Vam Sat mangrove forest is a part of the ecosystem of Can Gio mangrove forest with an area of 1,862ha. It has an abundant and assorted system of animals and plants including typical species of salt-marsh zone. In the wars against French colonialist and U.S imperialist, Vam Sat was a famous waterway battlefield with many resounding victories. Just few years after the war, the people have gathered here and restored the forest by growing trees to protect Can Gio’s natural ecological conditions. Can Gio mangrove forest has quickly developed into a protective forest, a green lung of Vietnam’s largest city. From September 2000, Vam Sat ecological tourist zone has started operation and received several arrivals of domestic and foreign tourists who have come here for sightseeing and doing research. In July 2002, World Tourism Organization (WTO) recognized Vam Sat ecological tourist zone as one of two “WORLD’S SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT TOURIST SITES IN VIETNAM”. That very good evaluation about Vam Sat is an encouragement for all past investment efforts and at the same time a reminder for us to jointly protect even better ecological conditions of Can Gio mangrove forest, which has been recognized by UNESCO as the “WORLD’S BIOSPHERE RESERVE”. In December 2003, Vam Sat’s Bird Sanctuary and Bat Swamp (Dam Doi) have been approved by Ho Chi Minh City Peoples’s Committee to be the planned reserve of forest birds and animals in Can Gio protective forest so as to preserve and sustainably develop the salt-marsh ecosystem, the biosphere reserve and to create a place of sight-seeing, studying and education for city people and tourists locally and abroad.
Presently, under the attention and careful guidance of the Board of Management of Saigon Tourist Holding Company, the staff of Vam Sat ecotourist zone and Phu Tho Tourist Company – the organization in control has been doing its best to develop Vam Sat into an attractive ecotourist zone for domestic and foreign travelers.