A blog written by Vietnam tourism experts—a lecturer from a tourism college in Vietnam—providing useful information about Vietnam travel, including Vietnam destinations, Vietnam visas, Vietnam hotels, Vietnam food, Vietnam flights, etc.
The district of Sapa in the northwest province of Lao Cai, one of the top tourism destinations in Vietnam, is expected to welcome about 50,000-70,000 visitors in the upcoming six-day vacation which starts from April 28.
In order to support travellers, the locality is rushing to prepare for the influx of tourists.
Accordingly, the municipal Youth Union has provided tour guide training courses for about 250 union members aiming to provide information and instructions to tourists.
The district plans to open three information booths and hotlines in 35 public locations.
Moreover, municipal authorities have asked 350 hotels, restaurants and bars in the locality to commit to not raise their prices on the occasion.
There are nearly 200 hotels with 5,000 rooms and more than 100 homestays in Sapa, according to the municipal Cultural and Information Office.
Dak Lak Museum of Ethnology is a place that should not be missed if you visit the Central Highlands.
This museum preserves and presents the culture quintessence of ethnic minorities in the Central Highlands. It has more than 10,000 objects and receives about 100,000 visitors a year, one third of whom are foreigners.
Dak Lak Museum of Ethnology is located in the center of Buon Ma Thuot city. It was built on the grounds of the former residence of King Bao Dai, the last emperor of Vietnam, nearly 100 years ago.
The main building of the museum has a simple architectural style but reflects the cultural identity of the Central Highlands.
Surrounded by a shady garden, the museum looks like a Rong- a communal stilt house- or the long traditional house of the Ede. From afar, it looks like the traditional house of the M'Nong.
Formerly called the "Dak Lak traditional house", it was officially renamed "Dak Lak Museum of Ethnology" in 1990 and renovated in 2008.
It has three main sections featuring three different themes: the revolutionary traditions, natural features, and cultural characteristics of the ethnic minorities of the Central Highlands.
The cultural space displays 520 objects representing cultural peculiarities of ethnic minorities like the Ede, M'Nong and Jarai. Installations and audiovisual gears introduce customs, festivals, and daily activities of local ethnic groups.
Nguyen Trong Hieu, a tourist from Hanoi said “This museum presents the culture of the Central Highlands. Visiting this museum, help me understand the life and culture of local ethnic minorities”
The museum has attracted many researchers and students who are passionate about the culture of Tay Nguyen.
Nguyen Thi Nguyet, a teacher at Luong The Vinh college in Buon Ma Thuot, said she often brings her students to the museum.
The museum provides the students with useful knowledge about the history and culture of Dak Lak and Tay Nguyen, she added.
Every weekend, the museum invites artisans to show visitors the various traditional crafts of Tay Nguyen or reproduce traditional festivals of an ethnic group.
Luong Thanh Son, Director of the museum, said “Each object and each document in the museum tells a story, not just about the past but one that also reveals the future. By organizing these activities, we want to help local people preserve and promote their traditional occupations.”
The museum has contributed to educating the younger generation and promoting cultural and historical values of their ancestors. The museum now has 10 books recording visitors’ impressions on the museum and its heritages.
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Located in Bai Tu Long Bay in the northeastern province of Quang Ninh, Ba Mun Island is one of the largest and most beautiful clusters of isles with the greatest abundance of flora in Bai Tu Long National Park.
It is also an extremely interesting destination for those who love adventure and nature. It takes only 45 minutes on a high-speed boat from Cai Rong wharf in Van Don district to Ba Mun Island. The first impression tourists have when arriving at the island is pristine natural landscape with green forests embraced entirely by blue sea.
The east of the island (known locally as the “exterior”) is pummeled by strong waves with water spray launching tens of metres high, while the west (the “interior”) features tranquil scenery and calm water that ripples against the side of boats. Ba Mun covers an area of about 1,800 hectares with diverse flora and fauna including rare and valuable species. The most prominent plants are Tram Do (Syzygium zeylanicum), as well as Lim (Erythrophleum fordii), Sen (Madhuca pasquieri) and Tau (Vatica fleuryana Tardieu).
There are diverse rare flora species in Ba Mun forest
It is notable that the Lan hai orchid (Cypripedioideae), which was mistakenly thought to be extinct a few years ago, still exists here. At present, this orchid species is found only in Lao Cai and Ba Mun. Ba Mun has several rare species of animals, including the golden deer, which is still quite populous and the only population in northeast Vietnam. Golden deer often search for food at night. Therefore, it is hard to spot them during the day but visitors can see their footprints.
