Gorgeous tourist attractions in Dong Nai

Though Dong Nai is not a popular tourist destination in Vietnam, this land has been granted in favor of many incredibly wonderful places that are suitable for short picnics.

1. Dong Nai River

With a length of 586km, Dong Nai River is the longest river flowing in the territory of Vietnam. Along the banks of river, there are many villages and simplicity landscape that are very characteristic of southern Vietnam. If you have a chance to go to Dong Nai and admire river section embracing two beautiful islets of Tan Uyen and Pho, you certainly will surprise with the wild beauty here.

At sunset, Dong Nai River is more ravishing.

Coming here, visitors can take part in tour of Dong Nai river and enjoy the fresh air, and visit famous craft villages such as Tan Van pottery, Xuan Tam wood arts….

2.  Da Ba Chong (Ba Chong Stone)

Located between the bustling residential area Dinh Quan, Ba Chong Stone is three stacked stone with a height of 36 meters. 

In addition to Ba Chong stone, there is also Stone Mountain also called Bach Tuong Mountain (White Statue Mountain). It looks like two elephants prostrating each other. On the top of Bach Tuong Mountain, there are statue of Shakyas and the bottom is Bach Ho Cave (White Tiger Cave)

3. Buu Long Tourist Park

Buu Long Tourist Park is considered as one of the most attractive destinations for the tourists who like to discover nature and admire beautiful landscapes. Buu Long Tourist Park is located approximately six kilometers from the center of Bien Hoa City and about thirty kilometers from Ho Chi Minh City. Covering an area of nearly eighty –four hectares on the outskirts of Bien Hoa City, Buu Long Tourist Park has been known as a fascinating landscape which is comprised of mountains, large lakes, and pagodas. With natural beauty together with the cool and clean atmosphere, Buu Long Tourist Park is called excessively “a Ha Long Bay in miniature” by some people.

The gorgeous landscapes at Bao Long resort.

The Bao Phong ancient pagoda.

A visit to Buu Long Tourist Park will provide the tourists with a great chance to pay a visit to Long An Lake which is embraced by the park. Long An Lake is said to be an artificial reservoir and provides a total area of more than ten hectares. Visiting the lake, you will see many large rocks which are similar to small islets when seen from a distance

In addition, Buu Long Tourist Park also possesses many other beautiful sites such as Buu Long Mount and Buu Phong Pagoda. Buu Long Mount is located in the position close to the Long An Lake. Standing above, the visitors will see the fascinating scenery which is created by the reflection of the Buu Long on the Long An Lake. That is really an attractive landscape which will make the viewers feel relaxing

4.  Giang Dien waterfall tourist area
Located on Highway 1A in Trang Bom District, Dong Nai Province, 50km from Ho Chi Minh City, Giang Dien Waterfall Tourist Area, covering 67ha, has become an ideal destination for young people and families who like to discover the beauty of nature. The area consists of a valley, hills, forests, waterfalls and varieties of strange flowers blossoming all the year round. 

The beauty of Giang Dien waterfall.

Visiting Giang Dien Waterfall Tourist Area, tourists will be fascinated by its vast wilderness, beautiful meadows, colorful wild flowers, the sight and sound of the waterfalls rushing in noisily around the clock.

5. Cat Tien National Park
Cat Tien National Park is an important national park located in the south of Vietnam, approximately 150 km north of Ho Chi Minh City. It has an area of about 720 km² and protects one of the largest areas of lowland tropical rainforests left in Vietnam.

Cat Tien National Park is estimated as the reserve of natural resources in Vietnam with lots of rare, specious and endemic genes of fauna and flora, as plentiful site for scientists, domestic and foreign tourists.

Bau Sau- Dong Nai

Cat Tien National Park is part of the wet tropical forest complex and one of the specious natural forests remaining in Vietnam. That is why this area is significant not only in Vietnam but in the world as well.

Coming here, tourists can visit breathtaking attractions such as Ben Ku rapids, Mo Vet waterfall …

Cat Tien forest.

