Gao Giong Eco-Tourism

Gao Giong Eco-tourim is situated in Hamlet 6, Gao Giong Commune, Cao Lanh District in Dong Thap Province, about 20km from the centre of Cao Lanh city. With a beautiful and charming landscape, Gao Giong Eco-tourim is considered the miniature of Dong Thap Muoi in the western region in South Vietnam.

From Cao Lanh, tourists follow a beautiful stretch of road on Highway 30 to arrive in Gao Giong Eco-Tourism Area – the lung of the area of Dong Thap Muoi. The green oasis-like area is divided into four areas with over 70km of canals and 20km of self-contained dikes. The mangrove forest in Gao Giong covers 1,700ha, including 250ha of primitive forest that creates a wild beauty. 

 Part of Gao Giong Eco-Tourism Area seen from above. Photo: Le Minh 

Tourists visit Gao Giong Eco-Tourism Area by a sampan. Photo: Le Minh
An observatory in Gao Giong Eco-Tourism Area. Photo: Le Minh 
Tourists take beautifull photos from the observatory. Photo: Le Minh 
Tourists discover the cajeput forest using a sampan. Photo: Le Minh 
Peaceful scenery in the cajeput forest. Photo: Le Minh 
The entrance gate of Gao Giong Eco-Tourism Area. Photo: Le Minh
Thatched houses in  Gao Giong Eco-Tourism Area.
The locals earn their living by catching fish in the eco-tourism area. Photo: Le Minh

Standing on the observatory in the middle of the eco-tourism area, tourists have a birds’-eye-view of an immense area with the distinctive landscape of Dong Thap Muoi that was lively reflected in the famous Vietnamese film, called “Canh Dong Hoang” (Wild Field) by late People’s Artist Hong Sen. The film script was written by writer Nguyen Quang Sang.

On small sampans rowed by gentle women on criss-crossing canals through thick mangrove forests, tourists arrive in a 40ha bird sanctuary, one of the “must-see” destinations in the eco-tourism area.

Visiting the bird sanctuary in the early morning or late afternoon, tourists will be amazed at the animated and noisy scene of thousands of birds hovering above a corner of the forest. The bird sanctuary has now over 200 species of birds, including many listed on the Vietnam and the World Red Books, such as O tac (Otididae), Nhan diem and Giang sen (Mycteria leucocephala) . The area is also the habitat of dozens of water birds, such as Trich mong do, Lesser, whistling ducks, wild ducks, and tens of thousands of white egrets so the area is considered the largest habitat of white egrets in Dong Thap Muoi.

The area is also famous for a plentiful resource of aquatic products, including snakeheads, anabas and That lat(Notopteridae) and especially Rohu from the shallow lake in western Cambodia. Gao Giong is most beautiful in flood season with an immense area covered with the yellow of Dien dien (Sesbania sesban) flower, the red of water-lilies, the violet of Giant Crape-myrtle, the pink of lotus and the green of mangrove forest. All form a romantic colourful natural painting hardly seen anywhere else. 

Grilled snakehead, a specailty of Dong Thap Muoi. Photo: File 
Steamed snails with a speacial taste. Photo: Le Minh 
A delicious dish in the area. Photo: File

Visiting the area, tourists will have a chance to learn about the daily life of people in the watery area and enjoy delicious dishes, such as grilled snakehead, sour soup of Dien dien flowers and steamed snails with a special taste.
Established in March 2003, Gao Giong Eco-Tourism Area is now a favourite destination of both domestic and foreign tourists to the western region of South Vietnam.

Source:VNP

Alluring Trung Khanh - Cao Bang

Trung Khanh, a mountainous district in Cao Bang Province , 332km from Hanoi to the northeast, houses many beautiful landscapes, specialities and rare and precious animals of the subtropical primeval forest. 

Standing at the peak of Ma Phuc Pass , 620 metres above sea level, it’s possible to see two stone blocks resembling a pair of horses standing face to face and a floristic composition covering the mountain and valley.

Also, the 32km-long Quay Son River runs through the region, not only bringing silt to a large rice-growing area but also providing water for chestnut forests laden with fruits. The fruit, as big as rambutan, has many hard thorns and contains 3-4 chestnuts, each being 4-5 times bigger than the normal castanea.

