Cao Bang Travel Guide

Cao Bang is a mountainous province located in the Northeast region, with a border of over 300 km, bordering China. The terrain is rugged but the nature is beautiful, with mountains, cave systems and lakes... the beauty of Cao Bang is enhanced many times over.

What season is beautiful in Cao Bang?

From August to September is the beautiful season of Cao Bang when Ban Gioc waterfall pours a lot of clear water, many terraced fields are ripe and golden. The rainy season is from June to September, the water flows, creating white foam. The dry season is from October to May of the following year, the weather is colder, the water flows gently, clear. If you want to see the waterfall combined with ripening, you can go in October. To experience the wild sunflower or buckwheat season, you should go in November and December. March is the pear blossom season. Early mornings and evenings in the mountainous areas of Cao Bang are chilly, the temperature can drop to 15-16 degrees Celsius. If you travel by motorbike, remember to wear warm clothes and bring a raincoat.

Ripe rice season in Khuoi Khon hamlet, Kim Cuc commune, Bao Lac district. Photo: Ha Cuong

Move

Cao Bang is about 280km from Hanoi. From Hanoi to Cao Bang city, there are bus companies such as Thanh Ly, Khanh Hoan, 42... at My Dinh, Giap Bat, Gia Lam bus stations. Tickets for one person are about 200,000 - 300,000 VND. Travel time is about 6-7 hours. When arriving in the city, you can find places to rent motorbikes. The price is about 200,000 VND per day, not including gas. Note that the tank is full because there are not many gas stations on the road. If you go by private car, you can travel in the direction of Hanoi - Lang Son highway, following National Highway 4 to Cao Bang. Another direction is Hanoi - Thai Nguyen highway. When arriving in Thai Nguyen, continue on Thai Nguyen - Cho Moi highway then to Bac Kan , continue on National Highway 3 through Phu Thong - Ngan Son - Cao Bang. From Bac Kan to Cao Bang, the road is small but flat, sedans run well. There are quite a few curves, especially after passing Ngan Son. The road through Bac Kan is more winding than through Lang Son.

Accommodation

To go to Ban Gioc waterfall, visitors can stay in Trung Khanh district or go to Cao Bang city, about 80 km away, for more options. Near Ban Gioc waterfall, there are Yen Nhi homestay, Khuoi Ky Homestay, Lan's Homestay Ban Gioc... priced at about 200,000 VND per night.

Rooms at 4-star resorts start at VND750,000 per night.

Some addresses in the city center are Primrosé Homestay Cao Bang, Son Tung Hotel, Jodevi Homestay Cao Bang, Jeanne Hotel... with an average price of 300,000 VND per night. If you have a lot of money, we suggest Saigon - Ban Gioc, the only 4-star resort in Cao Bang. The resort is located near Ban Gioc waterfall, in Dam Thuy commune, Trung Khanh district.

Where to play

A 3-day, 2-night itinerary is enough for visitors to visit historical sites and scenic spots in Cao Bang. Pac Bo relic site From Cao Bang city, visitors drive 50 km to Ha Quang district, bordering China, to visit Pac Bo relic site. Because this place has many attractions and a large campus, you should spend about 4 hours to fully explore . After passing through the entrance gate, visitors will see milestone 0 of the Ho Chi Minh road extending from North to South, opposite is the Uncle Ho memorial area. To reach Lenin stream and Karl Marx mountain, you will walk through Pac Bo village. Appearing before your eyes after walking through Pac Bo village are Karl Marx mountain and Lenin stream. Following the clear water and going towards the source is Coc Bo cave, where Uncle Ho used to live, work and lead the revolution. Not far away are historical sites such as the stone table where Uncle Ho sat to work, Mr. Ly Quoc Sung's house...

If you have time, don't miss the 108 milestone, the first place Uncle Ho set foot in Vietnam when he returned home after many years of traveling abroad; and the memorial site for the heroic martyr Kim Dong. The entrance fee to Pac Bo relic site is 25,000 VND per person. If you use an electric car, you will pay an additional 20,000 VND per person. Ban Gioc Waterfall To avoid the crowded scene of Ban Gioc Waterfall, visit early in the morning. The entrance fee is 45,000 VND per person. The road to Ban Gioc passes through Ma Phuc Pass, Khau Lieu Pass and many beautiful rice fields. As the largest waterfall in Vietnam, Ban Gioc divides the border between Vietnam and China. To get closer, you need to rent a boat to the foot of the waterfall to fully admire the majestic beauty of this waterfall. If you come here in the afternoon, you can stay until about 7pm to admire the artistic light show at night. The program usually lasts 1 hour and 30 minutes, please ask the locals for the exact time.

