Where the Mekong meets the sea

Ba Dong Beach in the Mekong Delta province of Tra Vinh

Duyen Hai is a coastal district in the Mekong Delta province of Tra Vinh, where the Mekong River meets the East Sea.

From Tra Vinh take National Road 53 east to get to Duyen Hai. The first place of interest there is Ba Dong Beach in Truong Long Hoa Commune. Ba Dong has giant sand dunes, formed by the action of the river and the ocean.

Lining the beach at the foot of the sand dunes are endless miles of casuarina forests.

Behind the sand dunes are potato farms where visitors can join in the harvest with local farmers to learn how to farm and about the local culture. As the soil is sandy and soft, it’s easy to dig the big sweet potatoes up. Along the beach there are farms that grow rau muong, a type of water spinach with purple flowers.

Farmers in their potato garden near Ba Dong Beach in Tra Vinh Province - Photos: Phuong Ha

Also in Truong Long Hoa Commune, about 55 kilometers from Tra Vinh Town, is the Nha Trang – Duyen Hai, also called Ba Dong tourist area where tourists can find accommodation, a swimming beach, volleyball court and places to relax.

The tourist area covers seven hectares. There is also a food area and bungalows to rent. The sunsets are spectacular.

The tourist area contains an old temple dedicated to worship Trieu Thi Trinh who led the revolution against the Chinese in 248AD. She failed and drowned herself in the river.

The temple attracts many visitors and pilgrims every year to the heroine’s commemoration ceremony.

About 200 meters from the temple is an old tomb built of stone under the shade. Locals say it is the tomb of a princess in Nguyen Dynasty who may have been the sister of Gia Long King. 

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Between rocks and beautiful spaces

It’s a pain in your calf, your thighs and what not, but boy, is it worth it!

Rocky terrain: High up among the mountains, a unique garden

Driving through rugged, rock-strewn mountain slopes is hard work, and made more difficult when the narrow path ahead is hidden among clouds.

We had been climbing all morning, up the rocky slopes that seemed to stretch into eternity.

A bumpy two-hour motorbike ride later, we finally reached the top. Spread out beneath us was a breathtaking view of the Ngoc Hue River snaking through the valleys below.

It was a clear day in early October, and we were in the Dong Van Stone Plateau, recognized as part of the Global Network of National Geoparks (GGN).

That it has stunning natural scenery and a rich culture is well known, but the stone plateau geopark must be one of the most difficult destinations to reach in Vietnam.

This only adds to its allure though, at least for those with a thirst for adventure.

Dong Van Highland, which spans four districts: Dong Van, Meo Vac, Yen Minh and Quan Ba, is known as the Sa Pa of Ha Giang because of its cool climate. Indeed, it has to be one of the few places in Vietnam where one can enjoy the midday sun without getting burned!

But we were experiencing winter here, although it was autumn in Hanoi. I was reminded of the terrible winter four years ago when thousands of cows and buffalos in the region died because of the cold snap.

HOW TO GET THERE

Book a trip through some travel agents in Hanoi like Dulichvietnam Open Tour (43 Luong Ngoc Quyen Street, tel: (04) 3 717 1444, email: info@opentour.vn); Green Trail Tours (Suite #1016 - B4 Building - Tran Dang Ninh Street, tel: (04) 3 754 5268, email: info@greentrail-indochina.com. By motorbike: a big motorbike (Minsk, Win, Bonus, etc) would be more suitable. From Hanoi, follow National Road No. 2, passing Vinh Phuc and Tuyen Quang provinces. You need at least two days in Ha Giang to explore the area. Information on hotels for your stay can be found at www.hotels84.com/hagiang.htm. Daughters of the soil: Brightly clad mother and daughter prepare soil for the next crop

A local guide advised us to return in spring or summer to see a different Ha Giang. “Spring is really a joy, with tricolored peach blossoms everywhere,” he gushed. “And in summer, the highlands are a rainbow of different colors, with green cabbages and golden terraced rice fields nestling in the mountains”.

