Asia Pacific Travel Team
Pha Din Pass- Frontier between “Heaven and Earth”
As not so far from Hanoi, only about 32 kilometers long to reach Dien Bien province, visitors in Vietnam tourism have to pass Pha Din pass, known as the longest pass in Vietnam. Pha Din, in the local language, means “Heaven and Earth.” Accompanied by local legend, Pha Din Pass is the place where the sky meets the earth, so it is considered as the frontier between “Heaven and Earth.”
It’s a long time ago, there existed a deputation on the border between Lai Chau and Son La provinces. It was solved by a horse-racing. Two horses started from each side of the pass and the border was determined at the point where they met each other. The horse of Son La province ran slower than the one of Lai Chau province so the pass belonging to Son La is shortet than that of Lai Chau.
Pha Din Pass holds an important and heroic part in history, so passing Pha Din Pass to Dien Bienmakes many people recall the courage of Vietnamese soldiers at Dien Bien Phu in the past.
Above 1,000m high, the pass is full of twists and turns, one side is an upright cliff and the other is a deep gulf. So, climbing and descending the slopes with their many bends and deep gorges, amid such magnificent scenery, is one of the most unforgettable tours in Vietnam to most foreign tourists.
Tham Pua Cave, Dien Bien in a list of Vienam’s National Historical Sites
About 10 meters in height, Tham Pua Cave comprised of many small crevices and tunnels is extremely large and deep. A big, even, flat rock stands in the middle of the cave like a large table. Stalactites in various figures such as dragons, lions, phoenixes, elephants and beautiful orchids hang down from the walls of Tham Pua.
The cave not only owns natural beauty, but it is also a place where stone axes, pestles, and animal fossils have been found. It was listed among the National Historical Sites of Vietnam and now it is becoming one of the most tourist-attractive destinations of Dien Bien province in Vietnam tourism.
At the end of 1953 to January 18, 1954 Tham Pua cave was also the first Command Post of Dien Bien Phu Campaign. On January 14, 1954, this cave was a place where an important meeting of the Viet Nam Army to carry out the plan “ quickly attack and quickly advance” took place.
If you are joining tours in Vietnam, Tham Pua Cave in Dien Bien will be a visit-worthy destination.
Mai Chau Valley, Hoa Binh- A popular tourist destination in the North Vietnam
Coming to Mai Chau, travelers in Vietnam tourism will be warmly welcomed by the picturesque scenery of Mai Chau lying in a green valley of paddy fields dotted with rows of stilt houses.
Stilt houses border both sides of the roads. The houses are quite large with palm leaf roofs and polished bamboo-slat floors. The kitchen is located in the center of the house; the cooking as well as the making of the colorful tho cam, the material used by Thai minority to make their clothes, takes place in the kitchen. The windows are large and decorated with patterns. Each house also has a pond to breed fish.
Stilt houses in Mai Chau Hoa Binh
The Sunday market brings a lot of people into town. People from different minorities living in the mountains come to Mai Chau market to sell their specific products: honey, bananas, corn, and tho cam made by skilled Thai women. The Sunday market is also an occasion to enjoy traditional Thai dishes and to participate in traditional dances. Thai dancing and singing is something that visitors can not afford to ignore. Especially, there is the traditional dance show for tourists, which starts at 8pm and it provides to tourists joining tours in Vietnam with a very impressive experience.
Mai Chau can be a base for some trekking tours to the villages around, and spending one night at one of the stilt houses in Mai Chau, tourists have chance to enjoy the folk dances and songs that are accompanied by Gong music, as well as experience the feeling of drinking Can Wine – an important cultural symbol for ethnic minorities in Hoa Binh province. Particularly, tourits coming there can enjoy the minority specialty dishes including rice cooked in bamboo and grilled meat.
Nowadays, foreigners who want to learn more about Vietnamese culture as well as to admire picturesque scenery of Vietnam, Mai Chau Hoa Binh is an ideal place where they can freely discover everything.
