Summer stream tourism in Binh Thuan
Binh Thuan is in the rainy season, sea tourism faces many obstacles. La Ngau Stream is a suitable choice for guests who prefer slow tourism and want to 'disconnect' from the hustle and bustle.
May to October is the rainy season in Binh Thuan, which is also the summer tourist season. The locality is famous for its beautiful beaches, but sea tourism will be limited due to the weather. Outdoor activities are temporarily postponed until the rain stops.
However, in addition to the sea, the Central region also has streams hidden under dense forest canopy. La Ngau is one of them. Next to the stream, there is also a camping area with services or self-sufficient. Visitors can camp while watching the rain and the beauty of the stream.
La Ngau Stream is still wild and is considered by many tourists as “one of the most beautiful streams in the Central region”. “La Ngau is beautiful in every season, whether it is dry or rainy season”, commented Khai Hoang (residing in Tanh Linh, Binh Thuan).
Truly wild, no internet
According to Khai Hoang, La Ngau stream has only been known to camping enthusiasts for about three years. 2016 was the first time this young man knew about the stream. Returning 7 years later, this area began to be exploited by people, implementing various types of camping services. However, La Ngau is still wild, without Internet and electricity. People living in this area mainly use solar power.
A tourist from Ho Chi Minh City who came here to camp at the beginning of the year said that the reason this area does not have access to an Internet cable or electricity is because the terrain is deep in the forest, plus the people's lives are still difficult, there are not many conditions for connection. The phone signal is also unstable. For some tourists who really want to disconnect from the world and focus on themselves, the lack of Internet is an interesting point.
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The emerald green water creates the unique beauty of La Ngau stream. Photo: Shopcamping |
Since La Ngau started to attract tourists, many people working in tourism have seized the opportunity to come to this area to buy land and start a camping business. Local people also rent out related services for tourists who want to camp on their own.
Specifically, there are two types of camping at La Ngau stream. One is that visitors choose tent service businesses with a variety of prices, from a few hundred thousand VND to more than one million VND per day. The other is that visitors pay for the site when entering the local people's fields, then camp on their own. The rental price is 50,000 VND/motorbike and 100,000 VND/car. In addition, the landowner also rents tables and chairs if visitors have a need.
However, for the second type, visitors must equip themselves with all the necessary tools for camping. Moreover, the area is wild so there will be no toilets.
How to move?
From Ho Chi Minh City, tourists take the highway to Phan Thiet (Binh Thuan). Then travel about 30 km on National Highway 1A, towards Ham Thuan Nam to reach the service camping sites in La Ngau. This is an area developed by tourism workers for business purposes, so the road is not too difficult to travel.
For tourists who love to explore nature, self-sufficient camping will continue to move deep into the forest, find/rent a site or walk straight to the upper La Nga River. The route is a bit more difficult to go, but in return, tourists can enjoy the scenery on both sides of the river.
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The camping area at La Ngau stream is still quite wild. Photo: La Ngau Camping |
According to Mr. Tran Tri (residing in Duc Linh, Binh Thuan), next to La Nga River there is an area for tourists to explore, which locals call the corn field. However, the road to this location is quite difficult to travel. "Only motorbikes or 4WD vehicles can move stably and overcome obstacles," this person said.
A representative of La Ngau Camping, a camping business in this area, said that La Ngau has two streams, tentatively called the natural branch and the hydroelectric branch (Ham Thuan - Da Mi).
At the hydroelectric branch, after 4 p.m., the hydroelectric plant releases water, causing high water levels that affect the camping experience of tourists, sometimes leading to landslides. This situation does not occur at the natural branch.
The water level in the stream is quite low, about knee-deep. However, during the rainy season and when the hydroelectric plant releases water, visitors can consider staying in tents. In addition, prolonged heavy rains can cause flash floods, making trekking difficult and even dangerous for participants./.