Explore amazing nature during the April 30 - May 1 tourist season

ECO-TOURISM

Vang Vieng, Laos - Pristine and Wild

Without the splendid temples like in Luang Prabang, and without the heritage-filled streets like in Vientiane, Vang Vieng attracts tourists with its majestic mountains and inviting, wild natural scenery. These are mountains that you can reach and conquer by trails that have not been touched by travel companies.

 

 

The road to Pha Ngeun Peak is a typical example. The starting point can be marked from Maylin Guesthouse, just drive 4km more and there will be a wooden sign on the right, pointing you towards the Hmong village. Leave your car at the simple toll booth, the uphill journey begins. For those who are used to climbing, it only takes 25 minutes to conquer Pha Ngeun Peak. The reward will be a 360° view of the neighboring peaks.

 

 

Photo: Francesca Fuga

There are three reasons why Vang Vieng is considered one of the most dangerous backpacker destinations: alcohol-fueled parties, river reefs, and outdoor activities. Whether you are into mountain biking, trekking, kayaking, rock climbing, ziplining, hot air ballooning, and of course tubing.

This riverside town in central Laos is perhaps the only place in the world where tubing is practiced. It was born by chance after the initiative of a farm owner in 1999, when he bought some rubber tires for volunteers to relax on the river, and now tubing has become an indispensable part of the experience when coming to Vang Vieng. Tubing is simply lying on a round tube made from rubber tires and letting the Nam Song River carry you along. For only 65,000 kip for a tube, plus 15,000 kip to rent a waterproof chest bag for your belongings, you can take a tuk-tuk to the gathering point and start your journey down the river. The best time to go tubing is between noon and 4 p.m. If you go earlier, the Tubing center owner may still be sleeping, and if you go later, it is not safe.

 

 

The town is so small that you can walk everywhere. If you want to visit Lao, Kmou, Hmong villages or explore hidden caves in the mountains, you can choose bicycle (20,000 kip/day) or motorbike (from 40,000 to 60,000 kip/12 hours). And if you only have one day to explore Vang Vieng, Tham Poukham – Blue Lagoon is the most popular, safe and complete option. Only about 7km from the town center, this place has a clear blue lake, a zipline (adventure rope swing) for those who are not afraid of heights and even hidden caves deep in Tham Poukham cave.

More information:

+ Location: The mountain town of Vang Vieng is about 150km north of the capital Vientiane, equivalent to a 4-hour drive.

+ Itinerary: From Hanoi, there are direct flights to Vientiane or Luang Prabang, then take a bus to Vang Vieng. From the Northern bus station of Vientiane, you can take a bus to Vang Vieng almost any time of the day (before 4pm) for 50,000 kip/person.

+ Currency: Lao Kip (LAK). 20,000 VND can be exchanged for 7,500 kip. A plate of papaya salad costs 15,000 kip (about 40,000 VND), which is also the common price for pancakes or sandwiches sold everywhere.

+ Entertainment: In the evening, some bars will have free drinks for the ladies! Be sure to read the flyers carefully before choosing your final destination.

 

Relax and experience elephant training at Four Seasons Golden Triangle, Thailand

Designed for young, dynamic people who love to experience eco-tourism, Four Seasons campsite will meet all the needs of visitors from high-class resort amenities, delicious cuisine and wonderful experiences with elephants.

Four Seasons Campground is located on the land near the confluence of the Ruak and Mekong Rivers, the border of three countries Thailand, Myanmar and Laos, surrounded by thick bamboo groves and trees, tropical jungle. The special thing that Four Seasons brings to visitors is the unique experience in 15 tents designed close to nature while still ensuring full high-class amenities, arranged far apart to ensure privacy for visitors. Each tent is decorated in its own style, inspired by 19th-century expeditions. The interior is handcrafted in a classic style, from hardwood floors, hurricane lamps, luxurious king-size beds, large copper bathtubs, ... In a space very close to nature, visitors will be able to sunbathe, relax and recover with traditional Thai massage therapies, or use the outdoor rain shower, wooden hot tub.

 

 

Not only do you experience high-class services and facilities, you can also enjoy cuisine at many locations that change every day, breakfast at the main restaurant Nong Yao while lunch can be a picnic in the forest. Afternoon activities last until sunset, visitors can relax and have breakfast and watch the sky turn a magical light orange. Dinner prepared at the camp can be an outdoor BBQ party, a formal five-course meal or dinner by the firelight of Elephant Camp.

 

 

For book lovers, Burma Bar’s library offers a wide range of books on the Golden Triangle, Chiang Rai and Thailand, travel guides and a wide range of Thai art, culture and history. You can lounge by the campfire reading contemporary novels and nature magazines and books.

