Explore the magic of rocky stream at the foot of Tam Dao

Visitors to Vinh Phuc often climb the top of Tam Dao Mountain but a few knows the majestic beauty of Tam Dao in other side.

Our group had stunning trip on foot. We followed the crystal-clear stream that flows over magic rocks of Dai Tu District, Thai Nguyen.

Nearly 100km far from Hanoi, from the town of Ba Hang ( Pho Yen Commune) on National Highway 3, we turned a small asphalt road  and went straight about 30 km along green mountain, we reached the foot of Go Mieu.

At the foot of Go Mieu

With just 100.000 VND, visitors can rent a boat for a 5-6 person group to explore the lake of Go Mieu.

Go Mieu lake is like a giant trough to contain water from dozens of stream, waterfalls from the top of Tam Dao. Every season, water of lake is always blue in color as picturesque scenery.

Sometimes, we saw the white clouds flying very low, it seemed to be across our boat. Small boat glided slowly on the surface of lake and took us into a canyon.

Between the blue of mountain, rocks with various shape and colors were looming our view. Being in the hot summer, everyone felt comfortable and cool when coming to the stream at the foot of Tam Dao. Going upstream, we seemed to be lost in a matrix of magic rocks.

Some rocks looks like heavy truck, other is like teddy bear…It is so interesting!

Giant rock

Crystal-clear water 

After then, we continued our journey at Noi Dong bridge. Here is a small and clear lake that is surrounded by yellow stones. Next to the lake is ancient si tree on giant rock. Next places we stopped were Coi beach, Da Coc. Explaining the name of those, the local people said that there are many sharp rocks around the area that are like piles.

After exploring magic rocks, people can bath in clear water to relax. If visitors want to stay for lunch or overnight, you can hire motel or stay at home’s resident near Go Mieu lake at cheap price. In particular, you will have a chance to enjoy grilled fish.

Visitors can go fishing here.

The most attractive here to visitors is go fishing at stream. After then, visitors can relax and enjoy the delicious dish of grilled fish.

TREKKING UP TO PHU SONG SUNG

The tortuous road suddenly becomes very slippery as if it is polished by oil, with frozen trees and a strong-blowing wind for company.

However, to experience adventure and challenge ourselves, we decided to go for it. We reached Xa Ho Commune, Tram Tau District in Yen Bai Province after nearly a day’s ride from Hanoi with the sunset coming down the mountainous area. We stayed overnight at the house of Thao A Mang, our local ethnic guide for the next day. Tourists warm on fire and have food on the halfway to Phu Song Sung We could not sleep as the cold and wind took its toll and by the next morning we departed feeling groggy and tired. Mist still covered the village and was mixed with drizzling drops and a north-easterly wind. Two Mong ethnic people guided and carried foods for us. We just brought simple things such as a sleeping bag, water and foods. A wooden tent for tourists to stay overnight in Phu Song Sung We started to see the mountain imposingly erect as if we just could trek forever with no turning back. The mountain is about 2,955 meters above sea level, so it is a bit lower than Fanxipan but it is surely tougher to be conquered as it is has no stops like Fanxipan. It was misty so we could not see anything, except our feet groping up on the tiny trail. Sometimes we fell down and had to use sticks to pull ourselves up. We didn’t take a long rest as moving on kept us warm. Sometimes the wind blew the mist and clouds away and we were really amazed at the splendid sceneries. Reaching through the dense forest, the higher mountain walls were lined by endless valleys. Sometimes the strong wind forced us to sit down in groves to prevent us from falling down the valleys. At that time we really knew what the expression being scared to death really meant. Trees were frozen and leaves became grey/white. However, it rewarded us with beautiful wild flowers. At the height of 2,400 meters and amidst the magnificent and immense space, we found we were really small and in the strangely quite space, we just heard the birds’ twitters and our steeping and breathing sounds. We decided to call a halt to our dreams of hitting the peak to stay at a cottage of Giang A Sinh, head of the commune. A miracle occurred when the sun beams suddenly gleamed on the mountain’s peak, amidst the valleys and the white sea of clouds. The beamslooked like fireworks and it just occurred to us that we missed the chance to capture this on camera. As night came, we just could hear the whispers of wind through the wooden walls. However, stayed together we felt warmer to sleep well on that night. The next morning, we were greeted with golden sunlight, making us feel we were bobbing in the clouds. We went home with a great experience and memories in our hearts.

HIKING ADVENTURES ON CAT BA ISLAND

“Here’s the trail,” our guide said. He pointed up – at what appeared to be a sheer rock wall.

