Hunting clouds in Hang Kia – Pa Co. (Photo: Cung Phuc) Hang Kia – Pa Co valley is as beautiful as a fairyland. Hang Kia – Pa Co is located in the middle of Xa Linh and Luong Xa mountain ranges, with an average altitude of 800-900m above sea level, a cool year-round climate and surrounded by primeval forests with invaluable vegetation. equally rich. Drug hotspot turns into a beautiful cloud hunting spot Hang Kia, in Thai is “Bat Cave”, and Pa Co means “Goat Forest”, the residence of the Mong people in these two communes, which were formerly the villages of the Thai people. However, because it is not suitable for farming and living practices, the Thai people here have moved elsewhere. About 30km from Mai Chau town, Hang Kia – Pa Co are the two most difficult communes of Mai Chau district, once the capital of opium and a hot spot for drugs and social evils of Hoa Binh province. The cause of this situation is that the Mong here have a close relationship with the Mong people in Van Ho district (Son La) and the Mong people in Laos. Taking advantage of this, some subjects have carried out acts of illegally trading and transporting drugs. Since then, criminal lines have been formed and this place has become a transit point for drugs from Laos to Vietnam. Currently, Hang Kia – Pa Co has returned to its peaceful rhythm of life. Some households have begun to develop homestay tourism, attracting a large number of domestic and international tourists. From 2010 up to now, the local tourism activities began to have strong development steps. Since 1986, Hang Kia – Pa Co was planned as a special-use forest and in 1997 was converted into a nature reserve. The residents here are up to 90% of the Mong ethnic group, which still retains many unique cultural features. Khen dance – one of the unique cultural features of the Mong people in general and the Mong people in Hang Kia – Pa Co in particular. On festivals, the Mong ethnic group in Hang Kia – Pa Co organizes pounding day cakes to treat friends, this is also one of the unique culinary features here. The group took a souvenir photo at Hang Kia gate. (Photo: Huy Khoi) The most characteristic feature of Hang Kia – Pa Co for tourists is to go to “heaven’s gate” to “hunt clouds”. From above, visitors can watch white clouds floating around the mountains. We went to Hang Kia on a last day of April. The period from October last year to April next year is the ideal time to hunt clouds because these days with high humidity and cold will easily have the opportunity to meet more cloudy. The night before, we sat outside to eat and drink, surrounded by clouds making us feel like we were sitting in a refrigerator, a natural refrigerator. If you don’t wear a hat, it will only take a moment for the clouds to soak your hair. The later it got late, the colder it got, a few rains came, making our group all secretly happy that tomorrow morning will hunt clouds successfully. We woke up at 5am so we could reach the sky gate at 5:30am to hunt clouds. On the way, the gravel roads are messy, foggy, going 1-2m apart but “faint human image”. The more we waited, the less we could see the clouds descending, twisting together densely and floating around the mountain peaks. So cloud hunting failed. Kha A Dinh, the owner of A Dinh homestay, told us that if it rains heavily the night before, and the next morning is sunny, the hunt for clouds will succeed. “This season is the best season to hunt clouds, hopefully, you guys are lucky next time,” A Dinh said. Hang Kia and Pa Co market If the rattan hunt fails, you can visit Hang Kia and shop at Pa Co fair. In fact, very few people are allowed to enter Hang Kia because this place is not a tourist attraction, but is under the management of the Ministry of Defense. Fortunately, we were loved by the local people and personally took us to Hang Kia to tell us the name was taken to give this place name. What you should pay special attention to when entering Hang Kia is to stay away from the Ki tree, a wild plant that grows along the entrance to the cave, has very sharp thorny leaves that sting like a needle. Locals said that sometimes when I don’t look at it, it also stabs itself. We had to actively use our shoes to crush the Ki tree so it wouldn’t hit us. Entering the cave, we caught a few bats flying out of nowhere, then flew away again. That’s the Bat Cave. The cave is small and deep. Sometimes we had to crouch to keep our heads off. In the cave there are many stalactites, traces left by thousands of years of water droplets flowing on the top. Pa Co market takes place on Sunday mornings with products of the indigenous Hmong people. Banned pork is sold at the market gate. The red pork pieces like beef, white fat and thick, the price is about the same as pork in the city, but definitely much better. Dresses and shirts sewn and embroidered by the people themselves are also on sale, priced at 1 million/piece. The price is expensive because this is completely handmade. To sew a brocade dress/shirt, it takes a month of hard work for the sisters/mothers. There are Hmong women about 70-80 years old who bring ginseng roots, precious plants only in this area, and lovely Mong dogs… for sale. People often buy and bargain less because people here are still too poor, buying to support them is the main thing. Group of tourists taking pictures with Mong children in Mongolian village, Hang Kia. (Photo: Huy Khoi) With a cool year-round climate, and located on a famous tourist route connecting Mai Chau and Moc Chau, going to Hang Kia is often combined with tourists to visit neighboring areas. For example, if in the calendar year, you can run to Moc Chau to see plum or peach blossoms, take advantage of visiting Hang Kia to play. There is also a plum garden here for you to see, if you like. Located between Tan Lac and Mai Chau on National Highway 6, you can go through Thung Khe Pass or Da Trang Pass, you can see the clear sky in the morning, the afternoon sun is hot, the sky is blue, the afternoon is gentle with sunlight. Afternoon sun and night fog spread all over the road. Going down Mai Chau 30km, visitors can visit Lac village, Mai Chau, a famous and poetic attraction among high mountains and green rice fields. Currently, Lac and Mai Chau villages have developed community tourism with electric cars that take tourists to visit 8 villages, there are double bicycles for renters to cycle through fragrant ripe rice fields.