In addition, visitors can also take a stroll in the forest, ride bicycle, or sit on a car or boat to admire the majestic natural scenery. Immerse yourself in the magical sounds of forest and mountain, you will have interesting moments of relaxation.

6. Mai waterfall
With the natural, wild, majestic and charming beauty, Mai waterfall appears full of mystical, awe-inspiring to those who still think Dong Nai only has the rubber forests. The Ma people, one local ethnic group in mountainous area of Dong Nai, called the waterfall Lieng Dur, which means the large majestic waterfalls.

In the full blossom, Mai waterfall is still more beautiful.

About 170 km away from HCMC, deep in the forests located in Dinh Quan, Mai waterfall stretches about 2 km surface area. It is formed from numerous streams, waterfall, and small rivers. This is one of the waterfalls remaining the wild, natural and rustic beauty in Dong Nai.

Mai waterfall has a majestic terrain but less rugged. Cliffs on both sides are on the up direction. In the heart of waterfall, rock chains are inlaid as if from the very open natural terrain, the debris of mountains falling into the river, creating a pile of rough stone, forming a whirlpool, dunes and waves, and the slots. Perhaps the most idyllic area would be above the top of waterfall. The water here is not deep, gentle flows smoothly between the rounded rocks. There is also a place opened with rugged rock and white water foam, which is an ideal place for tourists to camp and swimming in whirlpool.

Fried chicken wings in fish sauce Recipe

It is easy to make fried chicken wings in fish sauce that is so delicious and suitable for rainy days.

Ingredients:

10 chicen wings

2 tbsp tapioca/corn starch

3 hot chili pepper

1 large clove garlic

3 tbsp sugar

3 tbsp fish sauce

3 tbsp water

1 tbsp fresh lime/lemon juicecooking oil to deep-fry

Directions:

Cut wing at elbow joint, break at the knuckle and cut through the cartilage.

Pat dry with kitchen towel

Season lightly both sides with salt and pepper. Set aside for 15 mins

Crush garlic and chili in a mortar and pestle finely.

In a ziplock bag, add 2 tbsp tapioca/corn starch and wings. Shake well to coat wings with starch,

Shake off the excess starch

In a large pan, add cooking oil just enough to over the bottom of the pan. Place wings into the oil when it is still cold.

Turn on the heat to medium high. Increasing temperature of the oil will cook the wings inside out, making it crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside.

Fry for about 10 mins or until the edges turn golden, turn them over and fry for another 8-10 mins until golden brown.

Alternative 1: Remove each wing and deep into the sauce when it is still hot. It's gonna absorb the sauce very quickly.

Alternative 2: Drain the oil, add wings back to the pan, pour the sauce over and simmer on low heat for 3-5 mins until the sauce thickens.

GREAT LANDSCAPE IN MOC CHAU

If you have a chance to visit Moc Chau plateau (in Son La), you will be surprised by its stunning beauty.

Located at an altitude of 1,050 meters above the sea level, Moc Chau plateau is 80 kilometers in length and 25 kilometer in width. Also, it has 1,600 hectares of pasture. Moc Chau is considered as the paradise of the northwest nature. There are many famous tourist destinations here. The climate is very cool. Coming here, tourists can relax and refresh during their trip. Moc Chau is famous for historic relics such as Son Moc Huong cave, pine forest, Chien Vien pagoda, Dai Yem waterfall, and Phieng Luong mountain. If you like discovering traditional culture, you can visit villages of Hmong people and Dao people. Dai Yem waterfall

ATTRACTIVE DESTINATION: RAY RIVER TOURIST AREA

Located in Xuyen Moc – Vung Tau, Ray River tourists area is being about 100 kilometers from Vung Tau city. It is a pristine and quiet land. In addition, it is a beautiful architecture.