There are a lot of other species of animals such as antelope, monkeys, langurs and more, as well as sea and migratory birds. With its diverse fauna, Ba Mun Island is the largest wild animal reserve in the southeast region. For this reason, locals often call it “ Animal Island”.
On Ba Mun Island, there are seven large streams with unique names such as O Lon To (big pigsty) and O Lon Con (small pigsty), as well as Mieu Danh, Van Lau, Cao Lo streams, and Che flume. The water runs all year round and is very clean thanks to large coverage of the forest. This is a valuable source of fresh water amidst the vast sea.
Travelling to Ba Mun, tourists can explore on their own, following some natural trails on the island or patrol routes serving forest management. It takes at least 3 days to complete a tour of Ba Mun Island and 5 hours if going around the island by motorboat. The island has a wildlife rescue centre belonging to the Bai Tu Long National Park. Tourists can contact the centre in case they need any support. Contact us atwood46875@gmail.comif you need any support about Vietnam travel or getting any further information about Vietnam tourism.
Most travelers to
Vietnam are attracted by the country’s wonderful natural beauty: From the green
rice fields in the north to the fascinating bustle of the Mekong Delta in the
south. Vietnam however is also a country with a long history and ancient traditions.
It has many historic attractions and old temples. An overview of the most
amazing tourist attractions in Vietnam.
10. Nha Trang
Nha Trang is Vietnam’s most popular
seaside resort town located along the second most beautiful bays in the
country. It features beautiful beaches with fine and clean sand and clear ocean
water with mild temperatures. The city has about 300,000 inhabitants and is
more lively and urban in character than other beach destinations like Mui Ne
and Phu Quoc. It’s also the scuba diving center of Vietnam.
09. Cu
Chi Tunnels
The Cu Chi Tunnels are an
immense network of connecting underground tunnels located about 40 km northwest
of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The tunnels were used by Viet Cong guerrillas as
hiding spots during the Vietnam War, and were the base of operations for the
Tết Offensive in 1968. The tunnels have become a popular tourist attraction,
and visitors are invited to crawl around in the safer parts of the tunnel
system.
08.
Mekong River (Mekong Delta)
The Mekong Delta is the region
in southern Vietnam where the Mekong River approaches and empties into the sea.
It is a very rich and lush area, covered with rice fields, that produces about
half of the total of Vietnam’s agricultural output. Subsequently, life in the
Mekong Delta revolves much around the river, and all the villages are often
accessible by river rather than by road.
07. Mui
Ne
The formerly little-inhabited
beach south of the fishing village of Mui Ne has seen some serious development
in the last 15 years. Due to strong sea breezes it is a popular destination in
Vietnam for kite- and windsurfing. No trip to Mui Ne is complete without a trip
to the famous sand dunes located a short distance north of the town. The vast
sandy expanse provide some great panoramic views especially during sunset.
06. Sa
Pa Terraces
Sa Pa is a town in northwest
Vietnam not far from the Chinese border. Rice terraces can be found in the
Muong Hoa valley between Sa Pa town and the Fansipan Mountain, on a backdrop of
thick bamboo woodlands. Local mountain people, the Hmong, Giay, Dao, Tay, and
Giay, grow rice and corn on these paddy terraces, along with vegetables.
05. Phu
Quoc
Located in front of the
Cambodia coast, Phu Quoc is the largest island in Vietnam. Phu Quoc is what
Phuket would be if it hadn’t been overrun by development. The island features
pristine tropical forests, undamaged coral reefs and great beaches. One of its
beaches, named Bai Dai (Long Beach), was chosen by the ABC News as one of five
beautiful and clean beaches. Phu Quoc is famous for producing the best nuoc mam
or fermented fish sauce in the world.
04. Hoi An
This
fishing-village-turned-tourist-attraction is situated on the coast of the South
China Sea. Hoi An has been an international port from the 16th century although
the serious shipping business has long since moved to the city of Da Nang. The
heart of the city is still the Old Town, full of winding lanes and
Chinese-styled shops. It is sometimes called the “Venice of Vietnam” because of
the narrow canals that cut through part of the town.
