Visiting Hoa Binh in the autumn, Pham Tu was able to admire the golden season in Lac village and the sea of white clouds stretching across the mountainside in Hang Kia - Pa Co.
From the center of Hanoi , Tu and his friends traveled by motorbike along Thang Long Boulevard to Hoa Binh, a distance of approximately 150km. Along the way through Hoa Binh City, tourists can purchase tickets to visit the Hoa Binh hydroelectric dam. This is the largest hydroelectric power plant in Vietnam and Southeast Asia, completed in 1994.
Visitors can purchase tickets, priced at 50,000 VND, to tour the complex or 20,000 VND to visit the open structures, or buy tickets for a boat trip on Hoa Binh Lake, costing between 1.5 and 2 million VND for a two-hour trip.
After passing the hydroelectric dam for about 50km, the group stopped at a rest stop at Da Trang Pass. A distinctive feature of Da Trang Pass is the rocky outcrop with a red flag with a yellow star fluttering in the wind, perfect for tourists to take photos. Food and beverage services are also available here.
The second destination Tú's group visited was Lac Village, located in the Mai Chau valley. This ancient village, over 700 years old, still retains its pristine character and traditional way of life of the Thai ethnic people, according to the Vietnam National Tourism Administration website.
By the time Tú arrived, the rice fields on either side of the road leading to the village were ripe and golden, surrounded by green mountains. The peaceful atmosphere was perfect for cycling and sightseeing.
Here, there is a car rental service to take you sightseeing around the village for 400,000 VND per trip for 8 people or 600,000 VND for 12 people. Food services range from about 600,000 to 800,000 VND per meal for 6 people, and there are many restaurants for tourists to choose from, Mr. Tu said.
Visitors can explore and shop for a wide variety of handicrafts produced by the locals, such as shirts, dresses, hats, bags, wallets, teddy bears, bows and arrows, crossbows, bamboo flutes, buffalo bells, gongs, horns, and buffalo horns. In addition, visitors can also directly experience weaving, participate in traditional dances and songs, and enjoy evening bonfires with the villagers.
Leaving Lac village, Anh Tu's group arrived at their most exciting destination: the Hang Kia - Pa Co valley (Mai Chau district, Hoa Binh province), nestled amidst mountains and shrouded in mist year-round. Located about 200 km from Hanoi, Hang Kia and Pa Co are two communes in the mountainous Mai Chau district, preserving the unique culture and traditional crafts of the Mong people, such as hand weaving, brocade embroidery, indigo dyeing, beeswax painting, and blacksmithing, according to the Vietnam National Tourism Administration website.
The road to the cloud-watching spot in Hang Kia is convenient, accessible by motorbike and car.
Hang Kia - Pà Cò is located between the Xà Lĩnh and Lương Xa mountain ranges, with an average altitude of about 900m above sea level, and a cool climate year-round. Visitors often seek out the "Heaven's Gate" area to chase the clouds.
"The sea of clouds in Hang Kia is lower than the view, giving you the feeling of standing on clouds," Mr. Tu said. The layers of clouds, suspended halfway up the mountain, resemble a white cloth stretched between two mountain ranges, extending endlessly.
Currently, it's cloud-hunting season in the northern mountainous provinces, so the cloud cover is thicker and more widespread. Compared to other famous cloud-hunting spots like Ta Xua, Y Ty, Ha Giang, Hang Kia - Pa Co is "quite peaceful, not yet crowded with tourists, allowing you to freely choose angles to capture the majestic and poetic beauty of nature in each photograph," Mr. Tu shared.
Each season in Hoa Binh province has its own unique beauty. Autumn brings golden rice fields and vast expanses of white clouds. The treat of winter in Hoa Binh is the ripe red persimmon hanging from bare branches. Spring brings stretches of forest covered in white apricot and plum blossoms, or the pink hues of peach blossoms. And summer is the time to enjoy ripe red peaches and plums still on the trees, according to the website of the Hoa Binh Provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
When visiting Hang Kia - Pa Co, in addition to exploring the villages, tourists can also visit destinations that still retain their pristine beauty, such as the tea hills and plum orchards in Ta Xong A, Ta Xo, and Thung A Lang areas.
Other ideal cloud-hunting spots in Hang Kia - Pà Cò include the Pà Khôm to Thung Mài road or the summit of Sảm Thà mountain, from where you can enjoy panoramic views of Pù Luông peak (Thanh Hóa) and Pha Luông peak (Sơn La).
"Hoa Binh is a suitable tourist destination for travelers who enjoy a rustic, gentle, and unhurried experience," Mr. Tu commented after his trip. Tourist attractions in Hoa Binh haven't been heavily commercialized, and the natural scenery and people still retain their closeness and simplicity.
"Currently, the weather in Hoa Binh is warm during the day but quite cold at night and in the early morning, so bring warm clothes and prepare yourself well to be able to explore all the natural beauty of Hoa Binh in autumn," Mr. Tu said.
Quynh Mai Photo: Pham Tu
source
Comment (0)