Van Long Lagoon Ninh Binh is one of the interesting destinations for those who have set their foot on the land of Ninh Binh. Perhaps it is also because of the wild beauty and extremely diverse natural ecosystems that make a quiet Van Long Lagoon tourist area become the destination of many dreamy travelers. The See-Sing-Share project of singer Ha Anh Tuan was also carried out here, bringing great works to the audience such as: Spring calls, Through the passion… Explore with Bike Plus A “very loving” Van Long Dam in the article below!

General introduction about Van Long lagoon

Where is Van Long lagoon?

Van Long lagoon is located in Gia Van commune, Gia Vien district, Ninh Binh province . Only 80km from Hanoi capital, Van Long Wetland Nature Reserve (Ninh Binh)  attracts a large number of tourists to visit and experience. 

Wetland ecosystems and forests on limestone mountains are the two main ecosystems in Van Long tourist area. In addition, other ecosystems can be mentioned such as fields, lawns, swidden fields, and villages. With an area of ​​​​nearly 3,500 hectares, Van Long lagoon is a place where animals, plants, aquatic animals live and grow. Including the white-breeded langur – a primate endemic to Vietnam that needs to be preserved.

The beauty of nature and people in Van Long lagoon.

This place is the largest wetland nature reserve in the Northern Delta. Van Long ecological area has many landscapes, caves and cultural relics. Van Long’s beauty becomes more and more poetic when the image of a person appears. Somewhere, the figure of someone sitting on a rustic bamboo boat leisurely on the peaceful water makes this ecological area very poetic.

The water here has a clear color. We can see the creatures below. Looking down at the lake surface, the silhouette of clouds and sky, beautiful green mountains and hills. Faintly hidden behind the grass, flocks of white storks and fire storks are looking for food. The idyllic and poetic green space makes us feel peaceful and relaxed.

Van Long lagoon in Ninh Binh appears as a charming painting with unspoiled scenery, this place was once chosen by the famous film studio Legendary Entertainment as one of the settings for the famous Kong – Skull Island movie. Through sharp footage showing the beauty of the lake, Van Long has since quickly become a destination to attract tourists both at home and abroad. 

How to get to Van Long Lagoon?

Ninh Binh is only about 100km from Hanoi capital, with the main route of travel being highways, so the travel time takes about 2 hours. However, coming to Van Long Lagoon, you should follow the old National Highway 1A, turn from National Highway 1A, you will follow a small dike road that lasts only about 5km, both sides of the road are full of reeds and you will have the opportunity. See the extremely rich flora and fauna system even before going to the sightseeing area.

In case you go by bus / or limousine, you can book tickets to Ninh Binh city. From Ninh Binh city, you can take a taxi, motorbike taxi to move to Van Long Dam with a distance of 17km.

What’s interesting about Van Long Lagoon?

1. Van Long Lagoon tour – boat ride on the lagoon

It seems to forget all the troubles out there, all the city smoke, all the piles of documents with daily work deadlines, enjoy sitting on a small boat, dropping yourself in the cool atmosphere to watch. Van Long’s natural heaven and earth with the same mountains, clear blue water, singing birds, straight-winged storks, blooming flowers… Just that much is enough for you to feel a little calm. peaceful and full of peace.

Embracing the gentle Van Long Lagoon, smooth as a mirror, are giant and majestic limestone mountains that seem to want to protect this place with those simple rustic natural features. The paddle gently swings under the clear, calm water as if you can look down to the bottom, leisurely watching the bamboo shoots and sedges in the vast lagoon and listening to the sounds of all species in the pure space.

The special thing is that the terrain of Van Long Lagoon is quite special, the water here is not deep but only about 1m-1.5m, there are overgrown hybrid grass areas just enough for a boat to weave through but there are also places and vast expanses of water. The deeper the boat goes into the middle of Van Long Lagoon, the more you will feel like you are immersed in the seemingly endless nature.

Van Long Wetland Nature Reserve has an area of ​​2,700 ha, of which 500 ha is wetland surrounded by limestone mountains and residential areas, so the water in the flood season is extremely clear and special. There are no waves like in rivers or the sea, so the local people call this place “the bay without waves”.

2. Van Long Lagoon tour – visit caves

Tourism in Van Long Lagoon has two main sightseeing routes: the first route is from the boat station to Hang Bong – Kem Tram cave to admire the natural scenery, the second route is to sit on a boat to see the white-breeded langurs on Meo Cao mountain. .