03. Hoan
Kiem Lake (Hanoi)
Located in the historical
center of Hanoi, Hoan Kiem Lake is one of the major scenic spots in the city
and serves as the locals’ favorite leisure spot. Hoan Kiem means “returned
sword”, and the name comes from a legend in which King Le Loi was given a
magical sword by the gods, which he used to drive out the invading Chinese.
Later he returned the sword to the Golden Turtle God in the lake.
02.
Thien Mu Pagoda (Hue)
With seven stories, the Thien
Mu Pagoda in Hue is the tallest pagoda in Vietnam. The pagoda overlooks the
Perfume River and is regarded as the unofficial symbol of the former imperial
capital. The temple was built in 1601 during the rule of the Nguyễn Lords. The
initial temple was very simply constructed, but over time it was redeveloped
and expanded with more intricate features.
01. Ha Long Bay
Ha Long Bay is situated in
north Vietnam round a 120 kilometer long coast line and is literally translated
as “Bay of Descending Dragons”. The top tourist attraction in Vietnam, Ha
Long Bay features thousands of islands, each topped with thick jungle
vegetation, forming a spectacular seascape of limestone pillars. Several of the
islands are hollow, with enormous caves, others islands include lakes and some
support floating villages of fishermen.
More Vietnam tourist attractions and travel information can be
found in the Explore Vietnam page.
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Established in Hanoi in 1997, the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology has served
as a research centre and a public museum with a mission to collect, document,
preserve and exhibit the cultural heritage of Vietnam ’s 54 ethnic groups.
The
museum is preserving over 29,000 exhibits, including around 25,000 on Vietnamese
ethnic communities that reflect every aspect of their tangible and intangible
culture, fuelling national solidarity and pride, while raising awareness of
equality between ethnic groups.
In addition to housing indoor and outdoor exhibitions, the museum will be the
first of its kind in Vietnam
to introduce culture from across Southeast Asia
via a large display and performance space, which is currently under
construction.
The museum has welcomed over 3.2 million domestic and foreign tourists thanks to
the variety of activities it offers, such as cultural heritage preservation and
traditional folk music performances.
People visit not only for entertainment but also to study the history and
multicultural identities of each ethnic group.
The museum was cited among the most attractive tourist destinations in Hanoi for 2012 by the
TripAdvisor.com tourism website.
This year, the museum was ranked sixth in the list of 25 most attractive
museums in Asia .
Since its establishment, the museum has been a highlight of Vietnam ’s
museum system and a prestigious cultural destination for visitors.
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Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park lies in Quang Binh Province -
the central Vietnam. Covering an area of about 200,000 hectares, Phong Nha – Ke
Bang situated in Quang Ninh, Bo Trach, Tuyen Hoa and Minh Hoa districts, is
50km northwest of Dong Hoi City.
Phong
Nha - Ke Bang can be compared to a huge geological museum thanks to its
complicated geological structure with different categories of stone including
sandstone, quartz, schist, siliceous limestone, granite, granodiorite, diorite,
applet, pegmatite, etc. Phong Nha-Ke Bang is the oldest and largest tropical
karst formed 400 million years during the main geological periods of the Earth,
bearing the original topographic and geologic characteristics. Experiencing
major tectonic phases, high mountain ranges and the depressed sedimentary
basins were formed. These fluctuations have also contributed to the diversity
of geology, topography, geomorphology.
Phong
Nha - Ke Bang karst mountains can provide a lot of valuable information about
the Earth's prolonged geological process through various periods, from the
Ordovician Age - Silurian Age (about 463.9 - 430 million year ago) to
the Quaternary Age (1.75 million years ago). It is also noteworthy to
mention a geological characteristic – the system of underground rivers and
grottos in limestone mountains.
In the
non-karst geomorphologic area, there are many low mountains covered by a
floristic carpet. The erosion has created a number of abrasion-accumulation
terraces along the valleys of the Son and Chay rivers and at the margins of the
central limestone massifs. The transition terrain consists of a diversity of
rock intercalated by limestone mountains.
Besides
the historical value of geology, topography, geomorphology, Phong Nha - Ke Bang
is also favoured with the mysterious and majestic landscapes by nature. The
Phong Nha–Ke Bang Natural Park still hides various myths of nature. It also has
spectacular karst caves formed for hundreds of millions of years.
