Adventure hike in Cat Tien

The Viet Adventure crew climb to the top of Green Hill Photo: Thai Hang

Only 170 kilometers from HCMC, Cat Tien is an ideal piece of the wild for an adventure trip.

At more than 71,000 hectares, Cat Tien National Park has plenty of untamed places that are off the beaten track.

Hiking or biking are the best ways to travel on the forest tracks. The park has important conservation value because of the rainforest, mountains, river and rich biodiversity that attracts thousands of tourists and scientists from all over the world.

Instead of risking it alone, the team at Viet Adventure, organizes hiking and biking trips into the Cat Tien jungle with a back-up crew to make sure nothing goes wrong.

Catch the bus from HCMC in the afternoon to the national park in Tan Phu Commune, Dong Nai Province, arriving in plenty of time for a good night’s sleep in accommodation at the park headquarters. The hike starts early the next day to avoid the mid-day heat and jungle humidity.

The destination is Green Hill; to get there the track goes past ethnic
minority Ma and S’Tieng villages then continues through a thick bamboo jungle following one of the local tribe’s tracks. It’s likely to pass some of the minorities as they go about their business in the forest and see some deer and birdlife but the going is not easy. The tour arrives at the top of Green Hill, an inactive volcano over 300 meters above sea level in time for lunch. Before getting to the top, there’s a cave containing thousands of bats.

Another village path is taken for the trip down, which is a scramble over the loose red basalt soil. The scenery is different with streams, tall grass and bamboo.

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Adventure hike in Cat Tien

The Viet Adventure crew climb to the top of Green Hill Photo: Thai Hang

Only 170 kilometers from HCMC, Cat Tien is an ideal piece of the wild for an adventure trip.

At more than 71,000 hectares, Cat Tien National Park has plenty of untamed places that are off the beaten track.

Hiking or biking are the best ways to travel on the forest tracks. The park has important conservation value because of the rainforest, mountains, river and rich biodiversity that attracts thousands of tourists and scientists from all over the world.

Instead of risking it alone, the team at Viet Adventure, organizes hiking and biking trips into the Cat Tien jungle with a back-up crew to make sure nothing goes wrong.

Catch the bus from HCMC in the afternoon to the national park in Tan Phu Commune, Dong Nai Province, arriving in plenty of time for a good night’s sleep in accommodation at the park headquarters. The hike starts early the next day to avoid the mid-day heat and jungle humidity.

The destination is Green Hill; to get there the track goes past ethnic
minority Ma and S’Tieng villages then continues through a thick bamboo jungle following one of the local tribe’s tracks. It’s likely to pass some of the minorities as they go about their business in the forest and see some deer and birdlife but the going is not easy. The tour arrives at the top of Green Hill, an inactive volcano over 300 meters above sea level in time for lunch. Before getting to the top, there’s a cave containing thousands of bats.

Another village path is taken for the trip down, which is a scramble over the loose red basalt soil. The scenery is different with streams, tall grass and bamboo.

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Adventure hike in Cat Tien

The Viet Adventure crew climb to the top of Green Hill Photo: Thai Hang

Only 170 kilometers from HCMC, Cat Tien is an ideal piece of the wild for an adventure trip.

At more than 71,000 hectares, Cat Tien National Park has plenty of untamed places that are off the beaten track.

Hiking or biking are the best ways to travel on the forest tracks. The park has important conservation value because of the rainforest, mountains, river and rich biodiversity that attracts thousands of tourists and scientists from all over the world.

Instead of risking it alone, the team at Viet Adventure, organizes hiking and biking trips into the Cat Tien jungle with a back-up crew to make sure nothing goes wrong.

Catch the bus from HCMC in the afternoon to the national park in Tan Phu Commune, Dong Nai Province, arriving in plenty of time for a good night’s sleep in accommodation at the park headquarters. The hike starts early the next day to avoid the mid-day heat and jungle humidity.

The destination is Green Hill; to get there the track goes past ethnic
minority Ma and S’Tieng villages then continues through a thick bamboo jungle following one of the local tribe’s tracks. It’s likely to pass some of the minorities as they go about their business in the forest and see some deer and birdlife but the going is not easy. The tour arrives at the top of Green Hill, an inactive volcano over 300 meters above sea level in time for lunch. Before getting to the top, there’s a cave containing thousands of bats.

Another village path is taken for the trip down, which is a scramble over the loose red basalt soil. The scenery is different with streams, tall grass and bamboo.

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Adventure hike in Cat Tien

The Viet Adventure crew climb to the top of Green Hill Photo: Thai Hang

Only 170 kilometers from HCMC, Cat Tien is an ideal piece of the wild for an adventure trip.

At more than 71,000 hectares, Cat Tien National Park has plenty of untamed places that are off the beaten track.

Hiking or biking are the best ways to travel on the forest tracks. The park has important conservation value because of the rainforest, mountains, river and rich biodiversity that attracts thousands of tourists and scientists from all over the world.

Instead of risking it alone, the team at Viet Adventure, organizes hiking and biking trips into the Cat Tien jungle with a back-up crew to make sure nothing goes wrong.

Catch the bus from HCMC in the afternoon to the national park in Tan Phu Commune, Dong Nai Province, arriving in plenty of time for a good night’s sleep in accommodation at the park headquarters. The hike starts early the next day to avoid the mid-day heat and jungle humidity.