The colors of nature are well complimented by the local people of Dong Van, who play a huge part in the popularity of this area.

We were lucky to chance upon a Sunday market, a perfect place for people watching, in Dong Van.

Carrying heavy vegetable baskets on their backs, dozens of young girls and old women in their best and brightest dresses milled around selling their wares and socializing. In sharp contrast, all the men wore black or dark colored tunics.

To get to the market on time, many sellers have to start their journey at midnight. However, there was no sign of tiredness on the cheerful faces.

“I rarely miss any market gathering because it is a chance for me to meet my friends,” said a young Mong girl who sells wine made from corn. She comes with her father who likes eating thang co (a kind of soup cooked with horse meat). Life looked easy for Mong men, many of who lay inebriated on the roadside, while their wives tended to them.

Leaving the market, we drove to the Lung Cu Flag Tower, the northern-most point in Vietnam. Set in the midst of a gorgeous landscape, the tower was the perfect spot to take in the beauty of Dong Van and breathe in the crisp mountain air. The treacherous journey was a small price to pay for the expansive views and much-needed escape from our city lives.

THE DESTINATION

* Dong Van Highland lies over 100km north-east of Ha Giang Town in Ha Giang Province, north of Vietnam, which is more than 300 km from Hanoi. The area is located at an average height of 1,000-1,600m above sea level and features limestone structures in various sizes and shapes and with different characteristics. Local and foreign specialists from Russia, Japan, Germany, Poland, and Belgium have found fossils of thousands of species that lived some 400-600 million years ago. New valleys, rocks and caves have been discovered here. * In addition to the breathtaking scenic attractions, Dong Van is said to be home to around 250,000 people belonging to nearly 20 ethnic groups including the Tay, Nung and Mong who are preserving their centuries-old rich culture. * Places to visit: Vuong’s House in Sa Phin Commune, Dong Van District – a national architectural heritage, Lung Cu Flag Tower, Dong Van Ancient Street (in Dong Van District), Ma Pi Leng Historical Relic, Khau Vai Love Market (in Meo Vac District) and Nui Doi (in Quan Ba District).

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Between rocks and beautiful spaces

It’s a pain in your calf, your thighs and what not, but boy, is it worth it!

Rocky terrain: High up among the mountains, a unique garden

Driving through rugged, rock-strewn mountain slopes is hard work, and made more difficult when the narrow path ahead is hidden among clouds.

We had been climbing all morning, up the rocky slopes that seemed to stretch into eternity.

A bumpy two-hour motorbike ride later, we finally reached the top. Spread out beneath us was a breathtaking view of the Ngoc Hue River snaking through the valleys below.

It was a clear day in early October, and we were in the Dong Van Stone Plateau, recognized as part of the Global Network of National Geoparks (GGN).

That it has stunning natural scenery and a rich culture is well known, but the stone plateau geopark must be one of the most difficult destinations to reach in Vietnam.

This only adds to its allure though, at least for those with a thirst for adventure.

Dong Van Highland, which spans four districts: Dong Van, Meo Vac, Yen Minh and Quan Ba, is known as the Sa Pa of Ha Giang because of its cool climate. Indeed, it has to be one of the few places in Vietnam where one can enjoy the midday sun without getting burned!

But we were experiencing winter here, although it was autumn in Hanoi. I was reminded of the terrible winter four years ago when thousands of cows and buffalos in the region died because of the cold snap.

