Cao Bang is the beautiful land territory located in Northern Vietnam. It owns a melting pot of astonish nature as well as long-established cultures of ethnic groups. A journey to Cao Bang will leave you unforgettable memories of immense forests, dreaming waterfalls, majestic mountains together with an amazing experience with local cuisine, costumes, and customs. Hopefully, our detail guides to this destination will be useful advice for your Vietnam tour in Cao Bang.
Things to Do and See in Cao Bang
Non Nuoc Cao Bang Geopark
Located in the north of Vietnam, 300km from Hanoi Capital, Non Nuoc Cao Bang Geopark covers an area of 3,000km2. Cao Bang is the place which famous for many caves, stalactites, columns and stone. This is a rare land where tourists can know more about the history of over 500 million years of the Earth via the remnants and well-known for its high biological diversity with abundant endemic flora-fauna species and ecosystems.
Ban Gioc Waterfall
Considered as a breathtaking masterpiece of nature, Ban Gioc Waterfall can charm anyone only at the first sight. Set feet in the cool water; listen to the soft sound of streams falling down from the cliffs and enjoy the fresh air will be absolutely one of the most peaceful moments ever in your life.
Nguom Ngao Cave
Nguom Ngao Cave is one of the most beautiful caves in Vietnam because of their stalactites and stalagmites which make visitors scream “wow” and the legend behind the 300-year-old cavern. The temperature in the cave is about 18 to 25 degrees Celsius which is cool in the summer and warm in the winter. A visit to Nguom Ngao Cave will give you wonderful experience beyond your imagination.
Thang Hen Lake
This place is blessed with lush greenery, sparkling water like diamonds which can bend around the valley. What specializes the lake is that its water level rises and falls in a day creating the different beauties. In the morning, Thang Hen Lake becomes a magical mist layer of clouds surrounding around mountains. At noon, the lake is the perfect combination of green grass, pink, yellow flowers, blue-jaded water and the bright sunlight. When the sun goes down, the garden is sparkling like thousands of diamonds.
In addition, Cao Bang has many historical sites such as Pac Bo Cave, Coc Bo Cave, Lenin Stream, and Khuoi Nam Stream.
Cao Bang Highlights
Cao Bang Culture
Cao Bang is a famous place with many ethnic groups people, whose plentiful traditions and beliefs. Among all of them, the Tay group is the biggest group, making up a large proportion of Cao Bang’s population. This unique ethnic community has own handwriting which is showed in Vi and Then singing festival. Visitors have an opportunity to experience and get acquainted with the different culture of different ethnic groups through many festivals.
People in Cao Bang are very hospitable and friendly because there are many tourists come here to travel. To express their hospitality, they often invite tourists to drink traditional wine. Therefore, according to the Cao Bang travel experience of people who have come here, visitors should drink a little in response to the host’s enthusiasm.
Cao Bang Costumes
Cao Bang’s cultural consist of 8 ethnic groups (Tay, Nung, Mong, Dao, San Chi, Lo Lo, Kinh, Chinese) and each of them has own unique traditional dress. In Cao Bang markets, hundreds of colorful hand-made costumes of natural materials are sold by the locals. You can buy one of them as a souvenir or just hire it to take wonderful photos.
Cuisine in Cao Bang
Tourists have the chances to try amazing cuisine that bring cultural traditions. Regardless of what you choose, these experiences will stick to the minds and tongues of travelers and food lovers. Consider some recommend foods in Cao Bang below:
Dishes Made from Bumblebees
The bee larvae which separated from the honeycomb often fat and white. The best way to cook is to fry with sour pickles, which are fat and sour and crunchy from the bees and asparagus. Another way is making porridge with bees. Cao Bang’s people also often bring hive, the big ones are used to soak in wine, and the smaller ones are to eat.
Cao Bang Ant’s Eggs Cake
To make the cake, local people have to go to the forest, and not any ants can eat. They collect eggs from black ants because only these eggs can be eaten. Ant’s eggs cake are made from flour, egg ants, and fig leaves. Eggs are rich in nutrients and fat. Thanks to the fat of the eggs, the bold flavor of onions, and the fleshy of fig leaves, ant’s eggs cake become special cuisine you must try when visiting Cao Bang.
