In addition to the spiritual and cultural sites, when I researched more, I discovered that Tay Ninh also has beautiful natural landscapes from the green of the trees to the poetic white of the sea of clouds and sky. If you have the opportunity to come to Tay Ninh, don't miss these 5 wonderful places:
Go to Ba Den mountain to hunt for clouds and sky
Ba Den Mountain is known as the “roof of the Southeast” with a height of 986m. There are two ways to get to Ba Den Mountain: by road for those who love mountain climbing or by cable car. That day, I woke up early to take the first cable car of the day to hunt for the majestic sea of clouds on the way to the top of the mountain. And luck smiled on me. The feeling of watching the sun shine on the sea of white clouds floating endlessly was truly indescribable.
The cable car route early in the day passes through a beautiful sea of clouds
On top of Ba Den Mountain is the tallest bronze Buddha statue in Asia, standing majestically overlooking the whole Tay Ninh with green fields. In addition, you can also visit the pagodas on the mountain such as Hang Pagoda, Linh Son Hoa Dong Pagoda, Quan Am Pagoda,... Among them is the famous sacred Ba Den Pagoda which is over 300 years old.
On top of the mountain is the tallest bronze Buddha statue in Asia.
Lo Go - Xa Mat National Park - a beautiful natural landscape in the border region
This is an ideal destination for those who love the wildness and peaceful scenery of nature. Lo Go - Xa Mat National Park is located in Tan Bien district, about 30km from Tay Ninh city center.
Standing on Ta Not observation tower to admire the beauty of the border region
The most wonderful thing I experienced here was climbing up to Ta Not observation tower to see the border scenery, waiting, and then bursting into tears when I saw thousands of birds flying back from Cambodia, landing on the trees and green fields.
In addition, I also had some extremely interesting experiences such as taking a boat on the upper reaches of the Vam Co Dong River flowing from Cambodia into Vietnam, discovering two heritage trees that are hundreds of years old, and admiring the primeval forest with an extremely rich ecosystem. It felt truly peaceful and in harmony with nature.
Experience boating on the upper reaches of the Dong Nai River
Tay Ninh Holy See with unique architecture
The Tay Ninh Holy See is the greatest work of the Cao Dai religion, and is also one of the most typical destinations of Tay Ninh. The campus is quite large, and the Holy See area alone has a very unique architecture that combines the styles of many religious civilizations in the world.
Unique architecture outside the Tay Ninh Holy See
Outside are beautiful photo angles, and inside are “small works of art” marked through each drawing, statue, pillar... and every detail contains profound meanings. That day, I also listened to a lecture on Cao Dai religion, I stood and listened engrossed with extremely interesting and new knowledge.
Every detail inside the Holy See has its own meaning.
Tam Quen - a very peaceful old coffee shop
That afternoon, I was very curious when standing in front of the coffee shop with a very strange name: Tam Quen. Looking from the outside with the gate looking old, I was attracted, and then extremely impressed with the nostalgic space inside.
It's quiet here and has some great photo angles.
The shop is designed in vintage style and has many beautiful corners, preserving many items and photos from decades ago, from old banknotes, music speakers, typewriters to old Vespas. In addition, the shop also has many green trees and books - suitable for those looking for a chill and quiet "shelter".
Dau Tieng Lake - an ideal place for camping enthusiasts
Dau Tieng Lake is the largest irrigation lake in Vietnam and Southeast Asia. Quite interested in the scenery around the lake, my group of friends and I decided to spend a day exploring and camping on a peaceful island - Nhim Island.
The peaceful, cool green beauty of Nhim Island
Before reaching the island, on the small boat cutting through the waves, I was very excited with the peaceful scenery around the lake, the calm water surface under the afternoon sun, small islands following each other, with herds of buffalo and cows leisurely grazing. Soon we arrived at Nhim Island. We quickly set up tents, grilled fish, lit a fire and strolled on the green grass. Just like that, an afternoon passed peacefully like that.
Things to note when traveling to Tay Ninh:
When should I go to Tay Ninh?
Like other southern provinces, Tay Ninh has two distinct seasons in a year, the rainy season (from May to November) and the dry season (from December to April next year). But you don’t need to worry too much if you go during the rainy season, because if it rains the night before, the probability of hunting the sea of clouds on Ba Den mountain is extremely high!
Transportation to Tay Ninh:
Tay Ninh is located about 100km from Ho Chi Minh City, so if possible, you can ride a motorbike here, conveniently stopping by Trang Bang to eat banh canh and enjoy the scenery on the way.
If you want to save effort and time, there are many passenger vans going to Tay Ninh, ranging from seated passenger vans to limousines.
Some other things to note:
Lo Go - Xa Mat National Park is being preserved and is very close to the border, so if you want to go, you must book a tour in advance. To optimize the experience, you can combine Lo Go - Xa Mat National Park with Xa Mat border gate, Southern Central Office and explore Tan Bien. Boating services on Dau Tieng Lake are not really many. To go by boat, you need to go to the pier at the intersection of Bo Ho, near Suoi Da Church, Duong Minh Chau Town, Tay Ninh. Opposite the intersection is Dong Phuoc bus station, they have hourly car parking service or motorbike parking.
The article was written by Nguyen Khanh Hoang Anh - Mavis Vi Vu Ky, a girl who has conquered 56 provinces and cities in Vietnam and many Asian countries. She has a strong passion for traveling and brings back good stories about her youthful trips.