 

 

One of the activities that attracts tourists when coming to Four Seasons is the experience of learning how to train, care for, control and ride elephants in the forest by mahouts, or drifting on traditional boats along the Mekong River, exploring the markets and temples in the Golden Triangle area. Depending on the season and weather conditions, you can participate in other interesting activities such as: trekking, picnicking along the river, bird watching, participating in cooking classes, visiting mountain tribes.

More information:

+ Weather: The Golden Triangle is located in a tropical climate area, cooler and less humid than the central and southern regions of Thailand. The dry season is from November to May, the rainy season is from May to October.

+ Transportation: There are no direct flights from Vietnam to Chiang Rai. You will have to transit in Bangkok, then continue with a domestic flight from Bangkok to Chiang Rai. Currently, there are airlines operating the Hanoi/Ho Chi Minh City - Bangkok route such as: Qatar Airways, Vietnam Airlines, Thai Airways, Vietjet Air, Air Asia, Nok Air... Airlines operating the domestic flight route Bangkok - Chiang Rai: Air Asia, Thai Airways, Orient Thai Airlines.

Upon arrival at Chiang Rai International Airport (CEI), Four Seasons Tented Camp will provide shuttle service (included in the package). Guests are advised to contact and book the shuttle service in advance.

+ Currency: 1 Baht is approximately 700 VND

+ Cuisine: Tom Yum (spicy and sour soup), Pad Thai (stir-fried noodles), Som Tum (papaya salad), mango sticky rice, Kaeng khiao wan (sweet green curry)

+ Festival: April 13-15 every year is the traditional New Year in Thailand called Songkran. Many interesting cultural activities take place everywhere such as parades, beauty contests, water splashing for luck...

+ Address:

Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle, Thailand

Post Office Box 18, Chiang Saen Post Office, Chiang Rai 57120, Thailand.

Tel: +66 53 910 200

Website: www.fourseasons.com/goldentriangle

 

DISCOVER, EXPLORE

Patagonia, Chile - Argentina, Peace at the end of the world

Known as “the land at the end of the world”, Patagonia is only about 1,000km from Antarctica. Interestingly, this land is owned by both Chile and Argentina. Not as noisy and bustling as what people often say when coming to South America, this mysterious area is surrounded by a wild, peaceful and delicate legendary space.

 

 

Photo: Andrew Moore

Discovered by Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan and named after the tribe that lived here in the 16th century, Patagonia has stunned the world with its captivating beauty that is difficult to explain, including icebergs, hot springs, caves, etc. You can experience many adventurous journeys such as: enjoying a meal on the rocky mountains of the Andes, resting in front of the white icebergs of the Perito Moreno glacier - the famous treasure of Glacier National Park. Few people know that Patagonia is also one of the best places on the planet to watch whales.

 

 

Photo: Prashca

 

In addition, when coming to the "end of the world", you certainly cannot miss the place considered the "most southern" city in the world - Ushuaia, or the marble caves located on the clear blue Carrera Lake, between the border of Argentina and Chile. In particular, Torres del Paine National Park with many strange landscapes is always described as a gate leading to another world through the stories of sailors. You can walk, boat, ride horses, camp... to fully explore the diverse landscape of Torres del Paine. If you like Patagonian cuisine, you can go to the capital Buenos Aires of Argentina to enjoy traditional dishes such as pasta, charcoal-grilled lamb or corn cakes...

 

 

Photo: Steven Miller

More information:

+ Weather: November to March and April of the following year is the ideal time to travel to Patagonia.

+ Transportation: From Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, there are flights from Vietnam Airlines, United Airlines, Bangkok Airways, Thai Airways to Argentina. There are currently no direct flights from Vietnam to Chile. You can fly to Santiago, Chile by Qantas flights departing from Sydney (Australia), 5 flights per week (no departures on Tuesdays and Thursdays). In Chile, Navimag (www.navimag.com) is a famous ferry company operating from Puerto Montt, Chile to Puerto Natales, Chile, near Torres del Paine.

+ Currency: 1USD = 14.79 pesos (Argentina) and = 708.79 Peso (Chile)

+ Other notes:

-Argentina has two summers a year. If you come to Patagonia, the best time to visit is during the summer and spring months, from November to March of the following year.

-The ski season runs from June to mid-October, and the resorts are most expensive and crowded in July and August.

-Patagonia is the most expensive place in Argentina. In the big cities, a hotel room with star standard is about 180$ per couple. In the provinces, you can choose a good hotel for about 90$ per couple, when adding 20-50$ you will have some other comfortable services.

 

Great Barrier Reef, Australia - Explore the world's largest coral reef

Covering an area of ​​approximately 344,400 km2, equivalent to 492 times the area of ​​Singapore (about 700 km2), the largest living coral reef on the planet, the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland, was recognized by UNESCO as a world natural heritage in 1981. The vast, colorful coral reefs, hundreds of years old, combined with fine white sand beaches and seas that constantly change color from blue, azure to green, will be an ideal tourist destination for the upcoming festivals and summer.