Dam Da-Hoa Binh is a new attraction to tourists in Vietnam tourism
Located in Phu Lao commune, Lac Thuy district, Hoa Binh province, Dam Da is a good destination to tourists in Vietnam travel.
While such names as Hoa Tien grotto, Tien Phi grotto, Mai Chau valley, Hoa Binh hydroelectric dam are tourists highlights, Dam Da seems to be an obscure historical site.
This is a vast complex of temples, pagodas and caves, including Trinh temple (also known as Quan Trinh), Mau temple, Tien pagoda and others.
Dam Da hosts annual festival in the fourth month of the lunar year, attracting many pilgrims from the province and neighboring regions.
In the complex, Tien Pagoda has been recognized as a national historical cultural site which attracts many visitors to come here for sightseeing or worship.
Nguoi Xua Cave is renowned as a national archaeological location with many vestiges of ancient Vietnamese people, contributing a great deal to the historical study.
Scattered around the complex are temples and pagodas such as Trinh Temple, Mau Temple and Tien Pagoda, which are dedicated to worship legendary characters such as Au Co Mother, Lac Long Quan Father, Hoang Bay Mandarin and Tam Toa Thanh Mau.
Dam Da also has over 20 mysterious caves including Tam Toa, Thuy Tien, Cung Tien, Hoang Muoi and Co Chin. In the caves, stalactites in diverse colors and shapes hang. As the caves’ entrances are situated halfway up the mountains, travelers have to trek to reach them.
One will find it extremely difficult to list all the caves here. When coming into each cave, tourists will be totally taken by surprised at the gigantic and illusory stalagmites and stalactites.
Dam Da is most crowded in spring, particularly from January to March when there is Chua Tien festival. It is also convenient for tourists to visit Perfume pagoda nearby – a famous attraction in My Duc district,Hanoi.
Dam Da- A new land waiting for exploration of tourists in Vietnam travel
Meanwhile such names as Hoa Tien grotto, Tien Phi grotto, Mai Chau valley, Hoa Binh hydroelectric plant on the Da River are tourist highlights, Dam Da located in Phu Lao commune, Lac Thuy district, Hoa Binh province seems to be an obscure historical site.
This is a vast complex of temples, pagodas and caves, including Trinh temple (also known as Quan Trinh), Mau temple, Tien pagoda and others. Dam Da hosts annual festival in the fourth month of the lunar year, attracting many pilgrims from the province and neighboring regions.
In the complex, Tien Pagoda has been recognized as a national historical cultural site which attracts many visitors joining tours in Vietnam to come here for sightseeing or worship. Nguoi Xua Cave (including Tien Cave and Ho Cave) is renowned as a national archaeological location with many vestiges of ancient Vietnamese people, contributing a great deal to the study of Vietnam’s history.
Scattered around the complex are temples and pagodas such as Trinh Temple, Mau Temple and Tien Pagoda, which are dedicated to worship legendary characters such as Au Co Mother, Lac Long Quan Father, Hoang Bay Mandarin and Tam Toa Thanh Mau.
Besides its cultural and historical values, Dam Da is marked by its natural spectacular caves. It also has over 20 mysterious caves including Tam Toa, Thuy Tien, Cung Tien, Hoang Muoi and Co Chin, etc. In the caves, stalactites in diverse colors and shapes hang. As the caves’ entrances are situated halfway up the mountains, tourists in Vietnam travel have to trek to reach them. One will find it extremely difficult to list all the caves here. Travelers will be totally taken by surprised at the gigantic and illusory stalagmites and stalactites when coming into each cave.
During spring, particularly from January to March, Dam Da-Hoa Binh is most crowded when there is Chua Tien festival. Conveniently, tourists can combine a trip to visiting Perfume pagoda nearby – a famous attraction in My Duc district, Ha Tay province (now part of Hanoi.)