Photo: Tran Bao Hoa

Ripe rice season along Quay Son River. Photo: Pham Huy Trung

Quay Son River The Quay Son River originates from Guangxi Province, China, and flows through Vietnam near the Po Peo border gate, Trung Khanh District. The river section through Vietnam is 49 km long. This is a place that always attracts visitors because of the beautiful scenery on both banks. Truc Lam Phat Tich Pagoda The pagoda is only a short distance from Ban Gioc Waterfall. From here, visitors can enjoy a panoramic view of the entire waterfall and majestic mountains and forests. Khuoi Ky Ancient Stone Village The ancient stone village is located about 3 km from Ban Gioc Waterfall, nearly 100 km from the center of Cao Bang City. Khuoi Ky Village has 14 Tay ethnic households living in stone stilt houses that have existed for hundreds of years. These stone stilt houses date back to around 1594 - 1677, when the Mac Dynasty came to Cao Bang to build a citadel to protect the country.

Stalactites in Nguom Puc cave. Photo: Trung Nguyen

Nguom Ngao Cave Nguom Ngao Cave is located right next to Khuoi Ky village. In the Tay language, Nguom Ngao means "Tiger Cave". This is a large cave with a length of more than 2,100 m and many unexplored branches. Visitors enter through Nguom Lom gate and exit through Nguom Ngao gate. This path is paved with concrete and has lights. However, this path is interrupted in the middle of the cave - where the ceiling is the highest. Entrance fee is 45,000 VND. Nguom Puc Cave Nguom Puc is 100 m deep, located deep in the rocky mountain range bordering Le Loi commune of Thach An district (Cao Bang) and Quoc Khanh commune of Trang Dinh district (Lang Son). Stretching from the entrance to the inside is a system of beautiful primitive stalactites. To explore, you have to overcome difficult terrain. This place is still not known to many tourists. Thang Hen Lake Thang Hen Lake is located at an altitude of 1,000 m above sea level, in Quoc Toan commune, Tra Linh district. From the center of Cao Bang city, it only takes about an hour by motorbike to get here. Many backpackers compare it to a fairyland, the lake is located in the middle of a majestic mountain area, the blue water surface reflects the shadow of the steep cliffs. Mat Than Mountain About 39 km from the city, Mat Than Mountain is located in the Thang Hen Lake complex of Cao Bang Geopark. In the Tay language, the mountain is called Phja Piót, meaning a mountain with a hole. Locals often call it Thung Mountain and tourists are gradually getting used to this name. Surrounding the mountain is a large valley with long green lawns, a wild, peaceful and quiet landscape with herds of horses leisurely grazing. The turn into the mountain is a bit difficult to find, visitors should ask the locals in advance to avoid getting lost. On the way to the mountain, visitors will pass Ma Phuc Pass, a beautiful scenic spot when traveling by motorbike.

Mat Than Mountain is also an ideal place for camping, taking photos and sightseeing for tourists every sunset. Photo: Pham Khoa

Khau Coc Cha Pass is about 2.5 km long, located on Highway 4A, connecting Xuan Truong commune to the center of Bao Lac district. It takes about 30 minutes to climb the mountain road to the pass's viewpoint. From here, you can enjoy the view of the pass with 14 bends winding on the high mountainside.

Bao Lac Market Visitors should try to visit Bao Lac Market to have breakfast and buy specialties. Locals sell cheap, delicious food. The market is held on the 5th, 10th, 15th, 20th, 25th, and 30th of the lunar month. Giuong Village Giuong Village (Duong) belongs to Tien Thanh Commune, Phuc Hoa District. The population here is mainly Tay people with about 75 households. Coming here, you will be immersed in the fresh, cool air that is rarely found anywhere else. This land is also famous for the Nang Hai festival, recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage. In particular, the scenery is even more impressive if visitors visit during the rice harvest season.

