Exploring Ban Gioc Waterfall in Cao Bang province

Exploring Ban Gioc Waterfall

Ban Gioc Waterfall is a spectacular and beautiful waterfall of Vietnam, located on Dam Thuy commune, Trung Khanh District, Cao Bang.

Ban Gioc waterfall- a spectacular and beautiful waterfall of Vietnam

Ban Gioc- a spectacular and beautiful waterfall of Vietnam

Climate: The climate in Ban Gioc is temperate. There are four seasons in a year: spring, summer, autumn and winter. The average temperature in summer is 25-28 ° C, in winter is 16-17 ° C. In winter, it sometimes snows.

Speciality : famously delicious Trung Khanh Chestnuts.

How to reach: The road from Hanoi to Cao Bang town along Highway 3 is around 272 km long. From Cao Bang town, travelers drive another 65 kilometers to go to Trung Khanh district. Ban Gioc waterfall is about 20 km from Trung Khanh district to the northeast. The only way to go here is travel by car (in about 9 hours). If you take the passenger car, there are cars to Cao Bang departing Me Tri bus station, with two departures a day at 6am and 8a with the price of 60,000 VND/ ticket. The car stops at the bus stop of Cao Bang province. Then, you will have to take another car from Cao Bang bus station to Trung Khanh district. To be convenient and initiative, travelers should rent a car.

The simple life in Ban Gioc

Accommodation: There are no hotels, but only some of the private hostels in the area of Ban Gioc waterfall. Generally, tourists come here just during the day, then return to Cao Bang town to stay overnight, and go to Pac Po Cave in the next morning.

Tourist attractions and routes for reference

From the city of Cao Bang to the district of Trung Khanh, mountainous landscape is extremely beautiful by the blue river slowly flowing, or the serpentine pass crossing over the mountains, especially Ma Phuc Pass – one of the most rugged and beautiful mountain passes in the North. The reason why the pass is so called because in two sides of the national highway, there are two erect blocks of limestone like two horses lying prostrate. The mountain pass is 620m heigh, visitors have to climb seven rounds of steep to reach the peak, where there is a sign: Welcome to Trung Khanh District.

Ma Phuc Pass

Ban Gioc waterfall has white streams impetuously falling from above, through the floors of waterfall. The imposing limestone in two sides are as contributing to highlight the spectacular, wild beauty of the falls. In the waterfall, there is a big tree-covered stone splitting the fall into 3 streams of water which look like three white plots of silk. On sunny days, the vapor created by the stream falling fro above also provides a shimmering rainbow. At the foot of the Ban Gioc waterfall is a river which is as wide, flat as a mirror. The banks are grass, green swathes.

A big tree-covered stone splitting the fall into 3 streams which look like three white plots of silk

Nguom Ngao cave is right next to the waterfall, about 3 km long and is considered one of the beautiful caves of Vietnam. Along with mountains, rivers and the interesting caves in the surrounding, Ban Gioc Falls is not only a tourist attraction but also a major source of hydroelectric power in the future.

Inside Nguom Ngao cave

Trung Khanh market is bustling with trade activities, characteristics of upland life of Tay, Nung… ethnics.

The routes for reference:

Hanoi – Lang Son – Mau Son – Cao Bang – Trung Khanh

Cao Bang – Ba Be Lake (Bac Kan) – Nui Coc Lake (Thai Nguyen) – Hanoi

Trung Khanh market with trade activities characteristics of life in upland

Notes

If the travel by motorbike, you need prepare the luggage carefully for a backpacking tour, and carry vehicle repair tools, spare tires… Remember to fill the petrol tank up while crossing town because there is very few petrol station in the forests and mountains.

When travelling to the border areas, you should prepare identification, and obey the requirements of the region, learn about the customs and traditions of the local people to skill fully communicate and avoid unexpected anticipated situations.