Kim Boi hot spring- A right place for tourists to take a rest
Kim Boi, one of the districts of Hoa Binh province, is said to be granted with a natural hot spring by the Nature. The hot spring is now a tourist spot which “can-not-be-ignored” if staying in Hoa Binh. Putting aside all the tensions and troubles of life, tourists will feel relax and comfortable when soaking themselves in Kim Boi Hot Spring.
The mineral water continually spouts from the fountains, normally between 340C and 360C. According to some scientific tests, Kim Boi water resources are qualified to meet the standard for drinking, bathing and treating some diseases such as arthritis, gastritis, high/low blood pressure. This mineral water Kim Boi is now bottled and become favorite refreshment for tourists in Vietnam travel. It has almost the same composition as certain wellknown foreign brands of mineral water.
As for tourists joining tours in Vietnam, depending on their budget they can choose to stay at any hotels in the resort area. Wherever they are, the same point is that they can hear the sound of water spouting out, which makes them relaxed. Being immersed in a large mineral water deposit of Kim Boi stream is also not unmemorable for any visitor.
Certainly, coming to Kim Boi hot spring once, no one can refuse to spend time in such a spot!
Travelling to Thung Nai to enjoy the peace and beautiful landscape of high mountains
As a small commune beside Da River, of Cao Phong district, Hoa Binh province, Thung Nai is about 25 km far from Hoa Binh city and about 110 km from Hanoi. Once upon a time, Thung Nai was a great valley covered by the vast forest, which is home to numerous deer. Hence, the local people call it “Thung Nai” means “the Valley of Deer.”
Thung Nai has become a huge lake containing the water served for the operation of the hydropower plant on Da River since the 1980s when this hydropower plant was constructed. All initial surrounding high mountains become floating green islands and create poetic and magnificent scenery which can enchant any tourist in Vietnam travel. Thung Nai is also considered the inland Ha Long Bay in the North of Vietnam (the first position was taken by Tam Coc- Bich Dong in Ninh Binh province.)
Thung Nai is considered "The second Ha Long Bay on land"
Traveling to Thung Nai, most tourists choose the Windmill guesthouse, which is located on Friends Island as an ideal place for a comfortable and relaxing stay. The guesthouse area consists of a large two-storey redbrick house and a windmill offering visitors a breathtaking view of Thung Nai, a stilt house functioning as a communal dinning place, and a tennis court lying in the lush orchard. Now, the Windmill itself is one of tourist-attractive destinations to Thung Nai in Vietnam tourism.
Windmill guesthouse in Thung Nai
When staying in the Windmill, tourists will be served local specialties like grilled Muong pork, smoked or grilled Da River fish, or fish sour soup, and straw wine. After the dinner, tourists, especially the youngsters often gather for the campfire in front of the guesthouse, and watching the sparkling fishing canoe floating in the lake.
Rowing a boat to discover the wild beauty of Thung Nai
Tourists waking up in the morning can refresh themselves by breathing the fresh air and enjoying the natural beauty in early morning. Making a tour by boat is regarded as a good option for tourists to discover sites around the lake in Thung Nai like Ba Chua Thac Bo temple, Thac Bo grotto (with a lot of stalactite in various shapes), Ngoi Hoa village of Muong people. Especially, tourists who luckily come here on Sunday morning can drop by Thac Bo floating market, just 20 minutes by boat from the Windmill, where they can buy fresh fish, shrimp caught by locals here.
Ngoi Hoa village of Muong ethnic group in Thung Nai
It is said that Thung Nai to be most beautiful in the autumn, when the water level reaches the highest and the valley is filled with the romantic lake water.
A peaceful Thung Nai in Hoa Binh province- Vietnam travel
Try visiting Thung Nai one time, tourists joining tours in Vietnam can enjoy the beauty of wild nature and witness the life of ethnic minority people living on the mountainous areas. Thung Nai promises to bring great tourism potential to Hoa Binh Province in the near future.