Ray river tourist area is a good choice for your trip and a very wonderful chance for you to discover the city. It is a separated paradise on a beach. It is surrounded by forest, smooth sands and Thuy Duong beach. Coming here, tourists can enjoy a very tranquil and confortable holiday after hard working day. Ray river tourist area is ranked 3 stars and is one of the most beautiful resort in Vietnam with luxury rooms and modern equipments such as television, refrigerator, telephone, and fax, etc. Moreover, restaurants here are wide, and cool. They have many dishes coming from Africa, Asia, Vietnam and local specialites. As mentioning Ray river tourist area, you cannot miss yacht service on the sea. We can enjoy specialities, contemplate Heron birds and fish. Finally, if you are planning for your honeymoon, this is the best choice for you.

Cao Lầu - Hoi An style noodle with pork and greens

The recipe today is “Cao Lầu”, a regional Vietnamese noodle dish that cannot be found in the town off Hoi An. 

It is an ancient town that belongs to Quang Nam province of Central Vietnam. As the UNESCO World Heritage site, Hoi An is one of the most visited tourist destinations in Vietnam. eventhought you might see more tourists than local here, the town is really well preserved and organized. In the 17th century, Hoi An was the trading port and also a center of Japanese trading activity. The famous Hoi An bridge was built by Japanese. It has a Buddhist pagoda at the one side and it is called “Chùa Cầu” in Vietnamese (literary “Bridge Pagoda”). The noodle dish that we will cook today is believed to be derived from Japanese soba noodles .In Hoi An, you can easily find a local food store selling “Cao Lầu”. It is a wonderful noodle dish so today we will learn the recipe of cooking this dish. Let’s begin Ingredients For the Char Siu 500g (1.1 lb) pork (shoulder/thigh/belly/lean) 6-7 cloves of garlic, pounded in to a paste in a mortar and pestle 2-3 tbsp soy sauce 1 tsp five-spice powder ½ tsp salt (optional) 1 tsp sugar 1 tsp pork/chicken stock ½ tsp ground pepper For the pork broth 1 kg (2.2 lb) pork bones 1 tsp salt 1 peeled onion 3 liters (3 quarts) water For the greens 1 lettuce, shredded Herbs: mint, perilla, lemon basil (rau é), coriander, chrysanthemum (tàn ô), bitter mint (rau đắng) fish mint (diếp cá) etc. 500g (1.1 lb) bean sprouts, blanched 1 kg Cao Lau (or soba Noodle) Cao Lau cripsy squares (deep-fried or microwaved for 1 minute) lime, sweet Chili sauce Directions: Mix all ingredients for the char siu marinade together and combine with the pork. Massage the marinade on all sides of the pork, cover and let marinate for at least 30 minutes, preferably 2-3 hours or overnight in the refrigerator. To make the pork broth, fill the pot with the pork bones and enough water to cover the bones. Cook over medium high heat for 5-10 minutes until the impurities rise to the top. Then dump out the whole pot, wipe the pot clean, fill with 3 liters water and add one peeled onion and some salt. Cook on medium low, uncovered for 1 hour. After marinating, scrape the garlic off the pork and save the marinade. In a large wok or a pan, add 1-inch vegetable oi and sear the pork both sides on medium high heat. Searing with a generous amount of oil helps prevent the pork skin from splashing. After searing, extract the oil (and burnt garlic if any) and discard. Keep the pork in the same wok, add the marinade and 4 tbsp of the pork broth. Simmer on low heat for 30-45 minutes until the pork is cooked through. Occasionally flip the pork so it is well coated with the sauce. You can also cover to shorten the cooking time. When cooked, transfer the pork to a plate and let cool. Then slice thinly. Combine the sauce with the pork broth and season to taste with salt, sugar/stock powder. You want to season it a bit saltier than a soup. Rinse the greens and drain well. To assemble the dish, fill a serving bowl half-full with fresh greens. Place the noodles on top of the greens. Top up with sliced char siu pork, and ladle over 1.5 ladles of the broth. Garnish with crackers, lime wedge, sweet chili sauce. Stir well before serving.