Taste the unique cuisine in Ha Giang, Vietnam

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Traveling to Ha Giang will offer visitors many exciting experiences because Ha Giang owns not only majestic natural landscapes, endless winding roads but also the beauty of flowers, the hospitality of local people and a lot of culinary specialties.

Thang Co

Referred to as the must-try food in Ha Giang, Thang Co, carrying an unforgettable flavor will be an interesting experience for your Vietnam package tour. It is believed that Thang Co is derived from China, and later it was spread towards the mountainous areas of northern Vietnam.

Looking at the pot of the food, you probably find it difficult to recognize ingredients used to cook it, but simply, there are just pork (beef or horsemeat is an alternative), its organs, some herbs, and seeds. It is very stimulating sit around the pot and savor a hot bowl of thang co while talking to the locals about their culture.

Tam Giac Mach Cake

The cake is made from Tam Giac Mach grains dried and ground into flour. Many people have not ever thought about the use of this grain kind, but the cake from it is actually amazing to try. You will see the cake is shaped in rounds and grilled on the light fire. Its smell will attract anyone around. It is quite cheap to savor one when you are traveling to Ha Giang; it just costs about VND 10,000.

Reu Nuong

As a unique dish of Tay ethnic people in Ha Giang Province, reu nuong has its own taste. For a delicious grilled moss, Tay ethnic people often choose the youngest moss patches, skillfully separate the slime on the outside then mix them with some spices as salt, season, eryngo leaves, etc. All are wrapped in leaves then grilled. This dish is good for health, so it is loved by many people.

Banh Cuon Trung

As a type of rice wrapper rolls, but rice wrapper rolls with egg in Ha Giang is not eaten with sauce as usual. Instead, rice flour paste pouring in the stove is added to egg, and then using the paste layer to wrap the egg. After preparation, eaters will use it with a bow of bouillon added lean pork paste. This dish can be eaten when hot or cold, but the delicious taste is always kept thanks to the fat taste of egg and the bold flavor of bouillon.

Com Lam

Com Lam is a special gift of Ha Giang, and also a food that tourists often choose to buy. Like other types of rice across the country, this one is cooked with bamboo and neohouzeaua on rose fire. It is both delicious and flexible and hard to break. So many people here often bring it to work on the farm.

It is not too difficult to cook, or expensive. People use delicious sticky rice soaked, washed and sprinkle with a little salt. After the preliminary processing, they put glutinous rice into bamboo tubes and bamboo then pour water just right, cover it and burn it on charcoal. When burning, the cook must rotate it to radiate heat around the bamboo. If you split bamboo pipes, you can enjoy the wonderful rice balls inside.

Thang Den

Do not hesitate to try a bowl of thang den when you make a Vietnam package tour to Ha Giang. It will surely give you a great experience. It is easy to realize some ingredients inside the food as it includes balls made from sticky rice flour and ground peas as the filling and is boiled in water. This is a sweet soup, so you will see some related items, such as coconut milk, peanuts, and sesame. To those who love sweet soups in Vietnam, trying thang den is definitely a must.

See more: What to do in Ha Giang, Vietnam

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The best ecotourism experiences in Vietnam

Struggle to find a place for eco tour in Vietnam? Here is the list of top 6 incredible ecotourism destinations for your hiking, trekking, sightseeing and discovering unspoiled natural landscapes in Vietnam.

Boat on Ba Be Lake

This beautiful lake is the largest in Vietnam. Nestled among surrounding mountains, Ba Be Lake sits northeast of Ha Noi. There are boat tours that will take you out into the smooth waters during the day where you can watch the mist rise off the water in the morning, admire the clear waters in the afternoon, and gaze at a romantic sunset in the evening. This dreamy location makes for an idyllic scenic trip so make sure to bring your camera.

A trip to Cuc Phuong National Park

140 kilometers to the south of Ha Noi, Cuc Phuong National Park is considered as the oldest nature reserve in Vietnam. Covering an area of 22 hectares of rainforest, this place is one of the most attractive ecotourism destinations when you travel to Northern Vietnam. Thanks to its botany diversity and long history, Cuc Phuong attracts not only tourists but also archaeologists who are long for exploring primitive life in Nguoi Xua Cave (Pre-historic Man Cave).

The most notable scenery in Cuc Phuong is thousands of vibrant butterflies flying in ‘butterfly season’ from April until the end of May. Tourists will be blessed by a colorful realm of 280 butterfly species gathering in the park. You can see butterflies landing everywhere, on the road, your cars and your helmets.

Boat trip along Ngo Dong River in Ninh Binh

Literally meaning “three caves”, travelers visiting Tam Coc – Bich Dong will be amazed by the Hang Ca, Hang Hai, and Hang Ba caves that are situated on Ngo Dong River in Northern Ninh Binh Province. Bich Dong refers to a beautiful pagoda complex built in the fifteenth century. This UNESCO World Heritage Site will take your breath away with its limestone mountains, lazy rivers, serene rice fields, and bright blue skies.

The gorgeous natural beauty makes this complex a top destination for ecotourism experiences in Vietnam. There is a wide range of day trips that include a visit to the ancient Hoa Lu Citadel and a boat ride along the Ngo Dong River.

