We took a 3 day/2 night tour on Cao Bang loop with Ivivu. From Ha Noi, this loop would lead us through many famous landmarks and attractions of Vietnam's highland by Chinese border.
The tour is popular with Vietnamese, especially in the summer. Because of the windy roads through passes and summits, our transportation for the tour was a small bus. It was a bit too small for about 20 people. Paul, one man from Hong Kong and one woman from Australia were the only non Vietnamese speaking people.
It rained very hard early morning the day we departed for Cao Bang. By 6:30 when we met up with the tour group at the Opera House, the rain had stopped. It turned out a nice day after all. It was a long drive from Ha Noi to our overnight destination on the first day. We made a few stops for lunch and sightseeings along the way.
First tourist attraction was Pac Bo, a small village in Cao Bang province, on the border with China. The village is well known for its historical place called Pac Bo Cave (The Waterwheel Cave). When Ho Chi Minh arrived back in Vietnam after 30 years of exile, he settled in a indigenous Nung village and soon moved to Pac Bo Cave in 1941. Pac Bo Cave is located in a beautiful area with stunning view of stream, mountains, forests and limestone rocks. Lenin River and Water fall, Karl Marx mountain are among famous landscape of Pac Bo.
 |
| Pac Bo Monument |
 |
Group picture at the monument
|
 |
| Village entrance |
 |
Fruit orchard where Ho Chi Minh planted his garden
 | Near the cave
|
 | | Pac Bo Cave entrance |
|
 |
Pac Bo Cave entrance
|
Lenin River
 |
Lenin River and Waterfall
|
 |
Group picture in front of Lenin Waterfall.
|
 |
Beautiful landscape in the area
Karl Marx Mountain
|
 |
At Chinese border.
Vendor at a small (sidewalk) market in the village.
Leaving this rural district of Cao Bang, we headed to our first night at Home Stay in the Nung Village. We stopped at Phuc Sen valley/village in the northern province of Cao Bang. The village is home to about 350 blacksmiths of the Nung ethnic minority and famous for manufacturing knives the traditional (blacksmith) craft.
At the "Knife" shop.
Blacksmiths at work.
We bought a knife from Phuc Sen Knife shop.
Family style dinner.
|
No comments:
Post a Comment