To ensure safety in the complicated situation of the Covid-19 epidemic, visitors should prioritize traveling by personal means, avoid contact with many people and always wear a mask in public. 1. Bu Gia Map National Park Place: Binh Phuoc The way from Ho Chi Minh City: About 181 km Admire the beautiful butterflies in Bu Gia Map. Photo: Viet Dynamic. With an area of ​​more than 26 hectares, Bu Gia Map National Park is considered one of the places that possesses the largest and most diverse ecosystem in the south. There are more than 20 streams, waterfalls and caves, big and small, not to mention Luu Ly waterfall, Nai cave, Doi cave … attracting adventurous tourists. Holidays, returning to the wild, soaking in the clear blue stream and listening to the birds chirping is a peaceful and different experience after stressful working days. Besides the self-sufficient experience, visitors can check out many attractive trekking tours. According to the survey, some tour operators Bu Gia Map still have vacant seats for holidays, the price is about 2 million VND / person. Note: Visitors should bring compact clothes and shoes that are easy to move. Blankets, cooking utensils, tents … are essential items if you want to camp overnight. 2. Phu Dien Cross Rock Mountain Place: Dong Nai The way from Ho Chi Minh City: About 126 km The majestic rocky mountain among the rice fields. Photo: Lukapaulos. Phu Dien rice field is known as the largest rice granary in Dong Nai province. It has a fresh climate, close nature, suitable for travelers who want to find a sense of peace. Recently, the image of check-in on Cross rock, looking down at the vast rice fields, appeared quite a lot on tourist groups. To reach a mountain about 150 m high, visitors need to cross 2 km of field road. Some experiences you can refer to are camping on the top of the mountain, cycling, SUP rowing, waterfall bathing … Note: When climbing, visitors should not wear shoes because it is easy to slide. Ideally, you need to prepare socks or barefoot. To avoid the risk of climbing when it rains, you should check the weather forecast before your trip. 3. Ma Bo Street Place: Lam Dong The way from Ho Chi Minh City: About 250 km Cycling through the forest from Lam Dong to Ninh Thuan is a different experience during the holiday. Photo: LIKE Tour. Ma Bo (Lam Dong), located near Ta Nang commune, is the ancestral land of the Churu people. Ma Noi is a mountainous commune of Ninh Son district (Ninh Thuan) – where Raglay people live, still retaining many traditional cultural features. All are still quite unfamiliar places, but the road through the forest from Ma Bo to Ma Noi is easy to score with travelers interested in adventure and discovery. It takes about 3 hours to cross the forest, cross the stream, you will conquer this challenging road. 4. Dau Tieng Lake (Tay Ninh) Place: Tay Ninh The way from Ho Chi Minh City: About 95 km Camping by the side of Dau Tieng Lake is an enjoyable experience. Photo: Thao Ly. If you are afraid to visit crowded tourist destinations, visitors can invite you to make an overnight camping trip by the largest artificial lake in Vietnam. Dau Tieng Lake is located about 38 km east of Tay Ninh city. From the city center, tourists drive along Cach Mang Thang Tam Street, pass the Tay Ninh Holy See, and turn right to Duong Minh Chau town. After that, continue along the shoreline. You will pass through rubber forests to attract your eyes, shady and cool. Although it has been exploited for tourism, the lake still remains untouched and quiet. The surrounding area does not have many hotels, motels, you should bring a camping night tent and organize a cozy barbecue party with friends. 5. Binh Chau hot spring Place: BA Ria Vung Tau The way from Ho Chi Minh City: About 115 km Binh Chau Hot Spring, located in Xuyen Moc district, has been an attractive destination in recent years, especially on weekends and holidays … The area has more than 70 points of open water spraying from underground circuits and heat. degrees 37-82 degrees C. Services from mineral mud baths, hot water soaking to boiling eggs in hot wells here are suitable for visitors to enjoy the feeling of relaxation. However, Binh Chau Hot Spring Resort is now fully booked, tourists can choose to stay at hotels in Vung Tau city and go by car to visit hot springs (return during the day).

