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By Root 1551 0

bank of the Bang Giang River, on a spur of land formed by the confluence with the Hien River. Highway 3 drops steeply down from the hills and enters town from the west, crossing a bridge onto a tree-lined avenue of self-important edifices, including the People’s Committee, theatre, bank and post office, before turning right along the river. The narrow, shady park on top of the low hill in the centre of town is worth a wander, and the statue of Uncle Ho is a reminder of the fact that this region was vital to the thrust for independence that he led. Held daily, the enormous markets form the town’s focal points. If possible, try to visit the fresh produce market around sunrise when minority women trek into town and bamboo rafts laden with produce dock beside the bridge. Once you’ve exhausted the market, the only thing to do is head for the hills north of town.

The far north | The northeast | Cao Bang and around | Cao Bang |

Practicalities

Cao Bang’s bus station is on Pac Bo, on the east side of the river, near the Bang Giang Bridge. The post office, on a hill in the centre of town, is recognizable from its radio mast, while there are a couple of ATMs around town – the easiest to find is outside the Bang Gianghotel (026/385 3431, Ebanggiang_dl@yahoo.com; US$11–20), right next to the bridge. It’s the largest hotel in town, with restaurants and shops on site, though the uninspiring rooms are rather overpriced. Far better value is the Huong Sen (026/385 4654; US$11–20) with river views from most rooms, cable TV, friendly staff and an excellent restaurant in the lobby: the rooms vary in style and size, so ask to see at least a couple. Alternatively, the Huang Thom (026/385 6128; US$11–20) has comfy rooms, cable TV and breakfast included in the price; it can also organize trips and permits to Ban Gioc Falls and Pac Bo Cave. For a budget option, the Nga Hang (026/385 6256; US$10 and under) is about as cheap as you’ll get: it’s a no-nonsense riverside guesthouse a short walk from the bridge, with rooms that are just about clean.

For eating, the best option is Com-Lau, just north of Uncle Ho, which has an English menu and serves excellent Vietnamese fare, especially the seafood spring rolls and sweet and sour beef. The Bang Giang has a tiny English menu and serves reasonable food but in a very depressing dining room, while the Huong Sen has no English menu, but since most of the meals are on display it’s easy to point. First stop on cold mornings should be for a breakfast soup ladled from the huge steaming cauldrons in the market, while the wallside snack-shacks south of the market on Kim Dong have a rustic late-night appeal. For a cup of coffee and a bit of people-watching, try 88 Café on Kim Dong, just west of the Huong Sen.

The far north | The northeast | Cao Bang and around |

Pac Bo Cave

Such a lot is made of Pac Bo Cave that it comes as a surprise to learn that Ho Chi Minh lived in it for only seven weeks, during February and March 1941. If you’re not a fan of Ho memorabilia then neither the cave nor the small museum justifies the fifty-kilometre excursion (2hr each way) from Cao Bang, though the first part of the journey, passing minority villages moored in rice-paddy seas against craggy blue horizons, is a memorable ride.

Pac Bo is situated right on the border with China. When Ho Chi Minh walked over from Guangxi Province in January 1941, he took his first steps on Vietnamese soil for thirty years. At first he lived in a Nung village but soon left for the nearby cave where he set about co-ordinating the independence movement, and translating the history of the Soviet Communist Party into Vietnamese. The French soon discovered his hideaway and Ho had to move again, this time to a jungle hut not far away where the Viet Minh was founded in May 1941. Later that same year he left for China, to drum up support for his nascent army, and when he next returned to Pac Bo it was after Independence, as a tourist, in 1961. The cave today is a strange mixture of shrine and picnic spot, while exhibits in the small museum