Rough Guide to Vietnam - Jan Dodd [207]
The central provinces | Around Da Nang | North of Da Nang |
Practicalities
By far the easiest way to get to Bach Ma is with your own transport – 26km north of Lang Co (40km south of Hué), look for a small green sign pointing west off Highway 1 in Cau Hai Village (Phu Loc District), then drive for another 3km to the park gate – or by rented car from Hué (around $80 for three people for the return journey). Alternatively, both public and open-tour buses will drop you at the turning in Cau Hai, from where you can pick up a xe om for the final stretch. A xe om from Lang Co will cost a minimum of 200,000đ for the return trip. Note that, while cars are allowed inside the park, motorbikes and bicycles are not. Instead, you’ll have to rent one of the park’s jeeps which will take you to the summit and back again, but can’t drop off or pick up passengers en route.
At the entrance to the park, stop first at the Visitors’ Centre (7am–5pm; 054/387 1330, www.bachma.vnn.vn) to buy your entrance tickets and arrange transport and accommodation (10,500đ entrance, 350,000đ for a four-seater jeep to the summit and back). If you are arriving outside these hours, phone in advance. Make sure you pick up a map of the trails, and it’s also well worth investing in the excellent English-language booklet. While you’re here, take a quick look round the exhibition; it’s aimed at kids but is still very informative. Although it’s not a requirement, it’s definitely a good idea to take a guide ($10 for an English-speaker) when you’re walking in the park, principally for your own safety – it’s easy to get lost. Note that it’s normal “forest etiquette” to share drinks, meals and carrying the loads. If you want to make a positive contribution to the onerous task of reforestation, the park has a programme whereby you can buy a sapling and help plant it in one of the denuded areas of the park.
Should you wish to stay in the park, you can opt for the campsite (bring your own tent), at kilometre 18, or one of a number of guesthouses either near the summit or beside the entrance. The five-room Do Quyen Villa (US$10 and under) is especially popular with its location near the summit, nestled amongst the trees. In peak season (June–Aug) it’s advisable to book in advance; contact the Visitors’ Centre for reservations. There’s a small restaurant at the park entrance, where you can also buy biscuits, water and snacks, whereas meals have to be ordered in advance if you’re staying at the summit. Alternatively, you can bring your own food from Cau Hai market.
The central provinces |
Hué
Unlike Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and most other Vietnamese cities, HUÉ somehow seems to have stood aside from the current economic frenzy and, despite its calamitous history, has retained a unique cultural identity. It’s a small, peaceful city, full of lakes, canals and lush vegetation, all celebrated in countless romantic outpourings by its much esteemed poetic fraternity. Since the early nineteenth century, when Hué became the capital of Vietnam, it has also been a city of scholars; there’s a discernible atmosphere of refinement and easy-going tolerance in the city, though it’s considered highbrow by the rest of the country,.
Hué repays exploration at a leisurely pace, and contains enough in the way of historical interest to swallow up a few days with no trouble at all. The city divides into three clearly defined urban areas, each with its own distinct character. The nineteenth-century walled citadel, on the north bank of the Perfume River, contains the once magnificent Imperial City as well as an extensive grid of attractive residential streets and prolific gardens. Across Dong Ba Canal to the east lies Phu Cat, the original merchants’ quarter of Hu