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If you're an adventurous soul, you simply can't miss out on the 'green gem' of the Northeast, which is Cao Bang. Get ready for your journey back to the mountains and forests with the travel experiences that Vntrip.vn will share right here.
1. When is the best time to travel to Cao Bang?
Each season, Cao Bang wears its own beauty. However, according to the travel experience of Cao Bang, the best time to visit Cao Bang is in August - September when Ban Gioc Waterfall is full of clear water. November - December is the time when buckwheat flowers and wild sunflowers bloom all over the mountains and forests. For those who prefer mild weather without being too cold or too hot, around March - April, when apricot and plum trees bear fruit abundantly, is also very interesting for sightseeing and enjoying.
Cao Bang looks magnificent during buckwheat flower season (Photo: ST)
2. How to get to Cao Bang?
Cao Bang City is about 280km from Hanoi, and you can choose to travel to Cao Bang by passenger bus. There are about 3 bus trips running from My Dinh Bus Station to Cao Bang every day, and all of these routes operate in the evening.
The ticket price is about 190,000-200,000 VND per person per ticket (depending on the bus company).
Upon arrival at Cao Bang bus station, you need to catch another bus from Cao Bang bus station to Ban Gioc. Cao Bang City is about 65km from Trung Khanh, and from Trung Khanh town to Ban Gioc waterfall, it's an additional 25km.
*Some bus companies operating the Hanoi - Cao Bang route
- Hai Van Bus:
In Hanoi: (04) 3722.3588 – 01677.24.24.24;
In Cao Bang: 01686.24.24.24.
- Hung Thanh Bus:
In Hanoi: My Dinh bus station: 0972.222.694; Luong Yen bus station: 0972.222.694;
In Cao Bang: 0989.481.481.
- Khanh Toan Bus: 0915.660.062 – 0913.010.062.
- Ngoc Ha Bus: 0912.577.004 – 0912.455.915.
- Luong Sung Bus: 0912.455.915 – 0912.577.044.
You can also opt for motorbike transportation, sometimes there are unique experiences waiting for you to discover along the way.
3. Where to Stay in Cao Bang?
Cao Bang travel is very convenient for travelers as most hotels here are affordable and quite diverse. According to Cao Bang travel experience, you can consider the following addresses:
- Sunny Hotel
Standard: 3 stars
Address: No. 040 Kim Dong Street - Cao Bang City.
Sunny Hotel is one of the most popular hotels in Cao Bang chosen by travelers. The hotel is located on Kim Dong Street, right in the center of Cao Bang city, 150 meters north of Bang Giang River and Bang Giang Bridge, making it convenient for sightseeing, strolling, sightseeing, shopping, and entertainment.
VIP room at Sunny Hotel (Photo: ST)
- Jeanne Hotel
Rating: 2 stars
Address: 99 Kim Dong, Hop Giang, Cao Bang City.
With its advantageous geographical location, Jeanne Hotel is chosen by travelers for easy access and exploration of famous landmarks in Cao Bang tourism. Located in the city center of Cao Bang, Jeanne Hotel will satisfy guests with cleanliness, freshness, and services such as car rental, massage, gift shop, etc.
- A Dong Hotel Cao Bang
Rating: 2 stars
Address: Group 6, Ngoc Xuan Ward, Cao Bang City.
A Dong Hotel has a convenient location for both domestic and international tourists to explore Cao Bang as it is situated on the main route to famous attractions such as Ban Gioc Waterfall, Nguom Ngao Cave, Thang Hen Lake, Pac Po Cave, and Tran Hung Dao Forest. Especially, A Dong Hotel is conveniently located for travelers wishing to visit Heaven's Gate, a famous spiritual destination.
4. Famous tourist attractions in Cao Bang
Ban Gioc Waterfall (Approximately 90km from Cao Bang city)
Ranked as the fourth largest waterfall in the world among beautiful waterfalls located on the borders between countries, this is also one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Vietnam and the most famous tourist attraction in Cao Bang. A landmark that you cannot miss when traveling to Cao Bang.
Ban Gioc Waterfall (Photo: ST)
Nguom Ngao Cave (Approximately 3km from Ban Gioc Waterfall)
Just 3km from Ban Gioc Waterfall, travel tips for Cao Bang from Vntrip.vn reveal that you should explore Nguom Ngao Cave at least once. Especially for those who love imagination, the cave will be an attractive destination. Formed from ancient stalactites with various and unique shapes, the cave creates a spectacular whole that only Nguom Ngao Cave has.