Called Shadow Cave because the entrance of the cave faces to the east, in the morning when the sun rises through the top of the mountain, the sunlight shines down on the cave entrance, from inside the cave you can see the mountains reflecting on the water surface. The calm and clear blue creates a perfect picture of nature under the water. Going deep into the cave, visitors can see with their own eyes the drooping stalactites formed from millions of years, the beautiful veins in the cave are the most wonderful things that nature favors. for this land. The water in the cave is extremely blue, so the cliffs and stalactites printed on the water are very clear and extremely magical, making visitors who come here also fall in love.

3. See langurs in white shorts at Van Long Lagoon

 On the occasion of May and June every year when the lotus blooms covering this wetland, visitors come here early in the morning to enjoy the fragrance and then enjoy and immerse themselves in the color of the lotus. When you go to the end of the lotus ponds, you will come to the place to visit and admire the langurs living. Up to now, there are nearly 200 largest individuals in Vietnam. To be able to meet this langur is not difficult, so as long as you have a little patience and choose the time is early morning or late afternoon, you can easily find them together, sometimes even is the whole herd of langurs hand-to-hand swinging on the limestone cliffs.

The terrain is isolated limestone mountains in the middle of the field, so this place becomes an ideal shelter for thousands of species of animals, plants and aquatic life growing on the cliffs, on the shore or in the water. In particular, there are still ca cuong species – a rare insect that is almost extinct in Vietnam.

Another special thing to mention in this land is the presence of a herd of white storks that sometimes up to thousands of children come here to take shelter. The reed beach in the middle of the lagoon is a nesting place for many types of birds. The most appropriate time of the day to see the storks is late afternoon when the sunset gradually let go of the image of flocks of storks fluttering, creating a feeling of both poetic and peaceful.

4. Explore Meo Rao Mountain in Van Long Lagoon

The extremely vivid natural picture of Van Long Lagoon makes many visitors excited to mention the Meo Rao mountain. This is one of the most beautiful and unique mountains in the limestone mountain complex surrounding Van Long Lagoon. The mountain has steep cliffs, from the top to the bottom there are scratches on the rock like the scratches of a cat. It is because of such a special shape that the people here have long called the mountain range the Meo Rao Mountain.

The mountain has a relatively large area with an altitude of 150-200m and is located independently on an island. According to the scientists who came here to study, this is called “chewing mural” the material to make the mural is ocher – a type of space containing iron oxide. Earth king is ground into a powder mixed with some kind of tree resin and used to paint. Just splashing water on the cliff where the painting is, the water flows, the cliff will gradually appear crimson lines that are the fierce man and a series of hieroglyphic inscriptions. According to the most likely explanation, this image simulates a man who holds the right to birth, the right to kill in his hand is the old executioner, often wearing a mask so that the “ghost” does not remember his face to find harassment. interference.

Ticket price to visit Van Long wetland in Ninh Binh

Van Long lagoon is more and more known by tourists. The wild and natural beauty of this lagoon attracts many tourists from all over the world. Visiting Van Long lagoon is very affordable, so you can rest assured. Specific entrance fees are as follows:

Sightseeing tickets

• Adults: 20,000 VND/person
• Children under 1m tall: 10,000 VND/person
• Elderly people (from 60 years old and above): 10,000 VND/person

Boat tickets:

• Adults: 50,000 VND/trip
• Children under 1m tall: 25,000 VND/trip
• Elderly people (from 60 years old and above): 25,000 VND/trip

A few tips for tourists to keep in mind when traveling to Van Long Lagoon

To have a smooth journey to visit Van Long lagoon, you should prepare some necessary clothes and items. Take a look below:

– You should bring a jacket, sunscreen, wide-brimmed hat, umbrella, when the weather is hot.

– Visitors should prepare an extra flashlight if they want to explore the caves.

– For those who do not want to have “honey cake” skin after returning, they can apply more sunscreen.

– Insect repellent should also be brought when coming to Van Long lagoon.

– When sailing around the eco-tourism area, you should wear life jackets and protective gear.

– You should bring drinking water, and some snacks, enough for yourself or your “team”!

In addition, when you come to Van Long lagoon, you can also enjoy famous Ninh Binh specialties such as elder rice, mountain goat meat, fish salad, vermicelli with perch, etc. It is a beautiful natural eco-tourism area. that you should not miss for your upcoming trip to Ninh Binh, right?