Locating
in the area with a high average rainfall, however, few rivers and streams can
be seen because water is absorbed to run inside limestone mountains. Therefore
over tens of million years, water has eroded rocks, creating numerous caves in
the area. Phong Nha-Ke Bang area is noted for its cave and grotto systems as it
is composed of 300 caves and grottos, divided into three main systems: Phong
Nha Grottos, Vom Caves, and Ruc Mon Caves.
The Phong Nha grotto system is over 57km long in total, rising
from south of Ke Bang Limestone Mountain. The main entrances are Khe Ry and En
Grottoes situated at a height of 300m above sea level. The grottoes of this
tree-branch system run in the direction of northeast-southwest.
The
system of Vom caves is over 35km long, rising from Ruc Ca Roong Cave located at
a height of 360m above sea level and ending with Vom Cave. The system runs
south and north. Ruc Ca Roong River sometimes hides in mountains, sometimes
appears in narrow and deep valleys, and flows into the Chay River at the
entrance of Vom Cave.
The
system of Ruc Mon caves that lies in the district of Minh Hoa is also a large
cave. However, the information about this system is not abundant because few
surveys have been conducted in this area so far.
Some
typical caves and grottoes in Phong Nha - Ke Bang are Phong Nha, Tien Son and
Thien Duong grottoes, Toi, En and Khe Ry caves. Especially, Son Doong Cave is
considered as the largest cave in the world with 200m in height, 200m in width,
at least 8.5km in length.
With its
characteristics of topography, climate, soil and hydrography, Phong Nha - Ke
Bang boasts a rich, diversified and unique flora. Investigations show that
Phong Nha - Ke Bang has a large tropical forest floor. It covers 96.2 percent
of the natural area, of which nearly 90 percent is covered by primeval forests.
The diversity of rare and precious species of animals and plants in Phong Nha -
Ke Bang is corollary of its natural conditions, and is a feature of the forest
ecosystem.
Statistics
show that the flora of Phong Nha - Ke Bang belongs to 152 families, 511
branches, and 876 species, including 38 listed in Vietnam’s Red Book, 25 in
IUCN’s Red Book (International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural
Resources) and 13 endemic species.
A very
important discovery in this national park is three rare and precious species –
Sao la, Mang lon and Mang Truong Son - were founded in this area. Especially,
Sao la and Mang lon are new species discovered in the world. Of the 81 recorded
reptile and amphibian species, 18 are listed in Vietnam’s Red Book and 6 in the
IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals. In addition, there are 259 butterfly
species, 162 fish species including 4 endemic ones in Quang Binh only and
one first found in Vietnam; 302 bird species including 15 species listed in
Vietnam’s Red Book and 19 in IUCN Red Book. Particularly, black-comb blue
pheasants (ga loi lam mau den), white-tail blue pheasants (ga loi lam duoi
trang) and peacocks are the global-level endangered species. Phong Nha - Ke
Bang is considered a huge biological museum in Vietnam.
With its
vivid evidences of geological and geomorphologic values, Phong Nha – Ke
Bang has been declared a world natural heritage by UNESCO at the 27thmeeting in Paris in July 2003.
ATTRACTIONS:
Some typical caves:
- Phong Nha
Grotto
-Toi (Dark) Cave
- Tien Son
Grotto - En (Swallow) Cave
- Son Doong Cave
- Thien Duong (Paradise) Grotto
USEFUL INFORMATION:
Opening time:from 07:00 to 17:00 on weekdays.
Ticket price:
+ Tour of Phong Nha - Tien Son grottos
- Sightseeing
tickets:
Phong Nha Grotto:
- Adults: VND80,000
- Children (from 7 to 15 years old): VND40,000
Tien Son Grotto:
- Adults: VND40,000
- Children (from 7 to 15 years old): VND20,000
- Boat renting price: Visiting Phong
Nha, Tien Son grottos (each boat carrying 01 to 14 people, including children):
Cat Ba islands is located in Hai Phong city. It is about 10 km
South East of Halong bay. Cat Ba incuded Cat Ba islands and Lan Ha bay where
many tourists love to come to trek in to Cat Ba national park or take a cruise
to visit Lan Ha bay islets and beaches and floating villages
Cat Ba Islands is in the South
of Halong bay world heritage. It consists of 367 islands, off the coast of Hai
Phong city and Quang Ninh province, it is far from the center of Hai Phong city
about 30 km, from the city of Ha Long about 25 km. Administratively, it is the
islands of Cat Hai district, Hai Phong city. It has been recognized as the
World Biosphere Reserve.
