I’m a photography enthusiast, and the landscapes in Northwest Vietnam seem incredible for capturing scenic views. Are there any specific spots that are particularly photogenic...
About 120km from Hanoi, Da Bia Village (Da Bac district - Hoa Binh) is an ideal destination for those who want to experience living in a place that has not yet been marked by "commercialization" in the storm of the tourism industry in recent years.
Da Bia village is located close to the edge of Da River Lake and has 40 Muong households. People still rely on agriculture to make a living. Starting in June 2014, the project "Community Tourism in Da Bac" was implemented with the help of the Australian non-governmental organization Action on Poverty (AOP) in Vietnam in conjunction with the People's Committee of Da Bac District. The village is now one of the must-visit destinations for tourists traveling to Da Bac.
There are only 5 households doing community tourism in the village, but adjacent homestays in Da Bia village provide all self-contained services: from housing, meals rich in mountain flavors, ethnic entertainment performances... People doing homestay tourism in Da Bia have learned English to communicate with international tourists. Here, the cultural space and landscape are still almost original, suitable for tourists who like to experience and learn about unique cultural values.
Tourists will be introduced by a local tour guide and experience activities such as: trekking through old forests, corn fields, or fruit gardens; discovering bays, kayaking, bathing in the river, swimming, and catching fish on the Da River.
In Da Bia Village, visitors may be surprised to see people voluntarily buying and selling at stalls. The unmanned Tu Giac stall has been maintained for more than 60 years and has probably never lost money. The sellers all bring their agricultural products to display with prices attached. Anyone who buys will put the money in the basket.
In the evening, guests can participate in performances, Cheraw dances, and drink wine with village girls. No matter how bustling it is, when night falls, the peaceful village returns to its original silence with the sound of frogs croaking at night and the sound of oars swishing under the lake. Tourists won't need an air conditioner because nature itself has already been a giant air conditioner. At dawn, Da Bia welcomes visitors with cool morning dew and clean air that awakens all your senses. The feeling of waking up in a riverside village, walking along forest paths surrounded by the scent of tangerine flowers can regenerate great energy.
Coming to Da Bia Village, visitors can enjoy specialties such as parboiled rice wrapped in banana leaves, five-color sticky rice, grilled fish from Da River, dishes made from Muong pigs, and especially dishes from papaya flowers. There are also many typical dishes of the Muong people such as fried ribs with shrimp paste, roasted wild bee pupae with sour bamboo shoots, buffalo meat stir-fried with wild pepper, buffalo meat cooked in lom leaves, snails cooked in lolot leaves, wild banana tree soup, spring rolls. grapefruit leaves,... Tourists are also allowed to make traditional dishes with native people to understand more about the cuisine here.
Maintaining the rustic character and cultural identity is probably the key purpose of the journey to Da Bia village, Da Bac, Hoa Binh. When the chairman of Da Bac district - Luong Van Thi was asked: "Why doesn't the government encourage people to make the road to the village easier?".
Mr. Thi said: "To make everything easy is not difficult, but preserving the pristine nature of the land, giving visitors the experience of living like a local when coming to Da Bia village is our true desire".
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