Trekking through Ha Giang

Ha Giang province borders China in northern Vietnam. This remote, stunning location is perfect for travelers seeking a multi-day trekking experience. Trekking tours through Ha Giang range from 5-13 days and itineraries include touring breathtaking rice terraces, limestone karsts, and visiting minority villages. The view from the province’s Ma Pi Leng Pass is surreal. Trekking Ha Giang offers an excellent selection of tour packages, from quick hikes to two-week adventures. Note that the price depends on tour length and group size.

Biking Tours in the Mekong Delta

These multi-day tours begin in the southern city of Saigon, a bustling metropolis with a population of nearly nine million people. Seeing the city fade in the distance as you cycle into glorious natural surroundings is an amazing sight in itself.

Over the course of several days (4-6) you will cycle through fields of sugar cane, banana plantations, narrow country lanes, and across water channels. This is the perfect getaway from the big city for anyone with an affinity for traveling several days on a bicycle.

See more: Top beautiful towns in Vietnam

Biking and Trekking Tours in Sapa

Favored by nature, Sapa has long been a famous tourist destination in the northwest of Vietnam. Taking a tour to Sapa, you can contemplate a lot of strikingly beautiful landscapes with some famous destinations like Fansipan Mountain, Muong Hoa Valley, O Quy Ho Pass, Ethnic villages, etc.

Likewise, there is a wide range of forests and terraced rice fields that are extremely suitable to hold some fascinating activities in ecotourism. Sapa trekking tours will definitely offer the most authentic experiences and help tourists respectively experience their life and culture. The stunning views and scenery do not hurt either.

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5 cities to visit in Northern Vietnam

Northern Vietnam are mostly famous for its wild beauty and breathtaking scenes. Below are cities that can be considered the most beautiful and worth-visiting in this particular region of Vietnam.

1. Hanoi

The seat of government and the cultural and historical capital of Vietnam, Hanoi hides remnants of the past down every boulevard and alleyway. The city is perhaps the largest and best preserved piece of history Vietnam has to offer. Those visiting will most likely be centered around the winding narrow streets of the Old Quarter. It’s a district made up of ancient shops and storefronts dating back more than 1000 years.

Whole days can be spent exploring the streets of the city and effort should be made to visit as many treasures of the past as possible. These include Hoan Kiem Lake and its tortoise tower, Tran Quoc Pagoda, the colonial era Sofitel Metropole Hotel, the opera house, the Temple of Literature and Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum. The city is renowned for water puppetry and a night should be spent on the banks of Hoan Kiem Lake at the Thang Long Water Puppet Theater.

2. Lao Cai

Located in the distant and mountainous northwest, Lao Cai sits on the intersection of the Red and Nanxi Rivers just across from the Chinese border. Those spending any time in the city will be based either around the banks of the Red River or by the backpacker-heavy neighborhood near the train station. A night should be spent exploring the bars and restaurants in the glow of neon lights reflecting on the river. Like many other Vietnamese cities, Karaoke is wildly popular in Lao Cai and there are dozens of clubs running late into the night located near the backpacker area.

The majority of travelers who find themselves in Lao Cai are stopping through on their way to see nature. The city is less than an hour away on a motorbike from the rice terraces of Sapa, the Tam Tron Pass which is Vietnam’s loftiest road, and the towering peak of Mount Fansipan which is Vietnam’s tallest mountain.

3. Sapa

Near to Lao Cai, yet wholly dominated by the tourist industry, the mountain town of Sapa is a nice option for those seeking western comforts in the midst of their Vietnamese adventure. The city has a number of western bars and restaurants and is a mainstay of the northern backpacker trail. Hundreds of affordable hostels, guesthouses and hotels line the winding streets.

The city is also a jumping off point for countless treks and hikes that traverse along peaked ridges, through mountainside rice terraces and into minority villages. The region is home to a number of ethnic minorities, including the Hmong, Dao, Pho Lu and Tay, and the hillsides are dotted in the vibrant mix of their colorful clothing.

4. Cao Bang

Cao Bang is the capital of the similarly named province, located in the northeast of Vietnam. It’s a common stopping point for those riding east from Ha Giang or north from Hanoi. The city of little more than 100,000 climbs from the banks of the Bang Giang River and most of the shops, restaurants and bars are located on the main streets nearby. A number of great food stalls line the back end of the city’s central market, Cho Xanh. The sprawling, fun shopping center should be visited by any travelers passing through.

Most individuals traveling to the region will use Cao Bang to visit any number of nearby natural attractions. The stunning Ban Gioc Falls break through jungled walls just two hours to the north and mythical Hai Giang lies several hours west.

5. Ha Giang

Ha Giang is the capital of what is arguably the most beautiful province in all of Vietnam. This was an area once left alone, that has since seen a recent spike in visitors. The city is bordered by picturesque limestone juts framing the horizon in all directions. A number of great hotels sit on either side of the Lo River. Seafood restaurants can be found nearby as well. For those looking to rent a motorbike to explore the nearby Dong Van Karst Plateau, Ha Giang is the place to do it. Most hostels and hotels will be able to set this up and the cost should never be more than seven or eight USD per day.

See more: The amazing destinations you cannot miss in Ha Giang

Source: theculturetrip