Trung Khanh attracts tourists who like ecological, geological and adventurous tourism because it boasts many waterfalls and marvellous caves. Particularly, it has been famous for Ban Gioc Waterfall, hundreds of metres in height and width.

In the rainy season, its water runs into three flows, one pouring slightly like a silk ribbon and the others rushing in noisily. On sunny days, white water sprays create a sparkling and mysterious rainbow. About 3km from Ban Gioc Waterfall is Nguom Ngao Cave that has many marvellous landscapes complete with stalactites and stalagmites of great geological values.

In recent years, Trung Khanh has attracted a number of scientists from home and abroad due to its bio-diversity of subtropical evergreen primeval forests of seven types. Of which, four types have 15 varieties of plants that are the source of food of the Cao Vit gibbon (scientifically known as Nomascus nasutus nasutus), one of the most rare primate species in the world.

According to a survey conducted in Ngoc Khe and Phong Nam Communes in the north of Trung Khanh in 2002-2007 by the Fauna and Flora International (FFI), Trung Khanh is now home to 17 groups of Cao Vit gibbons with nearly 100 individuals. Nguyen The Cuong who works for FFI said that this species of gibbon is very unique because they do not have a tail.

To protect the rare primate, a conservation area was established in April 2007 with a total area of 1,656.8ha, including a flora area of 543 varieties and a fauna area of 23 animals under 14 families, 61 species of birds, 11 species of reptiles under 10 races, of which 10 species were listed in the Red Book of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in 2006.

Once visiting Trung Khanh, tourists will never forget moments of relaxing among wild nature, beholding beautiful landscapes with white pear flower and listening to birdsongs.   

  

Source: Vietnamvnanet

 

 

Mang Den in Kon Tum – you should not miss in 2013

Natural space, primitive ecosystem, the pristine and pureness as the flower blooming have created an intriguing Mang Den Ecotourism driving many tourists touching when setting foot this land.

• Mang Den Ecotourism Site in Kon Tum- “The Second Dalat Tourist City”

According to Vietnam Tourism Development Strategy to 2030, the Central Highlands is identified as one of seven specific tourist areas of Vietnam and Mang Den Ecotourism under Kon Plong district, Kon Tum province is one of the 31 zones having scale and particularly prominent tourism potential in Vietnam invested by Vietnam Government with the aim for the development of national tour.

When mentioning to culture-tourism Central Highlands, it means that we will think firstly about space of Gongs culture, epic treasure, the architecture of Rong house, Buon Me Thuat coffee and lively and rich songs… All of the images, languages, and sounds create an instinctive and strong Central Highlands.

Purple sunset falls Mang Den mountains

With an annual average temperature of 20 degrees, Mang Den is cool all year round

Yeloow fields along the hillside in Mang Den

Mang Den has the cultural  diversity of peoples including  ethnic Mơnâm,

Xêđăng, Kadong, H’rê accounting for more than 97% in population

The stilt houses nestled peacefully in mountainside.

The majestic Dak Ke waterfall

Romantic natural landscape

A ravishing lake in the mountain

Mang Den has pristine beauty and pureness like the image of young girl: simplicity, innocence. Therefore, the eco-resort is the key strengths of the Mang Den. Under humid tropical climate, Mang Den proudly owns fresh cool air all year around and natural, majestic beauty of landscape and it always offers tourists opportunity to visit to this land.

In addition, Mang Den has an important position in economic exchanges particularly being located on National Road No.24 linking Kon Tum province and the central coastal provinces; as well as situated on the East-West Economic corridor through Bo Y international border via National Road No.24 to the central coastal resorts. Going through this gate, visitors can get to the tourist attractions in the Central Highlands (Gia Lai, Dak Lak, Dak Nong, Lam Dong, Binh Dinh, Quang Ngai).

Source:Vietnam.vnanet.vn

Fansipan Mountain - Lao Cai

Location: Fansipan Mountain is located 9km south-west of Sapa Townlet in the Hoang Lien Mountain Range. 

