Since being recognized by UNESCO as part of the Global Network of National Geoparks (GGN) in 2010, Karst Plateau in Dong Van Town, Northeast Ha Giang Province has since earned popularity points among tourists not only locally, but all over the world. A whole day tour package is available which includes visits to Ma Le Village, Thien Huong and Ma Pi Leng mountain pass.

 

 

Trekking tours are available through Tam Son Town in Quan Ba District as well as in the districts of Yen Minh and Meo Vac. Aboard a van, the tour begins at Ma Le Village, about 5 kilometers from Central Dong Van. It's an 18-kilometer, 1,600 meters above sea level trip to Thien Huong, and the road in between is dubbed as the Valley of Rocks because of its breathtaking sight along the way. Like most or all tours, a local Mong guide accompanies the trip to acquaint the tourists of the place. Sticks and jungle knives are even provided to help guests make their way along the dense route.

 

 

Ta Lang Village is the first destination of the tour, home to Giay and Tay ethnic groups. They are known to be hospitable people, a traditional trait which makes the tour pleasing and comfortable. Lunch is inclusive of the tour, and this is by the Nho Que riverbank wherein the tour guides buy and prepare goat or chicken meat to be made into barbeque for the visitors. The meal is locally known as “wild life lunch” wherein the tour guides teach the tourists to catch fish by hand and cook whatever they catch, making the meal itself a meaningful and truly unforgettable adventure. The barbeque meal is considered a party in the jungle composed of grilled fish and clay-coated chicken. Ban Mo Village is another favorite stop over for tour lunches, with stone slabs as chairs and Nho Que River as its spectacular view.

 

 

The final leg of the tour is running through a 7-kilometer uphill route from the riverbank to the top of Ma Pi Leng mountain pass. The route is steep, almost vertical, a generally difficult and tedious task. It was designed by An Truan with the purpose of making the exhausting activity all worth it when one reaches the peak and gazes at the heart-stopping view of the river below.

 

 

After a full day of a tiresome but definitely one-of-a-kind adventure, guests are taken back to Dong Van town to spend the rest of the afternoon relaxing and exploring the rest of the place. The Sunday market is also somewhere tourists can enjoy shopping for souvenirs or simply stroll through. On Saturdays, the whole place is lit up with lanterns, a delighful sight not only for the visitors but even for the locals alike. With its well-preserved cultural and ethnic heritage, it comes almost naturally that Dong Van town becomes known albeit slowly but surely among tourists from all over the globe.