Nghệ An Travel Guide

Nghệ An is located in a central position in North Central Coast. To the east lies the Gulf of Tonkin; to the west the province is bordered by Laos; to the south Hà Tĩnh Province; and to the north is Thanh Hóa Province. It is located on the east–west economic corridor connecting Myanmar, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam along National Route 7 to the port of Cửa Lò.

Best time to travel Vinh city – Nghệ An

Nghen An has a tropical monsoon climate which is directly affected by Southwest hot dry seasonal winds and Northeast wet and cold seasonal winds. The annual average temperature is from 23⁰C and 24⁰C.

If you melt easily, you may want to avoid the summer months, and if you are not one to travel in the rain count out September and October too. Many people visit between June and July during School break and March to May seems to be the sweet spot for travelers looking for a cooler, quitter experience.

How to get there

Vinh City is the provincial capital of Nghe An Province. Vinh City is 300km south of Hanoi. There are many choices for you to travel to Vinh city, Nghe An province

By air: There are daily flights from Hanoi to Vinh, the flight time is 1 hour. Vinh Airport is 10km from Vinh City center.

By private car: the road trip by private car from Hanoi to Vinh is via Route 1 which is in great conditions nowadays. The trip takes 6 hours.

By local bus: There are some tourist buses which depart Hanoi for Vinh every evening near the Old Quarter of Hanoi

By train: There are daily trains from Hanoi to Vinh with soft seat cabins and sleeper cabins. The train journeys take 6 hours 30 minutes or 7 hours. Vinh Train Station is right in the city center.

By motorbike: Travel to Vinh from Hanoi by motorbike is an adventure which takes a full day. The road is very busy from Hanoi to Ninh Binh and traffic gets better after that.

By bicycle: It is possible to travel to Vinh from Hanoi by bicycle but it requires 2-3 days. It is recommended to break the journey with overnight stay at Ninh Binh and Thanh Hoa.

Best destinations you should visit in Nghệ An

1.Pu Mat National Park

Pu Mat National Park, 120 km from Vinh city in Nghe An province, is the largest forest in north-central Vietnam and a world nature reserve. Its beautiful landscape and abundance of fauna and flora have also made Pu Mat a popular tourist destination.

Pu Mat National Park is located on the eastern slope of the Truong Son mountain range, spanning the Con Cuong,  Anh Son, and Tuong Duong districts of Nghe An province. Pu Mat, in the Thai language, means ‘high slopes’. The park was established in 2002 and recognized by UNESCO as a World Nature Reserve in 2007,with a core area of 94,000 ha and a buffer zone of 100,000 ha. At 1,840 meters above sea level, Pu May is cloudy the year around. It is one of Vietnam’s principal nature reserves, with 2,400 flora species that include numerous valuable herbal plants. Of these flora species, 37 are listed in Vietnam’s Red Book and 20 which are in the world Red Book.

The forest also has 240 fauna species that include elephant, tiger, and a rare animal called a saola, that looks like a cross between an antelope and a goat or cow. The saola, also known as the ‘Asian unicorn’ is one of the world’s rarest species. It was completely unknown before 1992 and has been found living only in the Truong Son forest of Vietnam and Laos.  The saola is on the Red List of Threatened Species of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. Cao Tien Trung, an official of Vinh University, said: “Pu Mat Nature Reserves has great biological importance. Pu Mat National Park, Pu Huong Nature Reserve, and Pu Hoat Nature Reserve represent a rich source of rare and precious genetic material.”

2. Ho Chi Minh’s home town

Ho Chi Minh’s house is located near Nam Dan town, about 16 km west of Vinh. The locals have carefully preserved Ho Chi Minh’s home and the surrounding areas, including a few artifacts such as the bed he slept in and his belongings. Buildings back then had a very simple design, until foreign influence changed the local architectural style.

3. Cửa Lò Beach

The beach has a unique arch shape that stretches over 10km. It spans from Cua Hoi to Cua Lo, attracting travelers in search of a counter-culture vibe, and retains an authentic Vietnamese atmosphere despite being flocked by tourists all year round.

The food here is famous for its squids, crabs, oysters, tamarind and so on seafare. You can also enjoy interesting activities such as mountain climbing, sauna, swimming, and more. The beach turns into a virtual ghost town during the off-season, such as the winter months, so make sure to visit during the peak season.

Above is the travel tips if you are preparing for the next trip, please put it in your pocket and we wish you have nice trip ahead.

Source: Vietnam Travel Guide