Characteristics: Fansipan is branded "the Roof of Indochina" at the height of 3,143m; Fansipan is to be approved as one of the very few eco-tourist spots of Vietnam, with about 2,024 floral varieties and 327 faunal species.

The topography of Fansipan is varied. Muong Hoa Valley, at the lowest altitude (950-1,000m), is created by a narrow strip of land at the base on the east side of the mountain.

Geologists say the Hoang Lien Mountain Range, with Fansipan as its highest peak, did not emerge in the mountainous North West of Vietnam until the neozoic period (circ. 100 million years ago). Fansipan, a rough pronunciation of the local name "Hua Xi Pan" means "the tottery giant rock". The French came to Vietnam and in 1905 planted a landmark telling Fansipan's height of 3,143m and branded it "the Roof of Indochina". Very few people climbed to the top of Fansipan at the time. Then came the long years of war and Fansipan was left deserted for hunting and savaging. The trail blazed by the French was quickly overgrown by the underbrush. 

It takes six or seven days to reach the 3,143m summit, the highest peak of the Indochina Peninsula.

In 1991, Nguyen Thien Hung, an army man returned to the district town and decided to conquer Fansipan. Only on the 13th attempt did Hung, with a H'Mong boy as his guide, conquer the high peak by following the foot steps of the mountain goats. Scaling the height was meant to satisfy his eager will and aspiration to conquer the mountain without expecting that his name would be put down in the travel guidebook. After that the Sapa Tourism Agency started a new package tour there. It seemed the Fansipan Tour was meant only for those who wished to test their muscular power.
The summit of Fansipan is accessible all year round, but the best time to make the ascent is from mid-October to mid-November, and again in March.

Foreigners like best to book Fansipan tours between October and December, as this period is more often than not free from the heavy rains that obstruct the jaunt. But the Vietnamese prefer their tours to the peak of the mountain from February to April, as it is not so cold then. However, the best time for the trek to the mountain is from the end of February to the start of March, when the flowers all flourish and the climbers may behold the carpets of brilliant blossoms, violets and orchids, rhododendrons and aglaias.   

 

Mang Den Ecotourism Area - Kon Tum

Location: Kon Plong District, the Central Highlands province of Kon Tum, about 50km northeast of Kon Tum City.

Characteristics: An attractive ecotourism area with great potential of Kon Tum Province.

From Kon Tum City, following National Road No. 24 about 54km to the center of Kon Plong District, and then passing Mang Den Pass, visitors will arrive at the Mang Den Ecotourism Area. The name Mang Den is transcribed from the word "T'mang Deeng" of the M'Nong people ("T'mang" means a flat land and "Deeng" means a residential area). 

The Mang Den Ecotourism Area is located at a height of 1,200m above sea level. Year-round, it has an average temperature of 18-20 degrees celsius. This feature has earned the area fame as "the second Da Lat tourist city" in the Central Highlands. The area nestles amidst primitive forests and a large area grown with age-old pine trees, spotted by natural lakes, waterfalls and springs. Such rare species of flora as red pine trees and Fujian cypress, medicinal plants as cinnamon and Aquilaria plant, and wild animals as python and chamois have made the Mang Den area different significantly from Da Lat in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong or Sa Pa in the northwestern mountainous province of Lao Cai.

Living in the area are mainly the M'Nong, Xo Dang and Hre people who have well preserved their authentic lifestyle, distinctive culture and customs, and traditional crafts. These ethnic minorities have often settled nearby lakes, waterfalls or rivers and built their communal houses next to slash-and-burn rice and food crops.

The Mang Den Ecotourism Area is a part of the tourist route "Green Road in Central Highlands" connected to other ones such as "Central Heritage Road" and "Legendary Ho Chi Minh Trail" to form the transnational tourist route "Indochina Heritage Road" linking the world heritage sites in Viet Nam with ones in Laos and Cambodia.

Realizing potential benefits the area will bring in, the Government has worked out a plan to develop this 1,500-2,000 ha green land into a national tourism zone offering various tourism products and regarded it as one of three key socio-economic development zones of Kon Tum Province. 

