Langurs found in SEA.'

Here are some pictures of the Langurs courtesy of JB.

You can find more information about the Langurs at the website of the 'Endangered Primate Rescue Center' in Cuc Phuong National Park here.