Sour Pho of Cao Bang
Cao Bang Pho is special thanks to the softness of rice vermicelli, the fleshy of the livers, bacon, roasted duck, chili spices, pork’s intestine, and extra of peanuts…
Roasted Ducks of Cao Bang
The meat is very tough and solid, and visitors should chew slowly to ensure that they cannot miss any flavors. The sweet of honey mixed with the fat of the oil and solid meat made each bite closer to heaven.
Deep inside each duck piece, there is the taste of the live leaves, bitter, but makes the meat even more flavorful. The secret to the success of the dish is the sauce of seven flavors. Some people try to find the secret recipe but only Cao Bang people know it that surely they will not tell you.
Cao Bang Travel Guides
Weather in Cao Bang
Most of Cao Bang’s topography is mountainous areas so the climate here is cool in the summer and cold in the winter. Rains often occur in spring and summer. Cao Bang is less affected by natural disasters such as hurricanes or tornados.
Best Time to Visit Cao Bang
No matter when you travel in Cao Bang, it will bring for you new and special feelings and distinct beauties on each season. However, according to Cao Bang’s travel experiences, Cao Bang attracts the most visitors two times a year.
From August to September: For people who want to see the fanciful waterfall
From November to December: It time Cao Bang covered by triangular circuit flower and Mexican Sunflower
Summer is also the good season for you to travel to Cao Bang. You can visit the mountain in the forest, watching the fish in the stream. Especially, the summer is the plentiful plum season in the mountains of Cao Bang. You will have the opportunity to enjoy the plum forest and many other summer fruits.
How to Get to Cao Bang from Hanoi
By Car Passenger
With reasonable prices and convenient amenities, car passengers are a good choice to travel to Cao Bang.
Travel time: Around 7 hours
Ticket price: From VND 170.000 to VND 200.000
Departure places:
My Dinh bus station (No. 20 Pham Hung St, Tu Lien District)
Giap Bat bus station (Km6, Giai Phong St, Hoang Mai District)
Some recommended car passengers
Thanh Ly Car Passenger
Address: My Dinh Station
Tel: +84 944 266 266 or +84 916 121 888
Mai Luy Car Passenger
Address: My Dinh Station
Tel: +84 913 252 888 or +84 962 377 272
Car passengers often leave at night, visitors should contact the car owner before going to book tickets, it makes your trip more convenient and easier.
By Motorcycle
Visitors who have the passion for discovering new things and places like going to Cao Bang by motorbike. If travelers decide Cao Bang by bike, they can choose Hanoi expressway to Thai Nguyen, Bac Kan and then go through Highway 3 to come Cao Bang center. However, there are many risks when you drive a long road because there are many dangerous pass and large trucks, you should go with people who have a lot of experience.
Some recommended company for hiring motorcycles
Van Chinh Company
Address: No. 24D Ta Hien St, Hoan Kiem District
Tel: +84 989 595 533
Bon Bon Motor
Address: No. 246 Ton Duc Thang St, Dong Da District
Tel: +84 125 5225 555
Where to Stay in Cao Bang
Despite being a remote province, there is a wide range of accommodations for visitors to consider.
Some Suggested Cao Bang Hotels:
Bang Giang Hotel
Address: No. 1 Kim Dong, Hop Giang District
Tel: +84 206 3853 431
Hoang Anh Hotel
Address: No. 131 Kim Dong, Hop Giang District
Tel: +84 983 963 889
Transportations in Cao Bang
The best way to discover a mountainous area is trekking. You can easily reach untouched land and conquer majestic mountains. However, if trekking makes you exhausted, you can choose other vehicles. The road from Cao Bang Province to tourist destinations is quite difficult to go; therefore, visitors should rent the car with a driver who has a lot of experience. If you go by personal vehicles such as motorbike or car, pay attention to the safety of brakes, tires, chains … and do not forget to bring all the vehicle registration and common tools repair vehicles.
Useful Information for a Perfect Cao Bang Tour
Remember to bring sunblock cream, sunglasses, hats in summer because the weather may be quite hot
Wear lightly; invest a good pair of shoes for trekking and climbing.
Do not forget to bring your own medication to prevent climate change.
One tip for all trips is that do not forget book the hotel room before going to make sure that your trip is always well served.
Travel to Cao Bang, visitors should understand the customs of ethnic people to avoid the taboo. For example, if you see the house which has a green leaf in front of the door, do not come in because it is a sign not to allow strangers to enter. Remember when entering the house, you should not touch any host worship objects in the house or turn back the sacred place.
