(HBO) – Bumpy roads to Tu Do, a mountainous commune of Lac Son district, Hoa Binh province, cannot hold back footsteps of adventurers who want to explore the beauty of the land and enjoy the pristine nature here.
Mu Waterfall, a tourist attraction
this summer
The commune is favoured by nature with a magnificent
waterfall, called Mu. It is located at
an altitude of over
1,000 min the first stretch of the legendary Truong Son range where water pours down
into a small lake. The deepest point of the bottom of the falls is around
2 metres, not too
dangerous for tourists.
One of the highlights of the
Mu Waterfall is an amazing blue lagoon that is as large as a natural swimming
pool at the foot of the falls. To many backpackers, the destination is like a "heaven”
on the earth.
Below the Mu Waterfall is
Mu cave, a masterpiece of nature that can excite any adventurer. The large cave
has many beautiful statuesque stalactites that look shimmery and vague under
sunlight.
Large fields and terraced
paddy fields, other landscapes together with friendly locals and the simple
rural life here make Tu Do even more appealing to visitors.
Sat Thuong, a village of the
Muong ethnic minority people, was turned into a place renowned for
community-based tours. And Bui Thi Him is one of the local women who firstly
introduced community-based tourism in this remote village.
She said proudly that Sat Thuong is one of
the province’s four nature reserves and also the largest with a primeval
forest. Over 98 percent of its population are Muong people and all families
here live in stilt houses, a tradition that has been kept until today.
Him and some other locals
have joined a community-based tourism model, namely Ngoc Son – Ngo Luong since
the end of 2011. At the same time, six households began offering homestay
services, mostly in the Mu Waterfall area.
With fairly good accommodations
and services, the homestay places have become popular among holidaymakers. Thanks
to that, the commune welcomed more than 10,000 tourists each year, of whom over
500 visitors, including 400 foreigners, stayed at these homestay establishments.
Developing
community-based tourism in Tu Do is part of Lac Son district’s project to boost
tourism by 2020 with a vision to 2030, which has helped the commune unleash its
potentials. The commune plans to cooperate with other tourist destinations in
neighbouring areas like Mai Chau in Hoa Binh and Pu Luong Nature Reserve in
Thanh Hoa in an attempt to further bolster its tourism industry.
The establishment of
community-based tourism villages has brought a new lease of life to Tu Do and
promoted local hidden charms, thus improving incomes for local people.
Covering an area of over 52,000 hectares spanning districts of Mai Chau, Tan Lac, Cao Phong, Da Bac, and Hoa Binh City, Hoa Binh lake has strong potential for tourism development. In recent years, thanks to the attention of local Party Committees and authorities as well as support from international organisations, the advantages of tourism in the lake area have been utilised.
Mai Chau is a mountainous district and home to many ethnic groups such as Thai, Muong, Kinh, Mong, Dao, and Tay with distinctive cultural identities, creating a diverse and unique cultural treasure. Aware of its advantages, the district has paid attention to the preservation and promotion of ethnic groups’ cultural values so that culture will become a leverage for tourism and contribute to socio-economic development and life quality improvement.
According to the Hoa Binh provincial Department of Planning and Investment, in Hoa Binh Lake tourist area, there are currently 16 licensed or certified service, cultural and tourism investment projects with a land use area of about 1,444 hectares, and a total capital of over 3.3 trillion VND (133.5 million USD). In addition to investment attraction, the province is speeding up the implementation of projects so as to realise a goal of developing Hoa Binh Lake tourist area into a national one.
These days, tourist attractions in Mai Chau district, especially those highlighted by the charming and romantic white Ban (Bauhinia) flower blossoms, are attracting a large number of visitors from across the country. Visiting these sites, tourists can immerse themselves in the pristine and majestic beauty of nature.
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