Dubbed the "fairy of the mountains and forests" with a height of more than 60m and the longest slope of 30m, Ban Gioc waterfall affirms its position as the largest natural waterfall in Southeast Asia. A special feature of this waterfall is that in the middle there is a border milestone, called milestone 53. Located right in the middle of the Vietnam - China border, Ban Gioc is ranked fourth among the largest waterfalls in the world. borders located on national borders (UNWTO). Visiting Ban Gioc waterfall, visitors have the opportunity to explore the majestic natural beauty and cultural exchange with the people living in the Ban Gioc waterfall area.
What season is best to go to Ban Gioc waterfall?
Ban Gioc Waterfall is a beautiful destination all year round, each season brings a different unique beauty, giving visitors the opportunity to experience and explore. Below are some suggestions and notes about the appropriate time to visit Ban Gioc waterfall:
Rainy Season (June to September, especially July to August): During the rainy season, especially July and August, Ban Gioc waterfall often has abundant water, creating the most impressive landscape. However, this also comes with the risk of road landslides and danger from floods. Therefore, it is necessary to check the weather and terrain conditions before deciding to travel during the rainy season.
Ripe Rice Season (Mid September - Early October): Chongqing is a land famous for its brilliant golden rice fields. Coming to Ban Gioc this season, you will admire the wonderful beauty of the waterfall combined with smooth ripe rice fields.
Autumn (October): Ban Gioc Waterfall Festival is usually held around the beginning of October. This is the ideal time to participate in the vibrant atmosphere of the festival and enjoy the beauty of the waterfall and the landscape. autumn.
Late Fall - Early Winter (Early December): The season of changing leaves - the scenery of Ban Gioc and Cao Bang region during this time is very special, with bright red and yellow patches throughout the mountains and forests, creating a mesmerizing picture. or like autumn in Europe. During this period, Ban Gioc waterfall can become quite dry. Reduced water volume can reduce the attraction of the waterfall, making the tourist experience not the best.
How to get to Ban Gioc waterfall?
Ban Gioc Waterfall is about 335 km from Hanoi. With this distance, tourists from northern provinces can choose cars or buses to get to Cao Bang. For tourists in the Central and Southern provinces, they should travel by plane or train to Hanoi. After arriving at Noi Bai airport (Hanoi), visitors can catch a bus to Cao Bang.
How to transfer from Hanoi to Cao Bang
Passenger car: From Hanoi, you can go to some major bus stations such as My Dinh bus station, Giap Bat bus station, Nuoc Ngam bus station and catch a bus to Cao Bang city with a distance of about 300km. about 6 - 7 hours by car. You can refer to some bus companies to get to Cao Bang city such as Khanh Hoan, Tam Nghia, Thanh Ly.... Bus ticket prices range from 11 USD - 15 USD/trip.
Private car rental: It will cost you about 100 USD to 200 USD per day for a small or medium-sized car, depending on specific requirements and included services. Choosing this service helps you stay comfortable and flexible in choosing your travel schedule. You can easily stop at rest stops along the way, enjoy beautiful scenery, and visit interesting places you want.
Motorbike: This is a suitable choice for those who love adventure and want to explore the roads and natural scenery on both sides of the road. Because the road is relatively far and difficult to travel, if you choose a motorbike to get to Cao Bang city, before leaving, you must maintain the vehicle first, as well as be very sure of the steering wheel. me. Traveling by motorbike is also relatively economical, you only spend about 8 USD - 12 USD for gasoline and you can explore all of Cao Bang province.
Travel from Cao Bang city to Ban Gioc waterfall
From Cao Bang city to Ban Gioc waterfall, you need to travel a relatively long distance of about 80 km. If you travel by car to reach Cao Bang city, you can choose to travel by motorbike or car to get to Ban Gioc waterfall.
You can rent motorbikes around Cao Bang city area. Traveling by motorbike to get to Ban Gioc waterfall, you have the opportunity to conquer Ma Phuc pass, one of the most famous passes in the Cao Bang area. Normally, renting a motorbike in Cao Bang ranges from 4 USD - 6 USD/motorbike/day.
Tourist destination in Ban Gioc
Ban Gioc Waterfall
Ban Gioc Waterfall has a height of 53 m and a width of 300 m. From above, large blocks of water pour down through many limestone steps. Large bodies of water continuously flow down through many limestone steps, creating white waves of water flying halfway across the mountain. The rising steam creates a mist like a white silk strip across the mountainside, both majestic and poetic.