Cat Ba is the place between the forest and the sea blend , creating a one of a
kind landscapes . Come to this beautiful island , visitors are not only bathed
in cool blue beaches , but also can discover mysterious nature through
primitive forests on the island . Cat Ba National Park is extensive 15,200 ha
of tropical forests with system wide 570 ha rich flora and fauna , the species
is characteristic white head and Kim Giao trees .
Cat Ba Island is the giant green carpet contains many mysterious and attractive
. Worthy of the Cat Ba Biosphere Reserve 3rd Vietnam , is now recognized as a
UNESCO biosphere reserve in the world. The total area of the Cat Ba Biosphere Reserve 26,000 ha
wide , with 2 core zone ( strict conservation and human impacts ) , 2 buffer (
allowing economic growth combined with limited but conservation ) and two
transition zones ( economic development ) . Zone Cat Ba Biosphere Reserve is
the full convergence on the tropical rain forest of limestone islands ,
mangroves , coral reefs , grass beds and especially the cave system . Cat Ba
Cai Beo there remains the Halong culture , the way people have lived here 6475
- 4200 year .
With charm bestowed by nature , biological diversity and the tremendous value
of the nation's history , Cat Ba has been and will be an attractive destination
for domestic and foreign tourists
Over
view:
Cat Ba is the largest island
in the Bay and approximately half of its area is covered by a National Park,
which is home to the highly endangered Cat Ba Langur. The island has a wide
variety of natural ecosystems, both marine and terrestrial, leading to
incredibly high rates of biodiversity. Types of natural habitats found on Cat
Ba Archipelago include limestone karsts, tropical limestone forests, coral
reefs, mangrove and sea grass beds, lagoons, beaches, caves, and willow swamp
forests. Cat Ba Island is one of the only populated islands in Ha Long Bay,
with roughly 13,000 inhabitants living in six different communes, and 4,000
more inhabitants living on floating fishing villages off the coast. The large
majority of the population can be found in Cat Ba Town which is located at the
southern tip of the Island (15 km south of the national park) and is the
commercial center on the Island. Since 1997, Cat Ba Town has grown rapidly and
has become a tourist hub for both the Island and greater Ha Long Bay.
History
of Cat Ba Island:
Archeological evidence
suggests that people have lived on Cat Ba Island for almost 6,000 years, with
the earliest settlements being found on the southeastern tip of the Island
close to the area where Ban Beo harbor sits today. In 1938, a group of French
archeologists discovered human remains belonging "to the Cai Beo people of
the Ha Long culture, which lived between 4,000 and 6,500 years ago… considered
to be perhaps the first population group occupying the North-Eastern
territorial waters of Vietnam… the Cai Beo people may be an intermediary link
between the population strata at the end of the Neolithic Age, some 4,000 years
ago". In more recent history, Cat Ba Island was inhabited mostly by
Viet-Chinese fisherman and was largely influenced by both the French and
American wars. The Island was a strategic look-out point and bombing during the
wars often forced local residents to hide among the Island's many caves. Today,
the best reminders of the two wars have been turned into tourist attractions.
Hospital Cave, which was a secret, bomb-proof hospital during the American War
and as a safe house for VC leaders. This three-story feat of engineering was in
use until 1975 is only 10 km north of Cat Ba Town. The second attraction, the
newly built Cannon Fort, sits on a peak 177 meters high, offering visitors a
chance to see old bunkers and helicopter landing stations as well stunning
views Cat Ba Island, its coast, and the limestone karsts in Lan Ha Bay
offshore.
Cat Ba
national park:
At the heart of Cat Ba Island
lies a visually stunning and ecologically diverse national park. In 1986, 9,800
[98 km²] hectares (approximately one third of the Island's total land mass) was
annexed as Cat Ba National Park, the first decreed protected area in Vietnam to
include a marine component (Dawkins 14). It had previously been the site of a
timber company. In 2006, the boundaries of the national park were redefined, so
the park contained 109 km² of land area and an additional 52 km² of inshore
waters and mangrove covered tidal zones (langur website). The park is staffed
by 92 people, including over 60 park rangers. In 2004, Cat Ba Archipelago was
declared a UNESCO Man and Biosphere Reserve Area in order to protect the
multiple terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems as well the diverse plant and
animal life that is found on the Island. The UNESCO designation divides the
archipelago into three distinct areas, each with certain functions and
restrictions that regulates development and conservation measures on the Island
Cat Co
Beach, Cat Ba Island
The white-sand Cat Co beaches
(simply called Cat Co 1 and Cat Co 2 and 3 ) make a great place to lounge
around for the day. They are about 1 km southeast from Cat Ba town over a steep
headland; and can be reached on foot or by motorbike or taxi. The two beaches
are separated by a small hillock that can be climbed over in about 20 minutes.
