One interesting aspect about this valley is its incredibly high mountains which are about 500-1200 meters high. These mountains together with the valley’s paddy fields create that great scenic landscape that you can only see after climbing 500 steps to reach the peak of the mountain.

This valley is also quite famous for its incredible lakes. If you head straight to the valley’s pathways leading you to the paddy fields, you’ll get a chance to see the beautiful river that runs crossing the rice fields.  Besides the valley itself, the Bac Son district’s village possesses a beauty of its own.

The district is inhabited by the Tay ethnic people and their traditional stilt houses. If you wish to see the entire view of the valley you would need to reach the peak of Bac Son Mountains. It can be tiring to climb these mountains, but the effort is all worth it especially if you want to take that share-worthy panoramic shot of the Bac Son Valley.

The district is inhabited by the Tay ethnic people and their traditional stilt houses. If you wish to see the entire view of the valley you would need to reach the peak of Bac Son Mountains. It can be tiring to climb these mountains, but the effort is all worth it especially if you want to take that share-worthy panoramic shot of the Bac Son Valley.

The early settlers of the Bac Son Valley initially resided in Lang Son, a province located north of Vietnam. When the Lang Son province was explored in 1922, 43 sites were found related to the ancient Bac Son culture prevalent in the mountains.

Bac Son Valley’s fertile soil lets the local farmers grow various crops in the area. Its main crop is rice which is planted only in 2 seasons, with each of its squared field cultivated and harvested in different times. Apart from rice, other crops like sweet potato and corn also grow in this valley, giving a boost to the agriculture of the region by 80 percent. This is the reason that agriculture is the prime occupation and source of earning for the inhabitants.

This valley has become a source of interest for the tourists because of its enticing beauty. The easiest way to reach this valley is by taking a road trip from Hanoi using the Highway 3 to Thai Nguyen and turning to National Highway 1B. There are many tourist organizations as well that can help you and will give you all the relevant information that you might need.

Make sure that you visit this enchanting valley of beauty. Seeing such a beautiful place will make you realize that Mother Nature has so much to offer. Moreover, there is too much to explore in this beautiful world so don’t just sit and stare. Plan your trip to Vietnam’s Bac Son Valley right away.

Ghenh Da Dia, boasts a collection of interlocking basalt columns in a wide variety of differing shapes and sizes. The cliffs are dark lava hexagonal columns with flat surfaces, resembling dinner plates, hence the name – Ghenh Da Dia.

The basalt cliffs are the result of ancient volcanic eruptions.  When the molten basalt flows met the cool water they hardened and formed these rare polygonal columns.

Ghenh Da Dia is about 50m wide and stretches over 2,000m long. Each column has an average visible height of 60-80cm, cross-section of 20-30cm. There are an estimated 35,000 rock columns standing in close position as if supernaturally placed.

Ghenh Da Dia is actually a fresh water pond surrounded by rock columns. Legend has it the pond is fed by underground rivers, which explains why it never dries up.

It is fantastic just to sit on a rock column there and let the senses take in the high sky and the immense sea and breathe cool fresh air from the sea.

Tourists can take a flight or a train from HCMC to Quy Nhon. The first destination tourists should head to is Ghenh Rang tourist site 2km away from Quy Nhon City. The site is close to Xuan Van Mountain and was formed from continuous winding stone banks and caves. The way leading to Ghenh Rang is beautifully built on a slightly sloping path.

Standing in Ghenh Rang, tourists can experience a panoramic view of Quy Nhon. A highlight of the site is Hoang Hau (Queen) Beach that looks like a beautiful hidden fairy. The name “queen” came from a historical fact that the late emperor of Vietnam, Bao Dai and his wife, Queen Nam Phuong chose this place as a private relaxation place during their trip in 1927.

 Quy Hoa beach

From Hoang Hau Beach, tourists can drive about 2km to get to Quy Hoa Beach where an old center with over 200 houses in French style for leprosy patients is located. The peaceful beach with pure water under poplar shades and chirping sound of birds mingled in the wave sounds. The place is where late poet Han Mac Tu spent his last days and created many popular poems. Other attractions at the site include a statue park to acknowledge contribution of scientists and those who have helped cure the leprosy.

Tourists can drive about 8km to the countryside of Quy Nhon to discover about ten popular beaches, including bai Chinh, bai Bau, bai Dai, bai Dai, and bai Nhon Ly among others. Especially, Xep Beach is popular for a fruit garden and coconut garden nearby.

During weekends, tourists also flock to Bang Beach to swim, relax and go fishing. There are thatch-roofed huts on the beach at the price of VND40,000 per hour for tourists to relax.

Banh beo

Quy Nhon has many specialties at cheap prices, including banh beo (cake made from rice powder served with dried shrimp), and bun cha ca (fish paste noodles) on Nguyen Hue Street, or seafood and Vietnamese-style pancake on Le Hong Phong Street.

This beach is little affected by footprints of vacationers, so tourism services have yet to develop. There is no hotel, restaurant or resort along the beach. Rows of ironwood trees seem to embrace the beach. Some chaise lounges and hammocks at a certain small eatery invite guests to take a rest and enjoy seafood.