Ticket price is about: 2 USD/person
Here you can experience boating on Ban Gioc waterfall from 2 USD/person
Visiting opening hours: from 7:00 am to 6:00 pm in summer and 7:30 am to 5:30 pm in winter
Address of Ban Gioc waterfall: Loc Ban, Trung Khanh, Cao Bang, Vietnam (about 53km from Cao Bang city center)
Pac Bo tourist area
Pac Bo Special National Monument is an important and attractive destination in the Northern tourist route of the UNESCO Non Nuoc Cao Bang Global Geopark, a journey back to the revolutionary roots of tourists. when arriving in Cao Bang.
Ticket price is about: 2 USD/person
Address: Pac Bo village, Truong Ha commune, Ha Quang district, Cao Bang province (about 52 km from Cao Bang city center)
Magic Eye Mountain
"Magic Eye" Mountain - Nam Tra waterfall is located in the valley of Ban Danh hamlet, Quoc Toan commune (Tra Linh), with majestic and wild natural beauty, newly discovered but has attracted many tourists. explore, explore.
Ticket price is about: 2 USD/person
Address: Quang Vinh commune, Tra Linh district, Cao Bang province (about 50km from Cao Bang city center)
Phat Tich Truc Lam Ban Gioc Pagoda
Truc Lam Phat Tich Pagoda is located right near Ban Gioc Waterfall, this majestic pagoda has its back against the mountain, the front facing the mountains and forests. From the pagoda, visitors can also admire Ban Gioc Waterfall from afar. The sacred pagoda has a poetic setting and also has great significance in protecting Vietnamese territory.
Entrance fee: about 2 USD/person
Nguom Ngao Cave
Nguom Ngao Cave is an extremely famous cave in Cao Bang and is also just over 3km from Ban Gioc Waterfall. This place has a history dating back 300 million years ago. The cave has a length of more than 2000m, including 3 entrances called Nguom Ngao gate, Nguom Lom gate, and Ban Thuon gate.
Sightseeing ticket price: about 2 USD/person
Khuoi Ky ancient stone village
Khuoi Ky village has 100% Tay ethnic households with purely indigenous customs, habits, lifestyle, and costumes. Khuoi Ky people are sincere, hospitable and ready to sing and have fun with visitors to experience. Coming to Khuoi Ky village, visitors will feel the distinct cultural identity of the Tay people in Eastern Cao Bang.
Sightseeing ticket price: No fee
Ho Ban Viet
Ban Viet Lake is located in the area of 2 hamlets Ban Viet and Tan Phong, Phong Chau commune. This is a 5-hectare artificial lake, divided into 4 branches and surrounded by rolling mountains, rich and diverse vegetation; The small hamlets of the Tay and Nung people still retain many unique features imbued with national cultural identity.
Sightseeing ticket price: No fee
Milestone 836(2)
The Ban Gioc waterfall area currently has landmark 836(2) that you can easily access to take photos without asking permission like other areas (along the banks of the Quay Son river you can also easily find a lot of landmark running along the riverbank, this is the natural border between the two countries).
Landmark 836(2) is a double landmark of the same number, located on the Vietnamese side. If you look straight to the other side of China, there will be a similar landmark, which is landmark 836(1). The midpoint of the straight line connecting these two landmarks (in the middle of the flow of the Quay Son River) is one of the points forming the border between the two countries.
Where to stay when coming to Ban Gioc?
Hotel
Saigon – Ban Gioc
Located right next to Ban Gioc Waterfall, this place is the resort choice of many tourists when visiting this waterfall. Saigon - Ban Gioc is the first 4-star accommodation location in the Ban Gioc waterfall area. This place has a quite large area with a system of up to 53 rooms and is equipped with an extremely luxurious design with a capacity of up to 200 guests. Not only that, there is also a dedicated space for the restaurant and very good service. Many different dishes from European to Asian dishes, visitors can even enjoy extremely unique local ethnic dishes.
Room prices here range from 8 USD to 60 USD per night depending on room type, time of booking and time of travel.
Address: Ban Gioc hamlet, Dam Thuy commune, Trung Khanh district, Cao Bang province
Phone number: 0915 424 228
Gold Hotel
With a scale of 6 floors with a total of 14 rooms, with elevator and designed in an elegant, modern youthful style, the hotel's rooms are fully equipped with modern equipment and furniture. Luxurious interior, with windows and balcony, so when resting at the hotel you can see the panoramic view of the city and mountains while standing on the balcony.
Room prices at Gold Cao Bang Hotel range from 10 USD to 25 USD per night, depending on room type and time of booking.
Address: Group 7, Phai Khat Na Ngan, Cao Bang City, Cao Bang
Bang Giang Hotel
Bang Giang Hotel has 65 international standard rooms with modern equipment, this is the best hotel in Cao Bang city. The hotel serves European, Asian and Vietnamese dishes. In addition, the hotel also has other services such as massage, laundry, currency exchange, large parking lot...