HOW TO GET THERE

Book a trip through some travel agents in Hanoi like Dulichvietnam Open Tour (43 Luong Ngoc Quyen Street, tel: (04) 3 717 1444, email: info@opentour.vn); Green Trail Tours (Suite #1016 - B4 Building - Tran Dang Ninh Street, tel: (04) 3 754 5268, email: info@greentrail-indochina.com. By motorbike: a big motorbike (Minsk, Win, Bonus, etc) would be more suitable. From Hanoi, follow National Road No. 2, passing Vinh Phuc and Tuyen Quang provinces. You need at least two days in Ha Giang to explore the area. Information on hotels for your stay can be found at www.hotels84.com/hagiang.htm. Daughters of the soil: Brightly clad mother and daughter prepare soil for the next crop

A local guide advised us to return in spring or summer to see a different Ha Giang. “Spring is really a joy, with tricolored peach blossoms everywhere,” he gushed. “And in summer, the highlands are a rainbow of different colors, with green cabbages and golden terraced rice fields nestling in the mountains”.

The colors of nature are well complimented by the local people of Dong Van, who play a huge part in the popularity of this area.

We were lucky to chance upon a Sunday market, a perfect place for people watching, in Dong Van.

Carrying heavy vegetable baskets on their backs, dozens of young girls and old women in their best and brightest dresses milled around selling their wares and socializing. In sharp contrast, all the men wore black or dark colored tunics.

To get to the market on time, many sellers have to start their journey at midnight. However, there was no sign of tiredness on the cheerful faces.

“I rarely miss any market gathering because it is a chance for me to meet my friends,” said a young Mong girl who sells wine made from corn. She comes with her father who likes eating thang co (a kind of soup cooked with horse meat). Life looked easy for Mong men, many of who lay inebriated on the roadside, while their wives tended to them.

Leaving the market, we drove to the Lung Cu Flag Tower, the northern-most point in Vietnam. Set in the midst of a gorgeous landscape, the tower was the perfect spot to take in the beauty of Dong Van and breathe in the crisp mountain air. The treacherous journey was a small price to pay for the expansive views and much-needed escape from our city lives.

THE DESTINATION

* Dong Van Highland lies over 100km north-east of Ha Giang Town in Ha Giang Province, north of Vietnam, which is more than 300 km from Hanoi. The area is located at an average height of 1,000-1,600m above sea level and features limestone structures in various sizes and shapes and with different characteristics. Local and foreign specialists from Russia, Japan, Germany, Poland, and Belgium have found fossils of thousands of species that lived some 400-600 million years ago. New valleys, rocks and caves have been discovered here. * In addition to the breathtaking scenic attractions, Dong Van is said to be home to around 250,000 people belonging to nearly 20 ethnic groups including the Tay, Nung and Mong who are preserving their centuries-old rich culture. * Places to visit: Vuong’s House in Sa Phin Commune, Dong Van District – a national architectural heritage, Lung Cu Flag Tower, Dong Van Ancient Street (in Dong Van District), Ma Pi Leng Historical Relic, Khau Vai Love Market (in Meo Vac District) and Nui Doi (in Quan Ba District).

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Quang Binh’s bird island

VietnamPlus Bird Island is being promoted for eco trips - Photo: VietnamPlus

About 70 kilometers from Quang Binh Province’s Dong Hoi City, there is a deserted island called Chim (Bird) or Gio (Wind) Island that is home to many sea birds.

Two different boat services are available from Dong Hoi City to the island.

A four-hour boat leaves from Nhat Le-Dong Hoi seaport and there is a two-hour service from Canh Duong seaport in Quang Trach District.

The sky above the rocky island is always full of birds that nest there. Standing on the highest rock, the view goes forever in every direction, just miles of sea and endless sky.

Far from your computer you can sit and gaze on the ocean, listening to the waves and birds.

Not many tourists travel there because of the long boat journey, but a few go in summer. Mainly it is used by fishermen, otherwise it is untouched, the air is clean and the water is blue.

The local authorities are planning to promote the image of the island to local and foreign tourists, especially nature lovers who are interested in birdwatching.

Other islands in the province include Vung Chua, Yen and Doi islands.

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Northern Vietnam highlands named UNESCO 'Geopark'

The Dong Van Stone Highlands in the northern province of Ha Giang have been recognized as a member of UNESCO-supported Global Geoparks Network (GNN).

