Ba Vi, Hanoi
Located about 60 km from Hanoi city to the west, Ba Vi National Park, also valued as the first-class ecological zone in Vietnam with plentiful diversified tropical and subtropical species of flora and fauna, is always the place attracting many travelers coming there to enjoy cool fresh air in a mystical atmospheric backdrops of clouds, jungle and tropical forests.
The total area of Ba Vi National Park is approximately 11,000 hectares in which has spectacular natural landscapes and scenery. The park is at an altitude of 100 – 1,296 meters with tropical and subtropical typical plants, which is green all year round. Therefore, Ba Vi National Park is a place that visitors would be very excited to take an exploration around.
Ba Vi National Park is not only known as a lungs of Hanoi with rich and diverse natural resources but also the home to hundreds of wildlife species, some rare and precious animal species listed in the Red Data Book of Vietnam such as large lorikeet, Asiatic black bear, white pheasants, pangolin, monkeys, leopards, bears, flying squirrels and so on.
Ba Vi mountains consists of three rising peaks on the Northern plain, including the Emperor Peak of 1,296 meters high, Tan Vien peak is 1,227 meters high, Ngoc Hoa Peak is 1,131 meters high.
When visiting Ba Vi National Park, the must-go place tourists should spend time on are Tan Vien Temple, Mau Temple, Uncle Ho Temple and Bao Thien Temple. These are the spiritual places that most Vietnamese people want to visit at least once in life.
The first destination is Uncle Ho’s Temple built at the top of the King where the highest of Ba Vi mountain range. To get to the Temple of Uncle Ho, from the foot of Mount Ba Vi, visitors have to take a car or motorbike to pass a winding and sloping distance of more than 12 kilometers, after that travellers have to climb more than 1,320 stone steps on the cliff. When visitors reach there, they may feel like they are being lost in the sacred realm due to walking through the primeval forest having ancient trees with green mold and moss around the trunks, clinging vines, mist covered space though the sun is still available.
The Temple has a traditional architectural style with 8 curved blades at four sides, built on round pillars on the foot of the stone or granite. In side the Temple, there are many work items that create a harmonious, delicate but still very simple space which is a reflection of Ho Chi Minh’s simple lifestyle. On the gable wall of the Temple, there is a bronze drum with Vietnamese map and yellow words.
Beside enjoying the spiritual life visitors can also have chance to explore deep caves hidden in the mountains at Ba Vi National Park or stop at an altitude of 800m to see an orchid garden and find relics of the fight against the French colonialists such as ancient church, orphanage, motels of senior French officials, etc.
Visiting Ba Vi National Park, tourists can not only stand at the top of the mountain at daytime to see clouds, mountains, valleys, rivers and lakes, especially on sunny days with a panoramic view of Hanoi along with its modern high-rises buildings in the center but also spend a fun night camping in the forest or in the guesthouses with full of stars in the sky, sound of insects around and howling of gibbons at nightfall.
If you are a nature lover, you like immersing yourself in the natural scenery of forest, mountains and waterfalls, you should come and visit Ba Vi National Park. The landscape will promise to offer visitors a nice journey with peaceful, natural beauty and cool climate. It is time to release the stress away and escape shortly from the bustle and hustle of the big city (the noise, pollution and over populated residents) for soft treks. The Ba Vi park trip with soft trek exercises deep inside the primeval forest in fresh and pleasant climate may would reward you with health, relaxation and impressive view of natures that you could not experience in inner big city.
Good to know
ENTRANCE TICKET: 60,000 VND for adults
What should bring: trekking shoes.
Avoid rainy days as the road is slippery, stay away from small waterfall, muddy water or still water where there might be a lot of creepy creatures such as leeches inside. And don’t forget to put on insect repellent.
Summer and autumn – from April to November, is the best time you should travel to Ba Vi mountain. Because, the summer atmosphere in the city is very hot and stuffy, but just setting foot on Ba Vi, you will feel like stepping into a completely different world: fresh air, cool and especially very quiet. You should pay attention to avoid rainy days because ramps, slippery and very easy to fall. In the winter, it is cold and foggy, which will affect your vision. However, winter on Ba Vi also has its own beauty, just if you like to go, you can pick up your backpack and go to Ba Vi.
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