Hoa Binh Dam used for Hoa Binh hydro-electronic power plant in Vietnam
Hoa Binh Dam used for hydro-electric purposes is regarded the most famous feature of Hoa Binh province. It was constructed in November 1979 and took nearly 10 years to complete. The dam, with the height of 128 meters and the length of 970 meters, is now one of the largest and most important dams in Viet Nam. Power is generated by utilizing eight turbines with a capacity of 240 MW, making up the total capacity to about 1,920 MW. The annual power is approximately 8,160 GWh. The reservoir which was formed when the Da river was dammed runs through Hoa Binh's center. Right here 168 workers died during the construction of the Dam and there is now a monument to their memory at the dam site.
The Dam plays an indispensable part in flood prevention, electricity production, irrigation and transportation. This is a meaningful construction to the process of industrialization and modernization of the country. It is the symbol of unshakable friendship between Soviet Union and Viet Nam, too.
In addition, Hoa Binh Dam is a source of Vietnam tourism. Annually it attracts a quite great number of visitors joining tours in Vietnam because of the majesty and grandeur of the architecture, the surface area of which is so large that it creates an impressive complex of architecture, culture and society.
If you have a chance to visit Hoa Binh, you should pay a visit to Hoa Binh Dam- an attractive destination in the province.
Tien Phi Cave Hoa Binh makes visitors in Vietnam tourism well impressed
It is recommended that after visiting Hoa Binh Dam, or Hoa Binh hydroelectronic powewr pant, travelers should never miss the chance to go to Tien Phi cave on their path to Hoa Binh province.
The cave is situated on Thuc's hill-top (maybe called in other name Thung Phi). The entry mouth is considerably narrow, followed by a gentle slope. Walking 10 more meters, you will see that because of the high and dry cave top, the atmosphere inside is pretty cool and comfortable. As you get farther into the cave, the more excited you may get. Despite the rough ground, tourists in Vietnam travelcan still enjoy the stalactites glittering illusorily. Stalactites jut out in many funny and lively shapes, exciting visitors' imagination. Much more interestingly, thanks to nature light from the hole on the cave's roof, those stalactites become extremely spectacular when bright light is shone on them. Right in the middle of the cave is a charity box and an altar for those who want to prayer. This scene is so tranquil that it is like a sacred and mysterious castle among the world of shaped stones.For a walk of 10 more meters to your left, you will see a dreamy fairy whose hair falls over her shoulders on an iridescent hammock. Besides, visitors joining tours in Vietnam can find many other rocks in the shape of Buddha, Jesus, leopard and lion etc.
Traveling to Tien Phi cave, visitors are exposed to a wide range of fairy tales. More important thing, they can admire natural masterpieces of the cave that makes them well impressed. Therefore, each tourist coming to the cave should never forget the time here.
Ravishing beauty of Long Luong in Moc Chau Son La Vietnam
In Spring, Long Luong is flooded in peach and plum flowers. When the summer comes, Long Luongis as if a wonderful oasis under the cool forests of plums and peaches. The fall fluttering of leaves together with wooden fire kitchen creates alone feelings for the people being far from home. Winter coming under the trees of peach and plum make us feel about the deposition of time.
Long Luong is gentle on National Highway 6 road from Hoa Binh to Moc Chau (Son La). Looming ahead is the sticky travelers peace under the shade of plum orchards, vast green peach orchard.
Long Luong stands quietly and peacefully by the side of the 6th National Road, on the way from Hoa Binh to Moc Chau. Tourists in Vietnam travel can see the beautiful scenery of simple houses looming under the shade of green gardens fulled of peach and plum trees.
Everything in Long Luong can made tourists in Vietnam travel feel curious when traveling to here. From the peaceful life of Mong people to the green color of forests, garderns or simply as the red color of Mong people’s clothes, folk games of children, etc…All of these things will make you want to discover this beautiful land, take you to a peaceful world, your dreams about childhood.
If you like to travel in Vietnam and far from noise cities, Long Luong is an ideal place for you to discover and enjoy a simple but peaceful life of the residents here.
