Cao Bang: Day 38 to 40

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From Hanoi, I headed to Cao Bang. I was actually going to the Ban Gioc Waterfall, a place I had seen on the internet and was fascinated by, but not many tourists had in their plans.

Part of the reason why Ban Gioc is off the beaten path is its distance from Hanoi (330KM roughly). I took a bus to Cao Bang, which given some delays, reached late evening and then I took a taxi to cover the last 80KM to my homestay at the Ban Gioc Waterfall.

Based on the Quay Son river, Ban Gioc Waterfall is a 30 meter high and 300 meters wide waterfall. What makes it interesting (apart from its stunning beauty), is that it's right on the Vietnam-China border.

I wonder why the major waterfalls in the world are on borders - Iguazu (Brazil and Argentina), Victoria Falls (Zambia and Zimbabwe), Niagara (Canada and USA) and the 4th largest, Ban Gioc Waterfall. Maybe everyone wants to make part of such natural beauty into their countries.

I met another traveler at my homestay and next morning we headed to the waterfalls. It is difficult to describe the beauty of these falls, the emerald green waters and the calmness of the water despite the tourists (mostly Vietnamese and Chinese) was mesmerizing.

Later, I hiked to the nearby Tich Truc Lam Pagoda for a bird's eye view of the falls. The pagoda was extremely serene with amazing vibes. I saw one idol which had Om Mani Padme Hum inscribed behind it in Hindi, that was definitely surprising.

Later in the day, my travel friend gave me a ride on his bike back to Cao Bang, 80KM on a bike with a backpack can be an interesting journey, but luckily the roads are pretty good.

Next day, I headed to the Angel's Eye mountain (aka Magic Mountain by the locals or Heavens Gate). It's a mountain which has a big hole in it and early morning (between 7 and 8am), the sunlight beams in through, giving it's name. I was traveling on a cloudy day and didn't get sun, but the place was still beautiful.

The drive to Angel's Eye mountain passes through the Ma Phuc Pass, a beautiful pass to stop and take some photographs.

After the mountain, I headed to the Thang Hen lake. This area has an ecosystem of 36 lakes, this lake is unique in being emerald green throughout the year. The lake and the views were a sight to behold.

After enjoying some hot coffee there, I headed back to Cao Bang and caught a bus back to Hanoi to get to my destination.

The best part of Angel's Eye mountain and the Thang Hen lake for me was that I had not read about them, I came here based on advise of other travelers I met randomly and by asking locals. The best things in life are like that, just keep an open mind and great experiences happen.

Ban Gioc Waterfall and the Thang Hen lake are some of the most stunning landscapes I have experienced on this trip and I am glad I visited them.

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Photos

Ban Gioc Waterfall
Ban Gioc Waterfall, the mountain behind is in China

Ban Gioc Waterfall
Ban Gioc Waterfall

Ban Gioc Waterfall
Ban Gioc Waterfall

Angels Eye mountain
Angels Eye mountain

Thang Hen lake
Thang Hen lake