BAN GIOC WATERFALL (CAO BANG PROVINCE)

Ban Gioc Waterfall is one of Vietnam’s best-known impressive natural sights and is one of the biggest waterfalls in South East Asia.  With the width of 300 meters, the depth of 60 meters and height of 70 meters, the majestic scenery is always impress deeply for visitors. After having visiting Ban Gioc Waterfall twice: one in January, and the other time in June, I find that the waterfall is always attractive

, dry season is from April to September and rainy seasons is from October to March. If you all the time, and at every time, it has different beauty.

WHEN TO GO CAO BANG

There are 2 seasons in Cao bang would like to see Ban Gioc Waterfall, you can go any time, especially in August or September.

If you like watching Tam Giac Mac flower, please go in November.

HOW TO GET TO BAN GIOC WATERFALL:

Ban Gioc Waterfall is about 370km from Ha Noi. You have many ways to get there: by car, by motorbikes, by coach and buy a tour from Hanoi.

  1. By motorbike: you can hire a motorbike in Hanoi with 150.000 – 200.000 VNĐ/day.
  2. By Coach: destination at Me Dinh Bus Station
  • All of the coaches starts every morning and arrives Cao bang Bus Station in the afternoon, after 8 hours on the way. The ticket costs around 170.000 VNĐ.
  • All the bed-coaches (ticket: 200.000VND) starts around 8p.m at Me Dinh Bus Station and finishes the trip after 6 hours (Arrival time is around 2a.m the next day).
  • From Cao Bang town, you can catch a bus or a taxi or xe om to go to Ban Gioc Waterfall between the border of VN and China (about 90km distance).

If you go by bus, you will leave Cao bang town at 6.30, 7.30, 9.30, 11.30, 13.30, 15.30, and come back Cao Bang town from Ban Gioc waterfall at 6.15, 8.00, 13.30, 14.30.
(Contact phone No.:Thanh: 0988.007.846; Luan: 0975.070.377; Hop: 0979.371.923)

ACCOMMODATION:

In Cao Bang City:

  1. Bang Giang Hotel: No.1 Kim Dong, Cao Bang City.
  2. Sunny Hotel: 040 Kim Dong, Cao Bang City
  3. Son Tung Hotel:
  4. Minh Hoang Hotel: 98 Kim Dong, Hop Giang, Cao Bang City.
    Hotline: 0978596508 / (0206) 3852 215
  5. Duc Trung Cao Bang hotel: 085 Be Van Dan, Cao Bang City
  6. Huong Sen Hotel: Kim Dong, Cao Bang City
  7. Hoang Anh: 131, Kim Dong, Hop Giang, Cao Bang (026 3858 969).
  8. Anh Dương Hotel: 78, Kim Dong, Hop Giang, Cao Bang (026 3858 467).
  9. Hoang Long: 51 Kim Dong, Hop Giang, Cao Bang (026 3855 178).

In Ban Gioc Waterfall:

  1. Sai Gon – Ban GIoc Hotel
  2. Dinh Van Gueshouse 2 (0263.82.80.82).

FOOD:

  1. Banh Coong Phu: Banh coong phu is a specialty of the Tay and Nung people.
  2. Banh Ap Chao: You can find banh ap chao sold on streets in Cao Bang in any season, but people prefer to eat it in the cold weather.
  3. Dishes from bees: bees frying with bamboo shoots, rice soups with bee (Chao ong)
  4. Tram Huong Fish: the best dish of Tram Huong fish is grilled fish.
  5. Banh Trung Kien (Peng Ray): Banh trung kien is another special food of the Tay people.
  6. Pho Chua: Pho chua (sour pho): a famous noodle dish with beef soup, characteristic of Vietnam. It is a favor food to eat in summer and autumn.  
  7. Nam khau: is one of dishes in wedding party in Cao bang.
  8. Xoi Tram Cao Bang: In autumn, locals and travelers can taste the yummy xoi tram, which literally means glutinous rice with Chinese black olive.
  9. Banh Khao: Banh khao is one of the very famous specialties of Cao Bang
  10. Lap Xuong Cao Bang: Lap xuong in Cao Bang has a distinct taste due to a more complicated recipe.
  11. Che Lam: is a traditional cake of the Cao Bang people. Together with banh khao, banh che lam is usually served during Tet in every house
  12. Vit Quay Bay Vi: means roasted duck with seven flavors. Before roasting the duck, the cook marinates it with seven ingredients: ginger, garlic, shallots, peppers, honey, tofu, and a special ingredient which is Clausena indica, a fruit grown in Cao Bang’s forest.
  13. Trung Khanh Chestnut