  

Cong Tay Tourist Site - Quang Ninh

Location: Cong Tay Tourist Site is located in Bai Tu Long, about 40km from Bai Chay Tourist Wharf and it takes 90 minutes from Cam Pha to the island by ordinary ship and 30 minutes by express ship. 

Characteristics: Cong Tay Island is a spot in the tour around the Ngoc Vung, Quan Lan Islands.

Cong Tay Island is compared with the Cinderella in a fairy tale. Cam Pha Coal, Construction and Wharf Company built the site into a destination for sigh-seeing and relaxation at weekend. Near the beach is a network of all-conveniences rest houses and restaurants.

From the rest houses you can go to the beach on a red brick paved road lined on the two sides by straight rows of coconuts. You can relax by lying on a hammock under the shade of coconut while having a view of the sea or reading books. Cong Tay has becoming an attractive tourist destination. Rest houses and service facilities are being updated and completed to cater to the needs of tourists. 

 

Mekong Delta resort provides kitsch fun by reliving the past

If you visit the Mekong Delta, leave the boisterous atmosphere of the busy floating markets behind and go to My Khanh Tourism Village.

Located in Can Tho City, on the route between Cai Rang and Phong Dien floating markets, the village offers rich gardens of more than 20 kinds of fruit interwoven with a system of bungalows, as well as ancient houses.

A farmer's life: Tourists play the role of farmers and try to catch fish for their meals. 

Pointing to a 100-year-old traditional house, Pham Minh Sang, vice director of the My Khanh Tourist Company, said that the house was purchased from the descendants of the original owner in Binh Thuy Ward, about 10km away. Workers transported it piece by piece from Binh Thuy and reassembled it in My Khanh.

"The old house was damaged seriously," he said, "But we hired skilful joiners who know traditional architecture to repair it. After one year, the reassembling work was complete." Inside the house, old wooden furniture is arranged in traditional southern style.

Another 300-year-old house from the southern province of Vinh Long has been converted into a restaurant.

River life: Tourists visit floating markets and discover the surrounding canals on My Khanh yacht.

Visiting My Khanh Village, you can experience how southerners once lived by trying on the costumes of a poor farmer and a rich landlord. As a rich landlord, you can enjoy fruit and hot tea and listen to music from a hand-operated gramophone. As a farmer, you get the opportunity to work and prepare traditional meals.

You can also join in folk games such as climbing areca tree, breaking clay pots blindfolded, jumping in jute bags and tug-of-war.

Pigs can fly: It's fun to join folk games such as catching pigs blindfolded

"Probably the best description for My Khanh would be ‘a Vietnamese mini-Disneyland,'" said Aleksi Murto, a tourist from Helsinki. "It's a very strange resort, but we had a great stay."

On their first day, the Finnish family arranged a bike tour where they would cycle through tiny villages and see beautiful small canals. My Khanh staff also arranged for them to visit the floating markets, which are close to the site, by private boat.

"I definitely recommend the bike tour," Murto said. "We also had a pretty visit to Cai Rang Floating Market, which took 30 minutes to reach by boat."

Tom Cullmann, a visitor from Montreal, and his wife also had a memorable experience at the resort, which they described as a wonderful mix of kitsch, bewilderment and discovery.

"There are Flintstone-style bungalows, lush tropical grounds, exotic fruit plantations, a crocodile park and even a pig-racing arena," he said. "I was particularly intrigued by the historical manor-house. With its beautiful furnishings, it feels like a throwback to the colonial days of Indochina."

The resort also has different demonstrations, including traditional Vietnamese crafts such as the making of rice paper for spring rolls and rice liquor.

Tourists can hire bicycles and scooters to discover the whole region, filled with canals, rivers and river islets. Simple houses, lush greenery and water are everywhere.

Cullmann particularly enjoyed a pre-dawn boat ride on the Mekong River. "We saw the sun rise over the Mekong as the river people prepared for the floating markets," he said. "This is National Geographic material!" 

Source:VNS

Ea Kao Lake Tourist Resort

Location: Far from 12km south of Buon Ma Thuot City, Dak Lak Province. 