Bang Giang Cao Bang hotel room prices range from 18 USD to 35 USD per night, depending on room type and time of booking.
Address: No. 001 Kim Dong, Hop Giang Ward, Cao Bang City, Cao Bang Province
Phone number: 0206 3855984
Homestay
Cao Bang Eco Homestay
Cao Bang Eco Homestay has a room system with all types of rooms and different prices. There are rooms with single beds, double beds, bunk beds... for tourists to easily choose from. The homestay also has full amenities and many other convenient services to always satisfy tourists.
Room prices at Cao Bang Eco Homestay range from 8 USD to 30 USD per night, depending on room type and number of guests.
Address: block 6, Song Bang ward, Cao Bang city
Phone number: 0868.252.168
Yen Nhi Homestay
Yen Nhi Homestay is a typical stone stilt house of the Tay ethnic group. If you go to the high mountains, you will definitely like to stay in a place with quiet mountain scenery like this Yen Nhi homestay. Has unique and solid architecture but no less rustic and simple. Inside the homestay is fully decorated and comfortable to serve tourists.
Room prices here are also quite cheap, private rooms are 8 USD/room/1 person, bunk bed rooms are 4 USD/1 person/1 bed, food is also very cheap, only 4 USD/person/1 meal.
Address: Ban Gioc waterfall, Dam Thuy, Trung Khanh, Cao Bang province
Phone number: 0942.241.760
Delicious dishes when coming to Ban Gioc
Cao Bang rice rolls
This banh cuon dish is eaten with fragrant simmered bone broth fragrant with chili and bamboo shoots soaked in molasses, so it is also called "banh cuon soup", to distinguish it from banh cuon in the lowlands. The combination of the cool taste of the rolls with the fragrant, sweet, greasy bone broth of the eggs, pork sausage and the gentle aroma of mac mol fruit makes anyone who has ever enjoyed this dish will remember it forever.
Stitching humiliation
Khau Hui - a dish of pork belly stewed in a water bath, is a traditional dish of the Tay and Nung Cao Bang people, commonly used during holidays, Tet, weddings... Each locality has a different way of preparing it, but they all have their own unique characteristics. bold unique characteristics of highland people. Khau hummus is fatty but not greasy, cool and fragrant with spices. When you eat it full you still crave it. This dish is very delicious served with hot rice.
Chongqing grass duck
The grass duck breed in Chongqing district originates from mallard ducks, through the natural domestication process, creating a grass duck breed adapted to natural grazing and has been raised by people in the area for many generations. Grass duck meat here has a sweet taste and moderate chewiness, so it is very popular with Cao Bang people.
Ban Gioc specialties as gifts
Chongqing chestnuts
Chongqing chestnuts are different from many other types of chestnuts, the size of the chestnuts is uniform, the shape is slightly round with nearly equal three dimensions, the shell is dark brown, shiny, the kernel is silky yellow, and has a nutty taste. , fragrant, rich in nutrients.
Chongqing green rice
Every year at the end of July and beginning of August, when the weather turns to autumn, it is also the time when Chongqing people enjoy the taste of green rice, a simple but elegant gift.
Thong Hue Banh Khao
From the stage of choosing ingredients, sticky rice must be large, plump, ivory white, even and round; The peanuts used in the filling must be red, the seeds must be old and free from pests, and sugar is used to prevent the cake from becoming sour when stored for a long time. Thong Hue Banh Khao has the characteristic rich flavor of sticky rice, the sweetness of sugar, and the aroma of peanuts.
Tuong Mec Cang
Mec Cang sauce is processed entirely in the traditional manual way with the crystallization of natural ingredients such as wheat and sage. This soy sauce is used as a great dipping sauce for boiled dishes, such as: boiled pork, boiled goat meat, boiled spinach. In addition, it is also used to braise meat and as a very important seasoning in the specialty dish Khau Duc.
Notes when traveling to Ban Gioc waterfall in Cao Bang
Weather: Check the weather forecast before going and bring enough provisions if there is a chance of rain.
Time: Choose the appropriate time to go, September-October is usually the most beautiful time with the most water.
Road conditions: The road from Cao Bang city center to Ban Gioc waterfall can be quite bumpy and treacherous, so please drive carefully.
Raincoat and sneakers: Especially important if you want to participate in activities on the falls or explore the surrounding area on foot.
Bathing safety: If you want to bathe at the falls, pay attention to floodwaters and follow safety instructions from local staff.
Preserve the environment: Please keep the area around the falls clean by bringing trash bags and making sure not to leave any waste behind.
Cash: Bring enough cash as not all shops or cafes in the area around the falls accept card payments.
Respect local culture: When communicating with locals, be polite and respectful of their culture.