 

 

Explore the Great Barrier Reef in North Queensland from above with a hot air balloon or helicopter tour. A scenic flight over the Daintree Rainforest, Great Barrier Reef and islands will leave you in awe of the stunning ocean views below. Cruise ships are the ideal way to cruise around the Great Barrier Reef and Australia’s most beautiful coastlines, often dropping overnight anchor at stunning beaches such as Whitehaven Beach, Cid Harbour, Butterfly Bay… along the way. Another way to see the colorful coral reefs is to join a glass-bottom boat tour in coastal centres such as Cairns, Port Douglas, Townsville, Bundaberg, Rockhampton, Mackay, Mission Beach and Airlie Beach.

 

 

For a glimpse of life under the sea, the best snorkelling tours are from Cairns to Agincourt Reef, and Capricorn and Bunker Reefs near Gladstone. The Great Barrier Reef is home to over 360 species of coral, 1,500 species of fish, 4,000 mollusks and over 200 species of seabirds. If you're lucky, you might spot some interesting marine animals such as green turtles, seahorses, dolphins and more while exploring the colourful coral crevices near Lady Elliot and Lady Musgrave islands. Enjoy your holiday where summer never ends.

 

 

More information:

+ Weather: In the Great Barrier Reef, rain falls mainly in January and February. Refer to the website of the Australian Bureau of Meteorology: www.bom.gov.au

+ Transportation: There are many airlines operating flights from Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City - Australia:

-Vietnam Airlines and Jetstar Pacific are two domestic airlines that regularly provide regular flights to Australia.

-Qantas, Virgin Blue, Tiger Airways, Singapore Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Thai Airways, Cathay Pacific… are international airlines with regular flights to Australia at reasonable prices.

-You can tour the Great Barrier Reef from coastal towns such as Cape Tribulation, Port Douglas, Cairns, Townsville, Airlie Beach, Yeppoon, Mission Beach and Cooktown. Of these, Cairns is considered the main gateway to the reef.

-You can get to Cairns by air or by rail.

+ Currency: 1 AUD = 0.71 USD = (approximately) 16,000 VND

+ Cuisine: Beetroot burger; Fantales: marshmallows covered in milk chocolate; Barramundi; Grilled kangaroo; Pavlova; Grilled emu (Emu is a native Australian bird). Emu meat is low in cholesterol and almost fat-free, and has many times more iron than beef.

+ Other notes:

-There are many cruise lines serving tourists at the Great Barrier Reef such as Santa Maria, Coral Princess and Coral Sea Dreaming, offering tours from 2 – 7 days.

-At the beach, always swim between the red and yellow flags - never swim outside them. These flags mark the safest areas to swim and areas where lifeguards patrol. Many of Australia's surf beaches have strong rip currents, which create rips.

 

Conquer the third largest cave in the world

The 2-day-1-night journey to conquer 22km of forest roads with steep slopes, walking under the scorching heat of the Central region, crossing dozens of streams and many hours of groping in dark caves are great difficulties and challenges, but also have an irresistible attraction for those passionate about conquering En Cave.

Swallow Cave is located in the central area of ​​Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park, is the third largest cave in the world, only after Son Doong Cave and Deer Cave (Malaysia), becoming a natural wonder not to be missed in Vietnam. Starting from Ba Giang slope, visitors will spend about two hours climbing the mountain, following winding roads and overcoming slopes of more than 60 degrees. Passing the slope, you will set foot in Rao Thuong valley, following the clear, cool stream to reach Doong village, home to the Bru – Van Kieu people.

 

 

After two hours of crossing a series of rivers and streams, walking underwater, with the hot, sultry sun overhead challenging the conqueror, the reward that visitors receive is the green mountains right in sight, clusters of hundred-year-old trees and rich flora and fauna. At the end of the valley, the main entrance of En Cave gradually appears before the eyes. The light shining on the campsite creates a magical, majestic scene.

When climbing to the top of the slope, the beautiful scene appears: a white sand beach embracing a small jade lake, located entirely in the cave, along the sand beach, colorful tents have been set up in advance by the porter team carrying their belongings. In the cave, there are also two clear blue lakes, one cold, one warm, which are ideal places for you to soak, swim and enjoy the feeling of being one with nature before enjoying a special BBQ party. The first day of exploration will end with glasses of fragrant rice wine in the cave.

 

 

On the second day, after being fully equipped with headlamps, helmets, and gloves, visitors can also experience climbing on the concave and convex cliffs, go deep to explore the dark cave and admire countless fossils over 300 million years old, see giant stalactites and listen to stories about the custom of eating Swallows or the full moon festival of the Arem people. After nearly 1 hour of walking and climbing in the cave, passing through a narrow section, visitors will reach the back door of the cave. The ceiling of the cave gradually rises until you see the sunlight shining in through the giant rock wall.

