Springtime trip to Cao Bang

The pristine white of the water and the green of the mountains and forests make Ban Gioc Waterfall breathtakingly beautiful - Photo: Hai Duong

Vietnamese tourists prepare to board rafts to get close to the waterfall - Photo: Tien Dat

Cao Bang is beautiful in spring, the landscape like a painting. Tourists have to endure jungle rain, white mist, and then immerse themselves in biting cold winds and muddy red dirt roads.

The mystical Pac Bo

Even after arriving at Pac Bo, I still feel the presence of President Ho Chi Minh sitting and fishing by the stream. Rarely do you find a stream with such clear, calm water. He named it Lenin Stream. Schools of fish swim below, each one clearly visible. The security guard at the historical site scattered food into the stream, and schools of fish leaped to the surface to snatch the bait. There were some snakehead fish and carp weighing 2-3 kg, pinkish-brown... a feast for the eyes.

The cheerful security guard explained that the monument management had a very clear regulation prohibiting fishing in the Lenin Stream. According to him, the fish here are sacred and unusual; even during the rainy season when the water level is high, the fish still stay around the stream and don't go elsewhere.

Visitors are captivated as they walk along the clear, ancient stream, watching schools of fish swimming playfully. To reach Coc Bo Cave, where President Ho Chi Minh lived from February to the end of March 1941, visitors climb exactly 79 moss-covered, ancient stone steps. Inside Coc Bo Cave, there is only a wooden platform where President Ho Chi Minh slept. In Pac Bo, there is Milestone 108, the place where President Ho Chi Minh crossed to return to his homeland after exactly 30 years of searching for a way to save the country.

Vietnamese vendors' stalls at the foot of Ban Gioc Waterfall - Photo: Hai Duong

A moment of peace at Thang Hen Lake - Photo: Hai Duong

The amazing Ban Gioc Waterfall

The 90km journey from Cao Bang to Ban Gioc is even more arduous than the nearly 300km from Hanoi. The first challenge for the drivers is conquering the Ma Phuc Pass, followed by the Khau Lieu Pass, and then the damaged paved roads... From the mountaintop, the group suddenly exclaimed with joy because in the distance, Ban Gioc Waterfall was indeed there. White, cascading waters poured down from the upstream into the Quay Son River.

Border marker 836, erected in 2001, demarcates the Vietnam-China border. A cascading stream of white water plunges from a height of 30-40 meters into the lake at the foot of the waterfall. This miraculously clear stream flowing into the Quây Sơn River also forms the natural border between Vietnam and China. On either side of the Quây Sơn River are two tourist raft docks, with the green-roofed rafts belonging to Vietnam and the gray-roofed rafts to China.

Ms. Lanh, a resident of Dam Thuy commune, Trung Khanh district, who sells food and souvenirs here, said: "Ban Gioc Waterfall is beautiful in every season, but it's especially magnificent in the summer when the water level is high."

Looking across the border, the entire road down to the raft dock is paved with concrete, and the dining and rest areas are very impressive, even including an observation tower to view the waterfall from afar... On the Vietnamese side, the road from the parking lot down to the waterfall, nearly 1km long, is still a rice paddy. Finding accommodation and restaurants in Ban Gioc is probably the most difficult thing here. The best way is to prepare snacks or try to endure going hungry for 25km to Trung Khanh town where there are shops and guesthouses.

Therefore, the resort project recently announced by Saigontourist Corporation will be the most anticipated by tourists wishing to visit this area.

HAI DUONG

The Thanh