Cao Bang is the charm in Northeast Vietnam

Cao Bang Province is a famous land for its natural beauties, which are wild and beautiful. This place has always been viewed as a special mark in the journeys of exploring the North East.

The beauty and road to Cao Bang

Cao Bang in the last days of the year, the cold weather of the northernmost land in this country does not diminish our passion for discovery with people are the tourists from southern warmth. Driving a car from Hanoi to Cao Bang, we have to go through about 300 kms of the roads, mountains and passes, which are up and down. Before our eyes, there is the opening of the scene very interesting. There are the rivers, which is clear and there is no trace of pollution. The terraces appear with a blue color. There is a mix of the farm improvements, which are the bright and yellow colors to withstand the cold.

Going to Cao Bang, everyone likes setting foot once at the Ban Gioc waterfall in the Dam Thuy commune, the Trung Khanh district. The sound of the waterfall rings vast to forest-mountains with a space filled with steam, which mattes to cover a large area. When rafting out of the Quay Son river, we see the blue-clear water. Watching the Ban Gioc waterfall is one of the pleasures of tourists, who come to this place, because this waterfall is ranked the nicest in Vietnam.

Ban Gioc Waterfall

Leaving the Ban Gioc waterfall about three kilometers, we came to Nguom Ngao. This is the name of a cave, which is located in the Gum village. It is also regarded as a wonder of the borderland region. Nguom Ngao made a big surprise to people, who are for the first time to set foot here, because the presence of a maze of the strange shapes, which are formed by stalagmites and stalactites.

The Tay ethnic girls inside Nguom Ngao Cave

Mentioning to Cao Bang, we cannot ignore the historical Pac Bo relic, which is familiar with names such as Coc Bo cave, Lenin Stream, the souvenir about Ho President. People who love the pristine beauty, want more to go to the Thang Hen lake. It has an altitude of 1000 meters based on the sea-surface’s landmark. The lake is surrounded by the vast forests and mountains.

Inside Coc Bo Cave

Cac Mac Mountain

Lenin Stream

Pac Bo Exhibition House

Cao Bang is the remotest provinces in the exploration of the North East with our group, which was organized by the consultant on Vietnam Airlines. Mr. Cong Nguyen, a tour guider of RDT said: The northeast tour is a new, unique and attracting the attention of visitors.
The northeast land will surely leave the unforgettable memories for guesses, who like the charm of the unspoiled natural beauty.

Discover Tam Coc (Three Caves) in Ninh Binh

Tam Coc is also called Xuyen Thuy Dong (meaning as the caves through water) is located in Ninh Hai Commune (in Hoa Lu District - Ninh Binh Province). A long time ago, this area is the sea; the surf over the centuries has worn cliffs to create the strange shapes. Tourists visit Tam Coc required at a single waterway. The time for visitors going in and out is about 3 hours. Here, it is common to use boats, which are rowed by hand with the low speed. And it's enough good for the visitors are immersed in the green of the rice fields spread along the sides of Ngo Dong River to the high mountains.

The water way to Tam Coc with the sides are the fields

The water-way to Tam Coc Cave

The Big Cave (the first cave) is the largest and also the most beautiful cave in Xuyen Thuy Dong (the cave system). It has a length is 127m and located under a big mountain, which is across other two mountains on both sides of Ngo Dong River. When the boats come into the cave, visitors will feel cool and very amazed at the range of stone falls... The boats will take visitors out of the cave and continue the journey across the water visited the second and third cave. It is nearly the same as in the first cave, but these two caves are short and lower. When the first boat comes here, and the water has been the oars brandishing, visitors look down the river, the water will reflect the images as the beautiful ice clouds. Guests have the feeling that there are only completely water and clouds in the cave.

The boat in the first cave

For tourists love adventure, they can lead the boats to continue moving on the river more than 2km to visit Fairy Stream. This stream has the clear water, which can be seen the shoals of fish are swimming in the moss layer at the bottom. According to legend, a very long time ago, there are many beautiful fairies usually swam in this place, so it is called Fairy Spring.