Bamboo forest in Lung Pan. Photo: Bui Hoai

Lung Pan Bamboo Forest This place has the largest bamboo growing area in Cao Bang, the green and beautiful bamboo forest landscape is like the set of the movie "Face the Cat", so it is also an attractive check-in spot. The route from Lung Pan - Nguyen Binh - Cao Bang City is about 100km. Xuan Truong Valley In March, pear flowers decorate Xuan Truong Valley. People living in this valley grow pears and macadamias for fruit. Not as white as the plum and apricot valleys in the Northwest, but in the garden, in front of every house, there are pear flowers. Chestnut garden in Trung Khanh Trung Khanh district, about 60 km from Cao Bang City, is the capital of chestnuts. Just park your car on the side of the road, go in about 20m and you can visit the chestnut gardens. Visiting the garden in spring, you will feel the pungent scent of clusters of pure white chestnut flowers. The harvest season for ripe chestnuts is in late autumn and early winter, October and November.

Ban Viet Lake From Trung Khanh town, go about 10 km to Ban Gioc waterfall, then turn about 3 km to Ban Viet hamlet, Phong Chau commune (Trung Khanh), visitors will reach Ban Viet lake. The most ideal time to visit the lake is in autumn and winter, when the forest trees change leaves. This place is suitable for outdoor activities, camping, trekking, SUP rowing...

Red and yellow leaf season at Ban Viet Lake. Photo: Pham Huu Tuyen.

Phia Oac Mountain, Cao Bang has many peaks over 1,000 m above sea level, of which Phia Oac is 1,931 m high, the second highest peak in the province (Phia Da Mountain in Son Lap Commune, Bao Lac is the highest at 1,987 m). The cloudy season in Phia Oac lasts from December to March of the following year, especially in February when thick clouds appear over the forest in the early morning or at sunset. When the temperature drops lower, frost may appear on this mountain peak.

Cao Bang specialties

When you come here, don't forget to enjoy specialties such as roast duck, roast pork pho, stir-fried young bees with bamboo shoots, braised pork belly, chicken or pork leg stewed with chestnuts, five-color sticky rice... Banh cuon is also a dish you can easily find throughout the city, priced at about 25,000 VND.

The cake is served with a bowl of bone broth, minced meat, soft-boiled omelette and ham. Photo: Hoang Tuan Anh

Sour Pho is a specialty of Cao Bang. The rice noodles are chewy, served with deep-fried pork belly, thinly sliced pork liver, fried pork stomach, and roasted duck. The dish also has crispy fried taro. This is a large, soft, and sweet tuber that is only available in Bac Kan and Cao Bang. The indispensable flavor is the honeycomb leaves, peanuts, basil, coriander, cucumber, etc. Tram Huong fish is a famous delicious fish in Ban Gioc waterfall, sold a lot in Trung Khanh market. The fresh fish is cleaned, gutted, stuffed with onions, dill, chili, etc. inside, wrapped in banana leaves, and grilled on a charcoal stove. When cooked, the fish gives off a fragrant aroma.

Ap chao cake costs only a few thousand each. Photo: Anh Tu

Ap chao cake, also known as duck chao cake, is sold a lot in winter, from November to February of the following year. The cake looks quite similar to salty fried cake but the filling is made from duck meat. 8-color dried vermicelli, famous in Hong Quang 2 hamlet, Hung Dao commune, about 9 km from Cao Bang city. Yellow vermicelli is made from corn, red from brown rice, green from moringa, blue butterfly pea flower flavor; purple vermicelli, purple sweet potato... Da hien or bo khai vegetable is a wild vegetable, but not available in all regions. From after Tet to the 7th lunar month, the vegetable grows abundantly and is delicious. You can buy it for about 30,000 VND a bunch.

Chestnuts are most commonly boiled, grilled over hot coals or roasted in a pan. Photo: Mac Kham

Trung Khanh chestnuts are a delicacy not to be missed, but only available seasonally. Cao Bang people have a unique way of eating them: boiling chestnuts, then roasting them dry, peeling off the shells and taking out the kernels. The kernels are pounded into powder and mixed with green rice from Pi Pat sticky rice. The dish is attractive with the fragrant taste of green rice and the rich taste of chestnuts. In particular, the easiest thing to buy as a gift in Cao Bang city is smoked meat. Pork marinated with spices, rocky ginger, wild honey is smoked over charcoal and sugarcane, giving the meat a bright red color and a strong aroma.

Photo: Pham Huy Trung

Du Hy

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