Most; however; take the easier route along a new; 700m; wooden seaside walkway
around the mountain. Cat Co 2 is the less busy and more attractive of the two;
and also offers simple accommodation and camping. On weekends the beaches fill
up with Vietnamese tourists. The main beaches; apart from those at Cat Ba town
itself; are Cai Vieng; Hong Xoai Be and Hong Xoai Lon.
Monkey
Island ( Cat Dua island)
Monkey Island stay in the area
of Nam Cat, Lan Ha bay. There are 5 sandy beach here and Monkey Island beach is
the most beautiful and the biggest one. From Cat Ba town, you have to take a
taxi or motobike to Beo harbour where you go by boat to Monkey Island. It takes
you about 15 minutes, throught the floating village and many beautiful islets
with sea birds flying in group up and down.
In the past, this island was
called Cat Dua island ( Pine Apple Sand Beach island) because there is a lot of
pine apple trees on the sandy beach. In recent years, there are many tourists
come and they found many monkeys on the island then this is called Monkey
Island beside the name Cat Dua.
Monkey island is about 5 km
round with the front side are 2 sandy beaches and the back side is like rocky
mountain. The beaches here are very beautiful with pine apple trees on the
beach and many kind of green trees on the mountain.
There are about 20 monkeys on
the island. They live on the mountain, in the garden and some time go to the
beach for foods given by the tourist. Coming here, you also can enjoy the song
of the birds in the garden or see many fishes swimming in the clean water.
Monkey Island is an ideal
place for tourist holiday with many activities like play football, volley ball
on beach, swimming, snockeling or go fishing. Especially, you can do kayaking
around as the water here is calm like in a lake with hundreds of islets around.
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Trinh Nu Cave or Virgin Cave is situated on the island range
of Bô Hon in the system comprising the Sung Sôt Grotto, Dong Tiên Lake and Luon
Grotto. It is 15 km south of Bai Cháy Beach. For fishermen, the Virgin Grotto
is their house, but for young lovers, it is considered as the symbol of truly
love, and is the romantic place for taking oath of love.
Entering Trinh Nu Grotto, one finds in the middle of the grotto
a stone statue of a lying-girl with her long hair hanging down who is looking
to the sea in a vain hope.
Situated opposite to Trinh Nu Grotto, Trong (or Male) Grotto has a stone statue
of a boy who turns his face to Trinh Nu Grotto. One still hears his vain scream
in tune with the wind blowing into the cliff somewhere.
Legend has it, there once was a beautiful fisherman’s daughter, whose family
was so poor that it was in the service of the rich administrator of the fishing
zone. He forced the family to give him the girl as a concubine. She already had
a lover who at that time was on the high seas catching fish to prepare for
their wedding. The administrator, angered by her refusal, exiled her to a wild
island where she suffered from hunger and exhaustion. On one frightening night,
amidst terrible rain and winds, she turned to stone.
It was also the night that her lover knew of her danger, and he rowed his boat
in search of her. On the terrible night, the tempest destroyed his boat and he
floated to one of the islands. In a lighting flash he saw his mate in the
distance, but his calls were driven away by the wind. He used a stone block to
hammer down on the mountain cliffs to announce to her he was nearby. He struck
until blood flowed from his hands, and in his final exhaustion, turned to stone
(today’s Trong Grotto). Tourists also find Trinh Nu Grotto attractive partly because of its association
with a fanciful love legend: “Once upon a time, there lived a boy and a girl
who deeply loved each other. However, they were so poor that they could not be
able to get married. The boy decided to go offshore fishing with a hope that he
could get enough money for his marriage. And the girl painfully waited in vain
for her fiancé. She finally took a small boat and rowed to the sea to look for
him. So immense is the sea, and so many are the islands, the boy, therefore
could not hear her doleful call, though he was just several canals away.
