Natural getaway

Visitors go for a swim in a stream at Bach Ma (White Horse) National Park in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue. Located in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue, Bach Ma (White Horse) National Park is a must-see for anyone with a love of nature.

Established in 1991 to protect the center of the last corridor of forest stretching from the East Sea to the Truong Son mountain range and the border of Laos, the park covers an area of about 22,000 ha. With its steep mountains and dense forests, the park is recognized for its abundant biodiversity. Bach Ma is home to over 2,100 species of flora and some 1,500 types of fauna, many of which are listed in Vietnam’s Red Book of endangered species. Seven types of pheasants make their home in Bach Ma, including the rare endemic Edward’s pheasant (Lophura edwardsi), which was thought to be extinct for more than 50 years. It was rediscovered in the park and has since become the symbol of Bach Ma. The park also offers a variety of other attractions for tourists including accommodation, conference halls, and an exhibition center detailing the many species found in Bach Ma. Most people visit during the summer to escape the heat and the park is particularly busy during weekends in June, July and August. The first torrential rainfalls in September mark the end of the high tourist season and the return of silence and serenity to the area. For those who love trekking, the national park is a wonderful choice with many trails and great views. Cars and guides are also available for hire to take visitors up to the peak of the mountains, on a village garden tour, or to go bird watching. Bach Ma National Park is relatively easy to access from Hue (40 km away), Da Nang (65 km away) and Hoi An (90 km away). The park headquarters and entrance is about three km from the small town of Cau Hai, where the park road meets the National Highway No. 1. There are frequent buses (both local and tourist) from Hue and Da Nang, as well as a railway station in Cau Hai. Private motorcycle taxis can also take tourists for a small fee.

Highland village envelops visitors in legendary ambience

Houses on stilts

To enter the Jun Village is to step into a time of highland legends and poetry.

Houses on stilts built in the distinctive architectural style of the Central Highlands stand in the shadow of century-old trees; and women work on looms, still dressed in the traditional attire of the ethnic minority community they belong to.

The village, located on the shores of the Lak Lake in the district of the same name, is home to 30 families of the  M’nông R’lăm community. The largest village in Dak Lak Province’s Lak District has preserved its traditional culture through generations.

It is a major tourist attraction now, presenting visitors with a breathtaking landscape of mountains and lakes in which they can ride on elephants, and enjoy cultural performances put on for their benefit.

An incredible highlight of a visit to the village would be to sit at the door of a stilt house on a full moon night, feeling the cool wind blowing in from the Lak Lake, and inhaling the scent of mountains and forests that it carries with it.

Gathering around a keg of the Can Wine –a special kind brewed in the western highlands – and listening to elders recount ancient legends, visitors are transported effortlessly to the land of dreams and fairy tales.

The Jun Village also offers visitors the chance to go rowing in dugout canoes on the Lak Lake and enjoy a feast of Lam rice, grilled in bamboo sections, served with special fish and eel delicacies cooked in the highland style.

Hundreds of acres of farmland add to the rustic beauty of the village, and visitors during the festival season can round off their experience  in a carnival atmosphere as the air is filled with the sights – of traditional dances – and the sounds – of gongs and other instruments.

The peak tourism season in Jun Village is from March to August.

A village in solitude

From Da Lat Town in Lam Dong Province, visitors can head to Lang Tranh, a village of the Chil ethnic group in the Bidoup-Nui Ba jungle, by motorbike.

Simply make a left turn instead of carrying on toward Langbian Mountain. Steep slopes will lead the way to a picturesque landscape of Dankia-Suoi Vang at the end of an asphalt road. From here, the journey continues along a dirt road. At this time of the year, only a few people travel along the dirt road, which the Chil people opened to link their village with Da Lat. An elderly Chil woman uses one of the two telephones in Lang Tranh Village. To get to Lang Tranh, located in the heart of the jungle, you have to cross “Heaven’s Gate,” a mountain peak that has plenty of pines, fog and rain. After crossing the peak, the slope descends for about 25 kilometers until houses can be seen twinkling in the fog. This is Lang Tranh. The village sits amidst large trees and mystical fog surrounded by several small streams. Lang Tranh, which is located in Dung Kno Commune of Lac Duong District and 45 kilometers from Da Lat, sits at the border between Lam Dong and Dak Lak provinces. The locals make a living by growing coffee and raising livestock. Villagers communicate with the outside world by using two public wireless telephones. The Chil live in solitude in the jungle and are very hospitable and welcoming of guests. In the cold weather and forest rain, the offer of a glass of rice wine from the villagers is always welcome. Their kindness and generosity never fail to leave a lasting impression. Tips for visiting Lang Tranh Always use a reliable motorbike and check its brakes carefully before starting the trip. Divide the journey into four or five sections to reduce fatigue. Bring along tools for repairing the motorbike, raincoats, warm clothes, first-aid items, food, drinking water, and a camera.

Visitors have a whale of a time at traditional fest

Local fishermen celebrate Nghinh Ong Festival

More than 40,000 local and foreign visitors flocked to the opening ceremony of the 2008 Nghinh Ong Festival (Whale Worshipping Festival) on Monday in HCM City.

The celebration of the traditional festival in Can Gio District saw a wide variety of programs staged including Hat Boi, the Vietnamese classical opera.

The district is also home to the Can Gio Biosphere Reserve, recognized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2000; Sac Forest, a renowned revolutionary base for Vietnamese soldiers during the war; and Monkey Island, home to thousands of mischievous monkeys and hundreds of crocodiles.

The Nghinh Ong Festival, is a traditional among southern fishermen that includes the Ca Ong rites, the taking of procession of Ca Ong on sea on a big decorated boat with flag and flowers, hat boi performances and folk games.

The festival is usually held from the 16th to the 18th day of the eighth lunar month in Can Thanh town. People pray for safe fishing trips; a good catch of shrimps and fish; and the prosperity and happiness for the whole fishing community.

Can Gio holds another Nghinh Ong Festival on 15th of the tenth lunar month on Thanh An island.

This year’s festival, ending today, has seen a year-on-year increase of 25 percent in the number of arrivals, organizers said.

Phong Nha – Ke Bang and Fansipan go back on voting list

Phong Nha- Ke Bang Cavern in Quang Binh Province and Fansipan Mountain Peak in Lao Cai Province have been added to a list of 77 candidate sites to be voted on as world natural wonders again. Phong Nha – Ke Bang were taken off the voting list about four months ago. Phong Nha – Ke Bang were added to the list Tuesday. Four months ago, the organizer, the NewOpenWorld Foundation, left the two sites off the said list, saying that the governments of Quang Binh and Lao Cai Provinces had failed to establish an official support board that could formally call on the public to vote online for the two sites. Before the rejection, Phong Nha- Ke Bang was ranked second and Fansipan was ranked third respectively among the world’s 77 most favorite wonders. After being put on to the list again, Phong Nha – Ke Bang is now ranked 13th and Fansipan is ranked 14th. Ha Long Bay in Quang Ninh Province, a Vietnamese site on the list which was not been subjected to the rejection, remains in third place. In September 2009, 21 of the 77 wonders will be selected to enter a second round. The final seven will be announced in the summer of 2010.