Explore the Giang River for just 500,000 VND.

(Baonghean.vn) -For just 500,000 VND per person, and forming a group of 7-10 people, you can enjoy a full day swimming in the Giang River, savoring local specialties, and admiring the vast, endless forests. This tourist destination is located within Pu Mat National Park (Con Cuong district), 150 km from Vinh city.

The Giang River's water is a vibrant blue all year round, and during this season, it's hard to resist the charm of this picturesque river.

These are the experiences of local tourists and from the personal experience of the author of this short article after a journey on the Giang River.

The Giang River originates from the Pu Mat mountain range, located near the Vietnam-Laos border, and flows through the districts of Con Cuong, Anh Son, and Thanh Chuong in Nghe An province. However, the most beautiful stretch of the river is from Pu Mat mountain to the Pha Lai irrigation dam in Mon Son commune (Con Cuong). This section of the river meanders through lush green forests, passing two Dan Lai villages, Khe Bung and Co Phat. The area is known for its specialty, "Giang River catfish," a type of stream fish that the locals call "pa khinh."

About 3 km upstream from the Pha Lai dam is a pristine bathing area with trees whose branches droop down to the river, creating a very romantic landscape. On the stream bank are smooth, flat stones, arranged side by side as if sculpted by human hands. Occasionally, bamboo rafts float downstream, adding a cheerful touch to the tranquil, emerald green river.

Giang River

If you leave early, you'll still have enough time to travel upstream along the Giang River to the Dan Lai village to learn about the customs of this minority community unique to Con Cuong district. Before entering this area, you need to complete the border crossing procedures at the Mon Son Border Guard Post. If you have time, on your way back, you can visit Nuoc Moc stream in Yen Khe commune (Con Cuong), right next to the main road. This is a fairly famous mineral spring in western Nghe An.

If you take a bus from Vinh City to Mon Son commune, it only costs 70,000-80,000 VND. Tourists can also choose to rent a car or contact transportation companies that provide tourist transport services. We chose to take a bus to Con Cuong town and then hire a taxi for another leg of the journey. The total cost was only about 100,000 VND.

Tourists have the opportunity to experience traveling upstream on boats along the Giang River.

At Pha Lai Dam, there are now quite a few restaurants serving local specialties to tourists. But we chose a "budget-friendly" one. According to the locals, the quality of food between "specialty" and "budget-friendly" restaurants isn't much different; all offer grilled or fried catfish and catfish soup, but the prices vary considerably. At a budget-friendly restaurant, you can get a hearty meal for 10 people for about 1.2 million VND. If you don't know how to negotiate prices and choose restaurants wisely, you could end up paying double for a "decent" meal.

The Giang River lies within the core of Pu Mat National Park, considered one of Vietnam's most important biosphere reserves. Along the riverbanks are isolated rock formations that appear to have been arranged by human hands.

Here, restaurants often offer "boat tours" to explore the Giang River. A trip to a beach about 3 km from the base of the dam costs between 200,000 and 300,000 VND. If you want to visit the nearest Dan Lai village, 20 km away, you'll have to pay the boat owner around 1.2 million VND.

"If you know how to choose boat owners who offer more reasonable prices, you can have a wonderful trip without worrying too much about being overcharged, and the cost per person will not exceed 500,000 VND," a backpacker shared.

Ha Phuong