The destination is Green Hill; to get there the track goes past ethnic
minority Ma and S’Tieng villages then continues through a thick bamboo jungle following one of the local tribe’s tracks. It’s likely to pass some of the minorities as they go about their business in the forest and see some deer and birdlife but the going is not easy. The tour arrives at the top of Green Hill, an inactive volcano over 300 meters above sea level in time for lunch. Before getting to the top, there’s a cave containing thousands of bats.

Another village path is taken for the trip down, which is a scramble over the loose red basalt soil. The scenery is different with streams, tall grass and bamboo.

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Picturesque lake attracts day trippers from Ha Noi

by Minh Thu

Relaxing: An young woman enjoys the poetic landscape at Tien Sa Lake. Monkey time: A monkey sits on a tree near Tien Sa Lake. The area has diverse flora and fauna.

The romantic name attracts a lot of visitors to Tien Sa (The Fairy Descends) Lake, located about 60km from Ha Noi at the base of Tan Vien Mountain in Ba Vi District. It's an ideal destination for a relaxing day or weekend in the fresh air in a quiet atmosphere that's hard to find in the city.

There is much to see around this lake where, according to local legend, fairies once descended to earth to bathe. When they returned to heaven, one hurriedly followed them, leaving her scarf blowing in the wind. The scarf then turned into a white cloud above Tan Vien.

Due to the topographical and geologic conditions, the lake is clear all year round. The surrounding mountains and forests, along with the floating houses on the lake, create a dreamlike and idyllic landscape.

The green forests covering part of the mountain and surrounding the lake have created a cool, pleasant and romantic atmosphere, said Banh Thanh Ban, head of the area's management board.

"Many young couples visit on the weekends where they relax and enjoy the quiet atmosphere together," Ban said.

The couples can explore the lake by boat, enjoy a leisurely walk around the hills or sit in the shade of a tree to read a book, he said.

In the summer, tourists enjoy bathing at Nhi Long Waterfall nearby or at the water park, which has three pools and nine water slides, as well as recreating facilities for tennis, football, volleyball and badminton. An amusement area includes electric cars and rides, and a resident troupe of monkeys.

Pham Hung Anh and his friends have come to the site many times to enjoy it at different seasons of the year.

"I prefer visiting the lake in summer," Anh said. "I can swim at the waterfall, which is dry in the winter. I can also check out the lake by boat and enjoy the cool air. After driving in the dust and heat, reaching the lake is a wonderful feeling."

In winter, the weather is fairly cold, but tourists from Ha Noi still choose Tien Sa Lake for weekend getaways because they love the cosy atmosphere. Sauna and massage services are available featuring herbal remedies of Dao ethnic people, which help relax and refresh the muscles after a long day of climbing and trekking.

Folk dances

Cool water: In summer, Nhi Long Waterfall creates a natural swimming pool. — File Photo

At night, visitors can enjoy folk dances and songs by the Muong ethnic people, or join in a bonfire and try such local specialities as baked maize and sweet potatoes.

In addition to the natural beauty, the tourism site features architecture built in a traditional style with rich detail and harmonised colours. A hotel with a red roof sits among green leaves beneath the blue sky, and the surrounding structures are given romantic names like Ngu Phuc (Five Good Fortunes) Gate, Thuan Thien (Following God's Order) Bridge, Lien Hoa (Lotus) House, Uyen Uong (Inseparable Couple) Pavilion, and Vien Son (Mountain's Garden)

"We intend to invest more and increase services to lure more tourists to stay longer," Ban said. "This is a wonderful place to rest. Tourists can live in harmony with nature and enjoy our entertainment services away from work and ordinary worries."

At 400m above sea level, the Tien Sa Lake tourism area has a total area of 150ha, including 120ha of forest and 20ha of water. The tourism site was developed in 2003 by the Cuong Thinh Company with a total investment of VND60 billion (US$3 million) over ten years.

Last year, the site attracted more than 90,000 visitors, according to the director's statistics. — VNS

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Where to hang out on National Day

The bumper boats at Suoi Tien Park. HCMC’s tourist parks are putting on extra entertainment for the holiday - Photo: Tuong Vi

Local tourism parks will host heaps of activities to celebrate National Day next week.  Dam Sen Park in HCMC’s District 11 and Suoi Tien Park in District 9 will organize fireworks displays on Sep 2 from 8.30-9p.m.

Dam Sen Park will present two new comedy and puppet shows for kids by Idécaf called Son Tinh Thuy Tinh and Beauty and the Beast - two sessions everyday from Sep 2-5. HCMC circus troupe, local singers, hip hop and break dancers will also be performing.

Lotus is on the menu at Huong Sen restaurant at the park with a selection of dishes made from the Vietnamese vegetable priced around VND20,000. Visitors can also purchase souvenirs such as jewelry, paper products, bamboo, wood, stone or porcelain and calligraphy works.

Entrance for adults is VND45,000 and VND30,000 for children.

Suoi Tien is also welcoming tourists for the holiday. You can relax at Tien Dong beach, and play in the machine generated waves. The prices for an adults and children are VND55,000 and VND35,000 respectively. Dolphin and sea lion performances cost VND20,000-30,000.

Other activities include a laser gun battleground, treasure hunts and crocodile fishing with prices ranging from VND5,000 to VND15,000. You can also watch a 4D movie, Wild Africa, for VND40,000.

National Day tickets will be the same as every other day - VND25,000 per child and VND 45,000 per adult.

As well as the regular attractions, Dai Nam Tourism Park in Binh Duong Province will have shows with magicians, circus troupes and swimsuit fashion shows. The entrance tickets for kids and adults are VND25,000 to VND40,000.

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