Tourists go on a pilgrimage to Ba Vi mountain to offer incense to the Uncle Ho Temple and the Holy Ghost Tan Vien Temple Look for living witnesses to complete information for visitors In the report dated August 30, 1942 of Ambassador Son Tay Fucat to the Governor of Tonkin on the Ba Vi mountain planning project, evaluated: “Ba Vi mountain area will become a resort with higher benefits than Tam Dao. … ”. The reason is “the road from Hanoi to Ba Vi is very convenient. The distance from Hanoi to the 1,000m level is only 67km. There are only 12km of mountain roads. The slope of Ba Vi mountain is not more than 10% (meanwhile in Tam Dao it is 14%, even 16%). The climate in Ba Vi is not as wet as Tam Dao. The temperature does not change too much, the lowest is 17.8 degrees C and the highest is 29.6 degrees C ”. From 1932 – 1944, the French built many works here such as motels, amusement parks, churches, orphanages, summer camps, youth schools, military bases … At a height of 1,000-1,100m on the western slope of Tan Vien peak is a secret political prison system solidly built to imprison our patriotic communists against the colonial regime. The prison is arranged into 3 zones: Zone 1 is the residence for the prison guards, zone 2 and 3 are the places to keep prisoners. With a total area of ​​nearly 1,000m2, it can detain from 100-200 people. Currently, documents about the political prison are limited, Ba Vi National Park (National Park) is actively looking for surviving witnesses and related documents to gradually refine information. service visitors to visit. National park staff introduced the historical traces Ba Vi National Park is characterized by a mixed forest of broadleaf trees and low mountain subtropical conifers Preserve spiritual and historical values Currently, Ba Vi National Park has 217 vestiges from the French colonial period with unique architecture in harmony with nature. And Ba Vi National Park is trying to bring these historical vestiges into tourism development associated with biodiversity protection and preserving historical and spiritual values ​​of Ba Vi mountain. Mr. Do Huu The – Director of Ba Vi National Park took us along the winding road under the lush green trees to visit Ngoc Hoa cave. This cave is located at an altitude of 350m, about 200m from a motorway. Crouching through a small stone arch covered with vines, we can see the cave. Here, we observe a natural phenomenon that took place millions of years ago, that is the slide of geology due to the movement of the Ba Vi mountain formation, which created interesting caves. Above the cave is a large rock formed by 3 solid pillars to create a large arch about 15m2. Next to the rocky cave is a bat cave with a very “fertile” door shape. The cave consists of 4 doors piercing the mountain bed and is home to about 5-6 species of bats. However, the cave is very deep and dangerous, currently Ba Vi National Park has not allowed visitors to visit. Lying above the bat cave is “The Rock”. Legend has it that this is the place where Princess Ngoc Hoa (the 18th son of Hung Vuong) homesick and looks at the land of Phong Chau ancestor. From Ngoc Hoa cave, we can reach out to the forest lying on the slopes and the villages running far away on the foot of the mountain. A hundred-year old green cypress tree on top of Tieu Dong “The stone pool” at Ngoc Hoa cave During the camping or picnics vacation, young people will be guided by the humorous and experienced silviculture rangers to the ancient forests, offering incense at the Uncle Ho temple on the top, the holy temple. Strolled at the middle top, visited the prison area where the revolutionary soldiers were imprisoned, visited the French post at a height of 600-700m, which is now only ruins. Moreover, I heard stories of our army’s march through the jungle, along with the demonic demonic battle. Then let your heart blend with nature, you will be able to climb nearly 1,000 steps to visit the ancient green cypress forest on top of Tieu Dong. This is characteristic of mixed broadleaf and low mountain sub-tropical coniferous forests. You can comfortably sit on the smooth layers of moss, listen to the great wind in harmony with the sound of the holy forest birds, the cicadas squealing in the cool summer day, making magic concerts of the forest. blue.