Most people come to Cát Bà Island as part of a two-day cruise on Halong Bay. They generally view the island as little more than a rest stop before the long drive back to Hanoi. But there’s far more to Cát Bà than the port town. Staying at the Cát Bà Eco-Lodge, 13 kilometres inland, my friends and I got to explore an impressive landscape where there are seemingly more rice paddies than tourists. We arrived at the lodge in the late afternoon, as the wind swept through the mountains and the sky was stained the deep gray of approaching night. It was too late to go on an ambitious hike, so we opted for the “Waterfall Hike,” which was described as a picturesque 30-minute walk to see a nearby waterfall. The man behind the front desk looked enthusiastic about our choice. Then he brought us to the rock wall. We contemplated the wall for a minute before our guide, clearly impatient with our postponement, began to scramble up. “Come on!” he called, already perched on a high ledge. It was obvious that no one had gone on the “Waterfall Hike” for quite some time. The rocks were overgrown with leaves and tangled branches. My hair caught in a thorn, and I crouched awkwardly on a ledge to untangle it. “How much farther?” one of my friends asked. “Maybe twenty minutes,” our guide said. He was climbing down now, as rapidly as he had come up. “See you later!” We continued climbing up the jagged wall for a few minutes before we admitted defeat. There was no waterfall in sight, only rocks and more rocks and leaf cover that got thicker the higher we climbed. We exchanged glances. Then one of us said what we were all thinking: “Maybe an easier walk would be better.” After picking our way down the rock wall, we headed along a narrow path into the hills. With the shadows of mountains on both sides, we were surrounded by mist. The cool breeze blew all around us. Darkness was falling, but we managed to snap a few pictures before night arrived. Then it was time to head back to the lodge, where we ordered a barbecue dinner. It was a bit of a splurge at $15, but well worth it for the hearty plates of ribs, chicken drumsticks and charred squid. Most of the food served at the lodge travels less than two miles to get there – one of the main reasons that we chose this hotel. Not only is the eco-lodge situated in an ideal spot for trekking through this remote area; it also emphasizes sustainability. This means that trash is recycled and composted, the buildings are built with natural materials and local people help run the business. Sustainable hotels like the Eco-Lodge can play an important role in the country’s tourism development. But sadly, too many tourists are unaware that these hotels exist – or don’t realize why they are important. Journeying back to Hanoi, we stopped in the island’s port town to get on the bus, where we encountered flocks of tourists who had never left the main street. “There really isn’t much to Cát Bà,” one of them said. Little did they know.

Green trees make Hoi An ever charming

The ancient city of Hoi An is not only famous for its harmonious relationship between history, culture, architecture, land and people but also for its beautiful green trees.

Despite growing on some narrow streets their colourful stand out almost everywhere.

Glistening beauty of Sapa on an early spring morning

During spring the flowers and plants of Sapa glisten with dew in the early morning light. Whether sunny or rainy, the town retains a unique beauty which is famous for inspiring visitors.

Some image of the area surrounding the mountain town:

To Nung Lake - Pleiku’s precious pearl

Located 6km north of downtown Pleiku, To Nung Lake is in fact the crater of a volcano that became extinct millions of years ago. The lake has a surface of 280ha and an average depth of 16 -19m, reaching 40m at its deepest.
 The lake owes its name, To Nung, a village that existed a long time ago in the legendary region of Gia Lai and Kontum Provinces, now called Central Highlands. 

To Nung village was a very beautiful and prosperous one where people lived in peace and harmony with each other. One day the volcano erupted and buried the whole village in hot lava. The lake grew from the tears shed by the survivors mourning their loved ones, to which the name of To Nung was given in memory of the dead village.

To Nung is also called the "Pearl of Pleiku" and is a place visitors should not miss when visiting Pleiku. An asphalted road leads up the whole way through narrow passages of steep rocks to To Nung Lake. Situated on top of an old extinguished volcano, the lake offers a panoramic view that seems to stretch to the horizon forever. Standing on the banks of To Nung, visitors have the impression of being at the sea-side due to the size of the lake. This may explain To Nung Lake’s second name of Bien Ho (Sea Lake). 

Visitors will agree that, at times, To Nung seems to be the rendezvous place for flowers, birds and fish, from the most humble to the most precious species. In spring they all bloom and bring vivacious colours and life to the greenness of the environment and the softness of the blue sky. Wandering the narrow tracks around To Nung, visitors will encounter many species of birds, from the most ordinary to the most exotic. At sunset, the lake becomes even more alive with the familiar noises made by flocks of birds in their rush back to their nests.

To Nung is also called the fish basket of the Central Highlands. The lake is home to various kinds of carp, from red-eyed carps to black carps. Through the limpid water of the lake they can be seen gliding swiftly and gracefully along among the algae.

Visitors can discover To Nung Lake by boat, but they can also choose to enjoy the beautiful landscapes of To Nung from the back of an elephant. In the evening, they can share a dance, a song, or some can wine with some of the local ethnic people, while listening to their traditional gong music.

Than Tho lake

Than Tho Lake is located in the East of Dalat and it is 5.8 km far from the city center. In the past, the lake used to be a swamp. In 1937, the French built a dam to retain water from Cam Ly stream then they made it a lake with an area of 8.5 ha and it provides water for the entire city of Dalat.

When they realized that the place was a deserted area, the French called the lake "Lac des Soupirs".

Soupirs means the sound of wind blowing in the forests, but it also has another meaning: the sigh. The second meaning seemed to make sense than the first one, so the lake has been called the name "Lake of Sigh

Besides, there are also many stories embellished and the love story of Hoang Tung - Mai Nuong is the most popular one:

At the time of Tay Son Dynasty, Hoang Tung, a solder, took Mai Nuong to the lake side to say good bye and he said he will come back on the victory day. But the wrong news came to Mai Nuong: Tung died in a battle. Mai Nuong then got depressed and she thrown herself to the lake to die in order to keep the loyal love. In fact, he was not dead. When the Dynasty of Tay Son collapsed, Hoang Tung came back and he heard the news that his beloved had died, so he thrown himself to the lake and died. Since then, the lake has the name Than Tho, sigh. Sigh for the depressed love.

After 1975, the lake had another name: Suong Mai (Morning dew). But whenever talking about this place, the local people just called it Than Tho Lake. Therefore, since 1990, it has been officially called Than Tho Lake (the Lake of Sigh).