The recognition was announced at biennial meeting held Sunday in Greece’s Lesvos of GGN, which promotes and preserves geoparks around the world.

A geopark, according to GGN, is a nationally protected area containing a number of geological heritage sites of particular importance, rarity or aesthetic appeal.

The latest event has made Dong Van become the first geopark in Vietnam and the second in the Southeast Asia to be named GGN member, Tuoi Tre reported.

Since the organization was established in 1998, it has admitted 58 geoparks from 18 countries.

Covering 574.35 square kilometers, Dong Van is home to a wide variety of geological wonders, according to Vu Cao Minh, former deputy chief of Vietnam’s Institute of Geology.

Fossils of nearly 1,000 species, including ancient fish, have been found across the highlands, he said, adding that its varied topography soars in places to heights of 700 meters high.

The highlands’ appeal also comes from the fact that nearly 20 ethnic minority people with different customs are living there, Minh said.

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Northern Vietnam highlands named UNESCO 'Geopark'

The Dong Van Stone Highlands in the northern province of Ha Giang have been recognized as a member of UNESCO-supported Global Geoparks Network (GNN).

The recognition was announced at biennial meeting held Sunday in Greece’s Lesvos of GGN, which promotes and preserves geoparks around the world.

A geopark, according to GGN, is a nationally protected area containing a number of geological heritage sites of particular importance, rarity or aesthetic appeal.

The latest event has made Dong Van become the first geopark in Vietnam and the second in the Southeast Asia to be named GGN member, Tuoi Tre reported.

Since the organization was established in 1998, it has admitted 58 geoparks from 18 countries.

Covering 574.35 square kilometers, Dong Van is home to a wide variety of geological wonders, according to Vu Cao Minh, former deputy chief of Vietnam’s Institute of Geology.

Fossils of nearly 1,000 species, including ancient fish, have been found across the highlands, he said, adding that its varied topography soars in places to heights of 700 meters high.

The highlands’ appeal also comes from the fact that nearly 20 ethnic minority people with different customs are living there, Minh said.

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Northern Vietnam highlands named UNESCO 'Geopark'

The Dong Van Stone Highlands in the northern province of Ha Giang have been recognized as a member of UNESCO-supported Global Geoparks Network (GNN).

The recognition was announced at biennial meeting held Sunday in Greece’s Lesvos of GGN, which promotes and preserves geoparks around the world.

A geopark, according to GGN, is a nationally protected area containing a number of geological heritage sites of particular importance, rarity or aesthetic appeal.

The latest event has made Dong Van become the first geopark in Vietnam and the second in the Southeast Asia to be named GGN member, Tuoi Tre reported.

Since the organization was established in 1998, it has admitted 58 geoparks from 18 countries.

Covering 574.35 square kilometers, Dong Van is home to a wide variety of geological wonders, according to Vu Cao Minh, former deputy chief of Vietnam’s Institute of Geology.

Fossils of nearly 1,000 species, including ancient fish, have been found across the highlands, he said, adding that its varied topography soars in places to heights of 700 meters high.

The highlands’ appeal also comes from the fact that nearly 20 ethnic minority people with different customs are living there, Minh said.

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Northern Vietnam highlands named UNESCO 'Geopark'

The Dong Van Stone Highlands in the northern province of Ha Giang have been recognized as a member of UNESCO-supported Global Geoparks Network (GNN).

The recognition was announced at biennial meeting held Sunday in Greece’s Lesvos of GGN, which promotes and preserves geoparks around the world.

A geopark, according to GGN, is a nationally protected area containing a number of geological heritage sites of particular importance, rarity or aesthetic appeal.

The latest event has made Dong Van become the first geopark in Vietnam and the second in the Southeast Asia to be named GGN member, Tuoi Tre reported.

Since the organization was established in 1998, it has admitted 58 geoparks from 18 countries.

Covering 574.35 square kilometers, Dong Van is home to a wide variety of geological wonders, according to Vu Cao Minh, former deputy chief of Vietnam’s Institute of Geology.

