Buzz
Indulge in the local specialties around here, such as smoked pork, grilled chicken, buffalo meat, and rice crackers. Insider tip: For the best buffalo meat, head to Xuân Hoà town nearby for a flavorful dish priced at around 50K/dish, well worth it. This dish is not as tasty elsewhere.
Directions: Ride a motorbike from Hanoi towards Thang Long Bridge, pass through Thang Long toll booth, reach the intersection with Highway 2, turn left onto Highway 2 for about 3 km, look for signs pointing to the University of Education and Industrial College, then turn right. This stretch is a rural road, so drive cautiously (<40km/h). Continue straight for about 7 km, cross the bridge, then take a left into Xuân Hoà town. After 4 km, you'll reach Đại Lải Lake.
Viet Phu Thanh Chuong
Thanh Chuong Citadel is located about 30 km from the city center in Soc Son, a suburb of Hanoi. It resembles a miniature Northern Vietnamese village preserving traditional cultural values, providing a comprehensive insight into the life of Vietnamese farmers.
Visitors stepping into Thanh Chuong's mansion can feel its serene, rustic charm and rare moments of relaxation. Here, you'll find the distinctive architectural style of ancient Vietnamese villages, with gates reminiscent of Tho Ha village, Duong Lam, intertwined with the architecture of royal palaces and imperial tombs of Hue...
Entrance fee is 100,000 VND.
Directions:
If you're taking the bus: Bus 07: Get off at Phu Lo Intersection – Noi Bai – National Highway 2. Take a motorbike taxi for about 9km. If you're on bus 56, get off at Noi Bai Industrial Zone. Take a motorbike taxi for about 3km.
7. Eco-tourism Area Ho Tien Sa
About 60km from Hanoi, it takes just over an hour to reach the Ho Tien Sa eco-tourism area in Tan Linh commune, Ba Vi district. Nestled at the foot of Tan Vien mountain, Ho Tien Sa boasts picturesque scenery, with green mountains, azure waters, and drifting clouds. The structures here are designed and built in ancient Chinese architectural style, with enticing names such as Ngũ Phúc gate, Thuận Thiên bridge, Uyên Ương mansion, Liên Hoa mansion, Nhi Long waterfall…
Ho Tien Sa eco-tourism area offers various exciting entertainment activities, notably fishing. Additionally, depending on your preferences, you can choose from various types of tourism activities such as waterfall bathing, mountain climbing, playing with trained monkeys, or seeking thrills in the park with a 9-lane water slide or participating in outdoor sports activities like football, volleyball, badminton, tennis…
Directions: Follow this diagram:
8. Bao Son Paradise
Located on the left side at kilometer 8 of Lang – Hoa Lac Road, Bao Son Paradise is an amusement park and tourist area with many zones showcasing distinct features of Hanoi. It offers beautiful, spacious surroundings combining ancient and modern elements, recreating the bustling street scenes of Hanoi… There are plenty of entertainment options, but the service prices are quite steep.
Entrance tickets on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays: adults 135k, children 120k (20k cheaper on weekdays).
Directions: Ride your motorbike straight along Lang Hoa Lac Road, the directional signs along the road are very prominent and easy to spot. There are buses passing by, but they only stop outside the expressway, so you'll need to take a taxi there.
9. Thien Son Ngà Stream
Located about 70km from downtown Hanoi, Thien Son Ngà Stream is situated to the east of the Ba Vi mountain range, making it an ideal destination for day trips or weekend getaways for those looking for some outdoor adventure. Thien Son Ngà Stream reigns atop Tan Vien Mountain and is divided into three main areas: Lower Son, Middle Son, and Adventurous Son.
If Lower Son attracts tourists with Tam Cap waterfall, along with numerous small streams and winding bridges crossing the streams like silk ribbons, then Middle Son captivates visitors with charming stilt houses decorated with lanterns nestled on the mountainside, offering authentic mountainous delicacies such as roasted chicken, wild vegetable soup with mountain fish, and fermented shrimp paste… The highlight of the tourist area is the perennial Heavenly Gate waterfall.
To fully experience the beauty of Thien Son Ngà Stream, you should hike from Lower Son along the streamside trail to Upper Son, a path approximately 2km long winding along the stream, passing through some breathtaking sparse forests. Specialties here include Phu Nhi rice cake, Muong-style bamboo rice, Da River fish, beef, goat, smoked pork, and free-range chicken… You can visit Ngoc Nhi stork hill to enjoy stork meat and dishes made from birds that are both delicious and affordable, while soaking in the refreshing atmosphere.
Ticket prices for Thien Son Ngà Stream area last year were 210K for 2 people, including 1 parking ticket for the 3 main areas.
Directions:
Starting from Hanoi, it takes about 1.5 hours to reach the Thien Son Ngà Stream eco-tourism area due to its convenient 60km distance. Follow Lang – Hoa Lac Road, then at the end of the expressway, turn right onto Road 21 towards Son Tay (turn left for Xuan Mai). Along this road, pay attention to the sign on the left indicating the way to Khoang Xanh, then turn onto that road towards Da Chong (turn right at the first intersection). At the end of the road towards Da Chong, you'll reach the main road leading straight to Thien Son Ngà Stream (there will be signs on the right, indicating the direction for tourists to turn left, entering the tourist area with the Black Stone Temple, Ba Vi National Park, Ho Tien Sa tourist area,…)
Additionally, there is another simpler but longer route, which is to not turn onto the Khoang Xanh road but continue straight, then at the fourth intersection, turn left (turning right leads to the ancient village of Duong Lam), which leads directly to the road to Thien Son Ngà Stream. Following this road, you won't need to ask for directions, just keep going until you see signs, then turn onto them.
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Source: Travel guide Mytour – By Water_007/blog.tamtay
MytourSeptember 25, 2015