Characteristics: Ea Kao Lake Tourist Resort is a famous tourist resort of Dak Lak Province. This tourist resort is built with a large and modern scale, but it still preserves traditional identities.  

The tourist resort of Ea Kao Lake covers an area of 120 hectares (not counting the surface of the lake) with various areas, including amusement parks, gardens, restaurants, natural reserve and guesthouses. This tourist resort is surrounded with numerous green trees, which contributes to maintaining and restoring the province ecological environment, as well as to preserving and promoting cultural values of the ethnic groups in the region.

Visitors to Ea Kao Lake will have opportunities to relax and enjoy fresh air, and take part in entertainment, tourist and cultural activities.

With a temperate climate, average temperature of 20.7ºC and annual average rainfall of 2,155 mm, this area boasts favorite conditions for tourism development.  

Cu Dlue Lake - Pine Hill Tourist Resort

Location: Cu Dlue Lake - Pine Hill Tourist Resort lies in Khanh Xuan Ward, 6km west of Buon Ma Thuot City, Dak Lak Province. 

Characteristics: This area has an average height of 400m - 500m above sea level, the highest mountain top is 580m Cu Dlue.

It boasts tropical climate of highland with humidity, conducive to aquaculture and afforestation. Visitors to this tourist resort have opportunities to relax and entertain themselves after hard working days. There are many entertainment activities for tourists, such as fishing, dancing and playing billiard, table tennis. In addition, visitors can enjoy multicolored flowers, including red flamboyant, violet bang lang, and yellow tram. Tourists can stay in hotels, villas and rong traditional houses by the lake to smell perfume of clean lake water.
Come to the Cu Dlue Lake - Pine Hill Tourist Resort to enjoy your holiday in a pure natural environment.  

Four Vietnam's National Parks are listed on ASEAN Heritage Park

The Asean Heritage Parks are educational and inspirational sites of high conservation values, preserving a complete spectrum of representative ecosystems of the Asean region countries. These parks embody the aspirations of the people of the Asean nations to conserve their natural treasures.

It was built to generate greater awareness, pride, enjoyment and conservation of the Asean region’s rich natural heritage through a regional network of representative protected areas. 

1. Hoang Lien National Park

Hoang Lien National Park, located in the Hoang Lien mountain range belonging to Sa Pa and Than Uyen districts, Lao Cai Province and includes Vietnam’s highest peak, Mount Fansipan (3,143 m).

The park supports a wide variety of habitat types: elevations below 1,800m support lower montane evergreen forest; elevations between 1,800 and 2,500m support upper montane evergreen forest, elevations between 2,500 and 2,800m support sub-alpine forest, while the vegetation above 2,800m is dominated by stands of dwarf bamboo with scattered, stunted trees.

2. Ba Be National Park

The national park is really an inviting environment to relax and enjoy nature. It's special limestone landscape which is dotted with small villages of different ethnic groups that creates a charming vista of both human and natural beauty.

3. Chu Mom Ray National Park

Visiting Chu Mom Ray, tourists will be explored the villages of ethnic minorities such as HLang, Gia Rai, Ko Dong, Ro Mam. Guests will rest in the hollow or the cool community houses, enjoy dishes like as bamboo rice, Can wine, herbs and will have a great feeling when trekking in the National park.

Highlights of the National Park boast up to 114 species in the Red Book of Vietnam and the world. In particular, the pasture (Ja Book Valley) on the largest type of Vietnam's areas (over 9,000 ha), in Chu Mom Ray National Park has many hoofed mammals and predators buff such as tiger, bull, bull, elephant, bear, and reptiles. 

4. Kon Ka Kinh National Park

Thank to the characteristics of its topography, climate and many other factors, this park contains a great deal of biodiversity. It contains 687 flora species of 459 genus and 140 families, of which the class of Magnoliopsida is dominant (104 families, 337 genus, 528 species). Other diviso of Pteridophyta includes 16 families, 32 genus and 40 species. Gymnosperm includes 5 families, 8 genus, 8 species. In addition, Kon Ka Kinh National park is also the home to several endangered and preserved endemic species. Most of the area in the park is covered by protozoa with the above-mentioned typical flora.