Fossils of nearly 1,000 species, including ancient fish, have been found across the highlands, he said, adding that its varied topography soars in places to heights of 700 meters high.

The highlands’ appeal also comes from the fact that nearly 20 ethnic minority people with different customs are living there, Minh said.

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Stone plateau declared world geopark

Dong Van Stone Plateau in the northern mountainous province of Ha
Giang has been recognised as a member of the Global Network of
National Geoparks (GGN).

The news was announced by
the Vietnamese delegation attending the European Geoparks Conference in
Lesvos , Greece , on Oct. 3.

The plateau has now
become the first geological park in Vietnam and the second geological
park in Southeast Asia after Langkawi Geological Park in
Malaysia.

The GGN proposed Vietnam develops a
master development plan to encourage people to preserve cultural and
geological heritage values together with local sustainable development.

The park is expected to eliminate poverty through sustainable economic development in Ha Giang province.

The document on Dong Van Stone Plateau was among six dossiers approved at the conference.

Dong
Van, which has remained untouched for hundreds of millions of years,
has mammoth rocks spread over four districts – Quan Ba, Yen Minh, Meo
Vac, and Dong Van – and is 1,000m above sea level.

The
plateau is made up of at least 80 percent limestone and has fossils of
thousands of species of ancient creatures from 400-600 million years
ago.

It is also home to several cultures that sprung up
over the centuries. The 574-sq.km plateau now has 250,000 people
belonging to 17 ethnic groups./.

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Coming round mountains to Tay Bac

Me Pi Leng pass through the limestone mountains in Ha Giang Province

Tay Bac, the mountainous region in the northwest of Vietnam, is famous for beautiful terraced fields, colorful love markets, magnificent mountains and valleys. The terrain is fascinating for tourists who can discover many riddles of nature and indigenous cultures. The spectacular hillside-hugging road to the northern province of Ha Giang has a few hair-raising turns but the marvelous landscape is irresistible for nature lovers and adventurers.

Ethnic kids carry water large distances in the dry season

I came to Meo Vac, a mountainous district in Ha Giang Province where tourists can visit Khau Vai love market, in the late afternoon. The topography is limestone mountains that impose over the poetic Nho Que river running through.

The love market often opens on the nights of 26th and 27th days of the lunar month. Shops trade till after midnight and local residents also stay up late. Their life rhythm is slow; the market is busy but I still sense a tranquility of there that is different to the markets in lowland regions.

Women carry firewood to Dong Van District in late afternoon - Photos: Lam Van Son

In contrast, Meo Vac market in the morning is rather quiet with dozens of ethnic women standing around with wooden packs, filled with vegetables and other agricultural products on their back. Buyers take a look and handle the produce before they start to bargain. The market doesn’t stay open long.

Leaving Meo Vac, I continued the journey to conquer Ma Pi Leng Mountain. I have traveled through many Highland passes, but I felt a bit giddy at Ma Pi Leng, the king of all mountain passes in Vietnam.

Ma Pi Leng is located on the border of Ha Giang Township and Dong Van and Meo Vac districts. The road runs round the sides of black limestone mountains, which are typical features of Dong Van Plateau. Wall-like rocks of all shapes also beautify the pass between Dong Van Town and Lung Phin Commune. The Nho Que River adds the finishing touch to nature’s masterpiece.

In the dry season, ethnic people have to carry water large distances. I felt touched to see their hardship.

The next stop is conquering Lung Cu Mountain in Dong Van Plateau. It is in Lung Cu Commune, which is about 1,600 meters above sea level. On the peak of the mountain is a flagpole about 30 meters tall.

From the top, tourists can see the terraced fields and lakes below. It was breath-taking. I felt a sense of awe that I cannot forget.

Then I arrived at Dong Van District near sunset. Dong Van, about 155 kilometers from Ha Giang Commune, is the most developed district among the ethnic districts in Ha Giang.