Nguom Ngao Cave will make your imagination soar... very high... (Photo: ST)
- Suoi Le - nin, Pac Bo Cave (approximately 55km from Cao Bang city)
Suoi Le - nin, Pac Bo Cave is a famous historical site where Uncle Ho chose to work and directly lead the Vietnamese revolution after more than 30 years of wandering abroad. Suoi Le - nin, Pac Bo Cave are two landmarks that are very familiar to every Vietnamese from the time they went to school.
This place is also a beautiful landscape with lush green mountains, cool streams, and picturesque scenery. Nestled amidst the old forest, the historical site has a refreshing atmosphere, breezy, always fragrant with wildflowers.
Suoi Le-nin always attracts photographers (Photo: ST)
Thang Hen Lake
Thang Hen is the largest freshwater lake among 36 freshwater lakes in Tra Linh district. Although they are separated, they are connected by underground caves. To admire the beauty of Thang Hen, you should not sleep in. When the sun is just rising behind the mountains is the best time to immerse yourself in the fairy scene here. At this time, the lake is like an emerald mirror covered with a white veil. Faintly visible around are the hidden mountains. The early morning scenery here is strangely peaceful, completely different from the bustling city outside.
The area around Thang Hen Lake has steep cliffs. On them, visitors can easily recognize the gnarled trees with hundreds of years old, many species of wild orchids. This is the habitat of wild animals such as golden monkeys, pheasants, jungle fowl...
A glimpse of Thang Hen Lake (Photo: ST)
5. Specialties of Cao Bang
Ant egg cakes
When it comes to Cao Bang's specialties, one must mention ant egg cakes. Around April and May every year, the Tay ethnic people in Cao Bang province gather in the forest to find black ant eggs to make Ant Egg Cakes. Ant Egg Cakes (called pẻng rày in Tay language) are made from glutinous rice flour, black ant eggs, and young leaves of the vả tree. The black ant eggs in Cao Bang forest are tiny, fatty, and have high protein content.
Ant egg cakes (Photo: ST)
Dạ hiến vegetables
Dạ hiến vegetables, also known as bồ khai vegetables or Phjắc diển in Tay-Nung language, typically grow wild in rocky mountainous areas. It is a type of vine with very crispy stems that are easily broken. Dạ hiến has become a specialty of Cao Bang. During the spring and summer, in both towns and other places, almost no feast is complete without dạ hiến vegetables stir-fried with beef, pork intestines, or chicken intestines.
Dạ hiến vegetables - a specialty of Cao Bang that many tourists bring back as gifts (Photo: ST)
Rice cracker
If Thai Binh is known for rice cake, and Thanh Hoa for lam rice pudding, then when mentioning Cao Bang's specialty, we cannot overlook rice crackers. Made from glutinous rice flour combined with fatty meat, peanuts, or sesame seeds as filling, after going through many stages, rice crackers have a delicious aroma. They are known as a rustic dish but with strong appeal.
Cao Bang rice crackers (Photo: ST)
Cao Bang chestnut sticky rice
You can only find delicious chestnuts in the northern mountainous regions of our country. That's why when traveling to Cao Bang, the dish you must try is those made from chestnuts, among which the most delicious is Cao Bang chestnut sticky rice. As the weather turns to autumn, ethnic Tày and Nùng people in the Northeastern region go to the forest to pick chestnuts. In autumn, in the villages, people will have the opportunity to enjoy chestnut sticky rice (locally known as 'khẩu nua mác bây').
Cao Bang chestnut sticky rice (Photo: ST)
Banh Ap Chao
A beloved dish by many in Cao Bang, often missed dearly when away due to its indescribable simplicity and deliciousness. Just a jar of flour, seasoned with basic spices, with a hot pan full of oil, dipping the dough scoops into the boiling oil, eaten hot with various condiments and fresh herbs.
Cao Bang pancake (Photo: ST)
Hoping that the Cao Bang travel experience guide has provided comprehensive information from A to Z for your journey to explore the beautiful mountainous region in the North. Traveling to Cao Bang will surely not disappoint travelers.