Bai Dai Beach also entices travelers because they just spend VND100,000 (or nearly US$5) to hire a motorbike and take an exploratory journey around there. Bai Dai Beach on Phu Quoc has a 15km-long coastline that starts from Ganh Dau Cape to Cua Can Arroyo.

On Bai Dai, tourists can see two small islands Hon Dam and Hon Doi Moi islets from afar. From Dong Duong Wharf, visitors can get aboard to catch fish, or dive to watch corals on Ho Dam or Hon Doi Moi. They then can take a boat to Bai Dai, entertain themselves on the beach, soak in blue water, enjoy seafood and return to their hotels.

Compared to the bow-shaped Bai Khem Beach south of Phu Quoc Island, Bai Dai Beach has a pretty straight coastline and inherits tranquil sea waves thanks to the holding arms of the Thailand Gulf.

After bathing in the beach, guests can step ashore and enjoy the fresh and sweet taste of grilled prawns and sip a glass of draught beer. Several sun-seekers go there, and silently lie on the chaise lounges reading books under the shades of ironwood trees. It is more wonderful as they can breathe fresh air and listen to the sounds of sea and breezes swinging the leaves of ironwood trees.

Dinh Cau night market

From Bai Dai, tourists can go to other destinations on Phu Quoc such as enjoying the dusk at Dinh Cau Temple, shopping at Dinh Cau Night Market to try fresh seafood including famous sea urchin porridge of Phu Quoc. Moreover, they can dive to watch corals, visit aquatic farms of local fishermen as well as a pearl raising center on Hon Thom Islet, to name just a few.

When on Bai Dai Beach, diners should not forget to try many seafood dishes. Among them, grilled prawn dipped in the sauce of salt, pepper and lemonade will is recommended thanks to its sweet flavor of fresh prawn mixed with the taste of salt and fragrance of pepper that is grown on the island.

Located in Ea Huar Commune, Buon Don District and about 36km west from Buon Ma Thuot, the hamlet is famous nationwide as being a legendary land for elephant hunting and taming, and home of many skilled elephant hunters, including Khun Yu Nop and Ama Kong.

Located on an isolated island on the Serepok River, Don Hamlet is endowed by nature with a wild, yet diverse natural beauty. It is surrounded with forests and mountains, and crossed by the Serepok River - all creating favorable conditions for the establishment of a local unique culture.

A local guide took us to an ancient stilt house in Tri A Hamlet where we were told many interesting stories about the elephant “king hunters” from Don Hamlet.

The stilt house is said to be over 130 years old and has two compartments built with good timber. The roof is also made with wood and skillfully carved by hand. Inside the house, there are many exhibits relating to elephant hunting and taming by hunters Khun Yu Nop and his grandchild Ama Kong.

Visiting Don Hamlet, any visitor can have an elephant ride. The elephants, each weighing about three tonnes, are standing high and ready to carry any passenger under instructions of the mahouts. They cross streams and walk through forests for passengers’ sight-seeing. When crossing the stream, the elephants often walk very slowly, which creates a thrilling experience for the passengers.

After an elephant ride, we walked on a suspension bridge over the Serepok River, which is built from the trunks of the 300-year-old Si (Ficus microcarpa) tree. The bridge is about 1km long with different portions made with bamboo and rattan and tightly attached together. Standing on the bridge, we could see vast leaf canopies covering a large area of over one hectare, many of them made by the trees’ small roots that created strange shadows. On peak days, the guide said, there are about 1,000 tourists crossing the bridge.

Suspension Bridge 

Don Hamlet is beautified by the silky Serepok River, which runs through the York Don forests and consists of two branches of the bigger Drong Na River. At sunset, the dug-out canoes rowed by the local people glide on the sparkling river surface, bringing wonderfully romantic moments to the tourists.

At night, we enjoyed the locally-distilled wine by using straws to drink it from the big jar. Sitting near a fireplace and watching the local artists to dance amid the sounds of the gong, we had such a special feeling of truly being central highlanders while fully enjoying their unique culture.

Touring Don Hamlet, visitors will have special experiences in exploring the local land and people. Breaths of the wind, fragrance of the flowers, grass and trees, the wild natural environment, and above all the honesty and hospitality of the Central Highlanders, will impress any visitors for a long time after their trip to the locality.

Hang Pagoda is located in Chau Thanh District in Tra Vinh Province. It was built in 1637 with the Khmer name of Kompong Cray Pagoda.

To enter the pagoda, tourists will have to walk through a cave-like entrance whose width, length and depth are 12 meters each, explaining for its name as Hang Pagoda (Hang means cave in Vietnamese).

The pagoda’s architecture shows strong influence of the Indian culture. For example, there are two Yak statues with convex eyes, long fangs, wearing armor and holding a cane, flanking the entrance. In the Indian culture, Yak is known as a cruel ogre who was then converted by Buddha to protect the pagoda.

The main building of Hang Pagoda is placed in the center of a tree garden which makes it look like a giant palace. The front of the building is decorated with a meticulous carving of Naga, the god of snake with seven heads, while the interior exhibits rows of pillars, and paintings of Buddhism surrounding an imposing statue of Buddha in the center. 

Hang Pagoda’s campus looks freshly green with ancient trees whose stumps and roots will be used by the monks to create stunning wooden sculptures.