Exhausted, the girl lied in a grotto, looking to the sea and got petrified
after the last call. The boy got lost in a grotto nearby, shouting to call the
girl in vain. The echo of their call through the cliff was so moving. At last,
the boy became exhausted and petrified in the grotto – present-day Trông Grotto.” Today, whenever passing this place, tourists can still hear his faint call.
Ba Vi National Park is
one of Vietnam’s
most famous areas of outstanding natural beauty, and is centered around a
three-peaked mountain jutting steeply out of the landscape.
Come to Ba Vi national
park
BaViNational Park is centered onMount
Ba Vi- an
isolated soil-limestone mountain situated about 50 km west from Hanoi. The mountain
located inHanoi cityand shared the border with 2 districts
ofHoa Binh Province. MountBa Vi has three peaks: the highest is EmperorPeak at 1,296m, followed by Tan Vien at
1,226m and Ngoc Hoa at 1,131m.
The national park
offers a great escape from the city with cool fresh mountain air in a mystical
atmospheric backdrop of clouds, jungle and tropical rainforest. There is also a
spa resort nestled at the foot of the mountain offering a host of natural
therapies in an absolutely stunning setting.
The three mountain
summits are Dinh Vua which is the highest at 1,296m, Tan Vien which is 1,226m
and Ngoc Hoa the smallest at 1,131m. Together they form a three humped crest
which is often obscured by clouds at the highest point due to the varied
climate at the park. Pilgrims and tourists alike usually make the walk to the
summit of the Tan Vien peak where an 11th sacred century shrine stands in memory
of the Mountain God.
There are also superb
tropical forest views and vistas all the way to Hanoi to be enjoyed from this peak. The
fast-flowing Da River is located on one side of the national park; there are
also several streams running through the park.
In the middle of
mountainside, there are many waterfalls flowing down every day and it forms the
attractive places such as Khoang Xanh, Ao Vua, Thac Nga, suoi Ngoc…
Ba Vi National Park has 1,209 species of plants, including 21 rare plant
species listed in the Vietnam Red Book as Bach xanh, Sen mat, Phi ba
mui, De tung soc trang, Hoa tien, Rau hum, Kim tuyen…The animal including 63
species of mammals, with many rare species such as: Cay gam, Cu li lon, white
pheasants.. In addition to the legend, Nui Ba Vi is the incarnation of the Tan Vien Son
Tinh Holy ,. To remember the merits of him, people set up the temple to worship
him at the top of Tan Vien, or called Den Thuong. Den Thuong was ranked
historic national culture in February, 2008. In addition to the historical
value, visitors will have the opportunity to learn more about the culture of
Van Lang born 18th Hung King and a deeper feeling of love between Son Tinh and
Ngoc Hoa Princess.
Ba Vi national
park is a primary park with thousands of great and old trees. This primary park
is located in the height of above 600 kilometers. This area has kept hundreds
of vestiges for more than a century since the French colonist came there. Ba Vi
also has a village
of Dao people who are one
of the minorities in the south. When you get there, it will bring you knowledge
about Dao People’s lifestyle and a chance to taste the very delicious dish of
bamboo shoot.
Come to Ba Vi country
farm
Ba Vi country farm is
located 65 km centre from Hanoi
on a small hill and lean against Ba Vi mountain range. The country farm is on
the west suburb of Hanoi
capital which has a very nice and diverse agricultural terrains (forest, lake,
pond, spring, lake) which are the symbols for the ancient wet rice cultivation
in The Red River Delta.
From the country
farm, tourists can gaze with low-ladder rice field and the back is the
stretched green of the primary forest
of Ba Vi mountain. Come
to Ba Vi country farm, tourists also visit cattle farms as well as agricultural
village with nice landscape and taste fresh and special foods in warm
atmosphere.
Tourists also have the
chance to directly take part in agricultural tourist activities like: growing
rice, catching fishes by bamboo tools as well as grow and gather forest vegetables
or herbs, roast tea and feed ostriches, goats and etc. Tourists also have the
chance to visit tea gardens, learn to make honey and take part in eurhythmy
exchanges or bamboo pole dances with art teams of Muong and Dao minorities who
live near the farm.
To server for the rest
of tourists, the country farm has full of space and facilities with modern
equipments as well as professional staff.