On the out-way, the boat will take travelers to Saint Ferry. Visitors must walk about 50m to reach Thien Huong Cave, which has a height is 60m. Behind this cave, there is a straight path up to top of the mountain. It is often referred to as the way to heaven. If visitors walk more 50m, this is Thai Vy Temple, which was built in the 13th century. This is the place to worship the Tran Thai Tong king (the first king of Tran Dynasty). Thai Vy Temple was built by an ancient architectural style. In front of the temples, there is a Gieng Ngoc (meaning is Pearl Well), which was built by the blue stones. Behind the temple, that is Cam Son Mountain with almost the stones. Thai Vy Temple is considered to be a human’s art with the integration with the masterpiece of nature.

Bich Dong Pagoda

After that, visitors leave the Dinh Cac ferry nearly three kilometers further, Bich Dong Pagoda will appear. This is one of the famous landmarks, which is known as "Nam Thien II". Bich Dong Pagoda is an ancient structure with the roof shape is curves. It is built on the high slopes and shapes based on the mountain. Guests will be guided to visit the dark cave, but it is very solemn and quiet. Nature has gone through many centuries to create a lot of stone statues. Far from Bich Dong Pagoda, that is Fairy Cave, which is beautiful and located on the side of a grandeur mountain. It continues to surprise for guests. There are the images as the mountains, caves and pagodas here have created a harmony; it makes the strange attraction to each visitor. Bich Dong is really a perfect and eternal beauty.

Mysterious Thien Long Cave in Hai Phong

Thien Long is located in Phu Long ward (Cat Hai district – Hai Phong City). Here is a popular tourist destination; and it gains popularity with many secrets. According to locals, without calculation with the scenery like the whereabouts of the fairy, this is a place to store the remains of the old, or used to be pirate refuge in ancient times...

There are many ways for tourists to go to Thien Long and begin the journey to explore. Besides, there are other forms of eco-tourism to areas such as the trough area, mangroves... From the inner city of Hai Phong, visitors arrive by train or road to the station or a ferry for barges named Cai Vieng to set foot on the Phu Long land. In a different way, travelers come there from Cat Ba town by car or bus back to Phu Long; the visitors go through about 30 to 45 minutes on the mountain distance is 30 kilometers. From here, if implementation is the tour, the visitors can be arranged cruise or rent a boat to sail through the canal with mangroves. There is the mountain on a side so that people can come by road and go through the journey of more than 10 minutes before walking to Thien Long Cave.

If anyone first comes here, that one will be surprised because there is a store is ahead and quite narrow, undulating and blocked by stone. However, just behind the narrow cave, it's a magical space as the labyrinth. It challenges the visitor to explore. The wild is the first to feel the beauty of the cave has not affected a lot of people. It shows as a large picture with the masterpiece of nature, which is drawn up by the stalactites with many different shapes.

Thien Long is divided into three separating sections. There are the stalactite’s classes which are let down, appeared millions years ago. There are the drops of water are cool and clear. There is a huge stone pillar to rise over the people’s head in the "first cave" to make up the association of a process of transformation and forming the strange shapes. The second cave has the large arch. It is glittering with the stalactites let down from the top of the cave. They like many large roots from the top of the mountain falls down to create a "ladder" skyward in fairy tales. There is also anyone compares this image is as a giant rock guitar which can make the music with the featured sound in the heart of the cave. More specifically, it is the shape of various animals, which was created by the stalactites such as the lion raised the mouth up; it likes to say "hello" in a friendly way, create the excitement for travelers.

There is another interesting thing, if visitors want to arrive at the third cave, the visitors will have to paddle through the stalactite shapes like a big turtle to two areas as the Thien Cung (meaning as God Palace) is the left, and Phat Dien (Buddha Palace) is the right. This place is gorgeous with many things like yellow parasols, the god statues, fairies... They are created by the stalactites and human imagination. In Mysterious Thien Cung, the visitors get a feeling of immerse in the magnificent palaces completely are made of the natural stone due to the nature build up; all are tiled by the stones with shimmering color. A multiply-colors stone instrument will give you a feeling of being lost in the abode of the fairies.

In particular, Phu Long is a place to store the remains of the ancient people. Here, there are hidden many secrets about the story for a while as an area for accommodation and activities of pirates.

After about two hours for visiting Thien Long Cave, the visitors will end the journey of discovery about the unique impression of a complex of caves that are very interesting, wild and beautiful with many shapes. Before continuing the journey to do some things like explore Cat Ba National Park, conquering the top of Ngu Lam, learn about the magic of precious wood species that kings usually use as the chopsticks to try poison, the visitors can relax in the peaceful airy campus or lodging in the leaf hut on the lake for fishing and reading...