When climbing to the top, a lush green vegetation creates a surreal scene that is so impressive that you won't hesitate to take out your camera to capture those beautiful moments.

 

 

More information:

+ Location: En Cave is located in the central area of ​​Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park, Quang Binh province.

+ Tour service: Similar to Son Doong, visitors are required to join a tour, with a professional guide and porter team. Oxalis Company is the unit operating the En Cave discovery tour, with a frequency of 2-3 tours/week. Number: maximum 16 guests/group. Reference price: from 6,500,000 VND/guest. Contact number 052.3677678 or website: www.oxalis.com.vn

+ Time: You should choose the dry season, the weather is dry to avoid leeches, and wading in streams is also easier. Usually from December to July of the following year.

+ Luggage: Tourists only need to bring personal belongings and necessary items (sleeping clothes for camping at night, bathing suits, sunglasses, towels, sunscreen, insect repellent, hats, water bottles, slippers or sandals). Protective equipment (helmets, gloves, oil lamps, dry bags, tents) and meals prepared by the tour company. Note to choose shoes, long clothes that are elastic, dry quickly, and drain well because tourists have to cross many rivers, high socks to avoid leeches and itchy plants from sticking to them.

+ Note: You should proactively replenish water promptly when walking continuously in the sun to avoid losing strength.

 

Impressive thousands of cones in the cave

If you don't have much time to conquer Son Doong cave, exploring Va cave - Nuoc Nut cave is your ideal alternative choice during this vacation. Being the most unique place in the world, Va cave is nearly 1.7km long with about 1,000 stalactites of quite uniform size, shaped like growing from the ground, extremely strange. Right next to Va cave is Nuoc Nut cave, with the first part of the cave being dry, then about 300m later there is a main stream entering from the right side. The main cave continues down following the stream for about 400m more before leading to a lake. Visitors can follow a small entrance about 250m long to reach this lake on the opposite side. The entrance to these two caves is a big challenge for visitors because it requires safety equipment and experienced experts to help.

 

 

The road to the cave will start by car from the center of Son Trach commune to Km28 of Ho Chi Minh Tay road. Visitors continue to walk through the forest for about 1 hour, then stop to explore Nuoc Nut. Here, you will be equipped with helmets and headlamps to explore the vast cave scene that opens up before your eyes with many interesting things. After walking for about 1 hour, overcoming rocky outcrops, steep sections and complex terrain, visitors will arrive at the campsite near the entrance to Hang Va, then stay overnight in the cave and enjoy the quiet mountain forest space at night. Because the first section at the entrance of Hang Va is quite steep, with many sharp and slippery rocks, you must be very careful in every move. To ensure safety, the tour guide will provide helmets, wear safety belts and your task is to follow the rope that has been stretched in the cave.

 

 

Here, don’t forget to experience swimming at the end of the stream before going upstream deep into the cave, then wading in the underground river, climbing over rocks, and squeezing through narrow gaps. Along the way, sparkling rocks will gradually appear when illuminated.

 

 

One of the biggest challenges at the end of the trail is overcoming obstacles to reach higher ground, admiring the stalactites with the most unique tectonic patterns. Remember to take pictures to preserve the best moments of your journey!

 

 

More information:

+ Location: Va Cave - Nuoc Nut Cave is located in the central area of ​​Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park, Quang Binh province.

+ Journey: To explore Va cave, the conqueror must walk more than 20km round trip in 2 days and 1 night.

+ Tour service: Similar to Son Doong, visitors are required to join a tour, with a professional guide and porter team. Oxalis Company is the operator of the Va Cave exploration tour, Quang Binh. Time: 2 days 1 night; frequency of 3 tours/week. Maximum number of 8 guests/group. Reference price: from 9,000,000 VND/guest. Contact phone number: 052.3677678 or website: www.oxalis.com.vn

+ Time: You should choose the dry season, the weather is dry to avoid leeches, and wading in streams is also easier. Usually from December to August of the following year.

+ Luggage: You only need to bring personal belongings and necessary items such as sleeping clothes for the night camping, bathing suits, sunglasses, towels, sunscreen, insect repellent, hats, water bottles, slippers or sandals. Protective equipment such as helmets, gloves, oil lamps, dry bags, tents... and meals prepared by the tour company.

+ Clothing: Remember to choose shoes and long clothes that are elastic, dry quickly, and drain well because visitors have to cross many rivers. High socks to avoid leeches and itchy plants from sticking to them.

+ Note: You should proactively replenish water promptly when walking continuously in the sun to avoid losing strength.

+ Photography: During the trip, a high-quality camera that can take good photos in low light conditions is indispensable. You should bring a tripod and specialized flash if available.

Article: Que Lan, Cac Truc, Trang Ami | Photos: many sources