Dong Van is famous with old quarters, old markets, especially with its name meaning a plateau of limestone. Dong Van’s old quarter is different from Hoi An ancient town as most of houses here are built the Chinese way with 60-80-centimeter-thick clay walls and tiled roofs.

The market days in Dong Van left the biggest impression on me. Groups of H’Mong, Dao, Tay and other ethnic peoples in their colorful costumes walk from every corner of the mountains to the market to buy and sell. They arrive on foot with oxen, pigs, horses, chicken and every type of livestock and fowl. It’s exciting to watch the noisy bargaining at the trading area for animals and the tinkling sounds of spoons, pots and bowls when food sellers prepare for the market.

The market is a place where the Kinh people can meet and exchange culture with minority peoples.

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The enigma of Dong Thap

Tourists on board one of the skiffs at Xeo Quyt after being taken around the narrow canals

One of the many reasons I love Vietnam is the motorbike culture. Give me a motorbike over a car any day. Ask anyone that’s read Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance and they’ll tell you, it’s the simple joy of traveling without viewing the scenery through a windscreen that makes motorcycling anywhere fantastic. But when the scenery is as good as deep in the Mekong Delta the experience is epic.

The house in Sa Dec where French author Marguerite Duras lived between 1928 and 1932 and the scene of her famous book “The Lovers”. It used to be used by government but is now open to tourists - Photos: Hoang Tham

The road to Dong Thap Province is fairly wide and in good condition. Once out of the tangled tapestry of the Saigon traffic and the industrial satellite towns, the road opens up and you can afford to glance more than momentarily at the world going past. But it’s still extremely random out there so don’t get too relaxed.

But still the highway is the highway and it presents a fairly homogenous culture anywhere you go with limited offerings of coffee, coke and soups. So I decided to dive down some narrow tracks whenever I needed some food, drink or time to refresh. The results were heart warming. Less than 50 meters off the noisy arteries of this country, life goes on as though the locals don’t know that trucks and buses and foreigners exist.

One such place was a hut in the fields that specialized in selling wine and grilled rats. While at first skeptical I was soon sold on the tasty little creatures that were no doubt fresh from the back door.

Dong Thap is divided by a river. On one side is Sa Dec, a historic little town that would do well to convert some of its French colonial buildings into comfortable guesthouses. While the limited range of hotels in town are clean and comfortable they do little to evoke the town’s romantic history. Sa Dec is known for a famous love affair between French writer Marguerite Duras and the son of a rich Chinese family there in the 1920s, which was the subject of her 1984 book “The Lover”.

On the other side of the river is a much newer town forged out of the low lying delta wetlands. Cao Lanh does not have the nostalgia or the old Chinese temples that Sa Dec has, but it is a great jumping point for some of Dong Thap’s main wetland attractions, which are home to Vietnam’s rare red-headed cranes.

Gao Giong is one of these bird sanctuaries. Off the beaten track, the roads get pretty narrow before you get there, and if you dare it’s easy to get lost among the maze of narrow waterways and narrow concrete tracks that service the thousands that live in little houses along them. The wetlands have flat bottomed skiffs for tourists that take you even deeper into the delta – into a bird society. The cranes are noisy and everywhere you look. There is also an incredible tower that presents a panoramic view of Gao Giong and a rambling stilted restaurant above the marsh that serves the freshest grilled eels and catfish you have ever tasted

Also within an hour’s ride from Cao Lanh, Xeo Quyt is another story. Another maze of canals barely a shoulders breadth wide, it was planted by the revolutionists before the war to create a hiding place for the top brass. The fascinating tours here with English speaking guides create a very vivid impression of the war time, and the very wet comfortless conditions and bombings that the people endured for years.

I left Dong Thap with that wonderful sense that I had discovered something. Much more than the coconut candy factories of My Tho or the floating markets of Can Tho, I was satisfied that I had done more than just scratch the surface of the enigmatic Mekong Delta.

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