WHERE TO GO

  1. Non nuoc Cao Bang Geopark: Recognized as a Global Geopark by UNESCO, Non Nuoc Cao Bang becomes the fifth geopark in South East Asia and the second one in Vietnam, after Dong Van Stone Plateau. Non Nuoc Cao Bang Geopark with the square of 3275 km2, contents a lot of famous sightseeings such as: The Phia Oac – Phia Den National Park, Thang Hen lake, Nguom ngao Cave,… and especially, Ban Gioc Waterfall, one of 4 biggest and nicest border waterfalls in the world.  
  2. Ban Gioc Waterfall, regarded as the most beautiful waterfall of Vietnam, is one of the most well-known waterfalls in Asia. It is located in the border region in Dam Thuy Commune, Trung Khanh District, 90km north of Cao Bang Town. With a height of 70m and a width of 300m, the amazing waterfall is divided into 3 layers, consisting of small and large upper flows. In the rainy season, the waterfall looks very majestic because of the abundant water volume, in dry season, the falls becomes peace. So each season has its own beauty.
  3. Nguom Ngao Cave: Located about 2km to Ban Gioc Waterfall, Nguom Ngao Cave, created by an underground river about 300 million years ago. Nguom Ngao Cave with the length of 2,144m is one of the most spectacular cave systems in Vietnam. However, visitors are permitted to go along a 1km- long concrete path. In the cave, visitors will be pressed by wonderful seven-colored stalactites hanging down from high stone cliffs, of which some look like human bodies, forest plant, animals, lotus…
  4. Pac po Cave: located in Trung Hoa Commune, Ha Quang District, Cao Bang Province, is 50km from Cao Bang town. Visiting Pac po Cave, visitors have chance to see Lenin spring
  5. Thang Hen Lake with 3000m in length and 1000m in width, located in Tra Linh District, about 25km far from Cao Bang town, is one of 36 amazing lakes in the mountain of Vietnam. This place is with charming landscape of green trees, blue water, and the bending lozenge shape around the valley. Water level in the lake changes every day, rise or drop.
  6. Ma Phuc Pass and Khau Lien Pass, in Quoc Toan commune, Tra Linh District, is the most beautiful pass on the highway 3 from Phu Lo to Ta Nung Border gate. It is on the way from Cao Bang Town to Ban Gioc waterfall. The pass is not famous with the elevation or the danger like others in VN, but visitors can take good photos of natural beauty from the top of the pass.

For twice to go to Cao Bang, I joined with other 15 people, so we hire a 16-seat car for 3 days: 1 day in BaBe lake and 2 days in Cao bang.

Babe Lake, one of 100 largest natural lake in the world, is an amazing lake in the middle of Babe National Park, a national forest in Bac Kan province. It is about 240km from Hanoi. We spent 6 hours to go on a boat to visit Dau Dang waterfall, Puong Grotto and the legendary Widow Island, visit the stilt houses of the Tay community in Coc Toc Village.

If you would like to stay in Ba Be Lake, you can find a homestay there and the next day you can move to Ban Gioc waterfall to stay in Saigon-Ban Gioc resort.

If you don’t want to stay in BaBe lake, you move to Cao Bang town (125km from Ba be lake), it lasted 3 hours to travel and find a hotel in Cao Bang town and then the next day you go to Ban Gioc waterfall, 90 km far from Cao Bang town.

There you can visit both Ban Gioc Waterfall and Nguom Ngao Cave. The distance between Ban Gioc waterfall and Nguom Ngao cave is 2km.

Nguom ngao cave, created by an underground river, is one of the most spectacular cave systems in Vietnam. It is over 2 km long underground. However, visitors are permitted to go along a 1km- long concrete path. You can see a lot of past huge stalactite outcrops and through a vast 100m chamber.