BAN GIOC

"We rent a bike in Cao Bang and we did the 3 hours trip enjoying the great views, an amazing landscape formed for limestone mountains,and spent the night in one of the nha nghi(guest house) in the unknown village just before the waterfalls(you can also watch the cave there).
Once in the waterfall,even in dry season it worth the effort to get there, tourism is quite low, we just found 3 western faces."

With a raft at the Ban Gioc waterfall

          De Ban Gioc - waterfall is three hours' drive (85 km) from the provincial capital of Cao Bang. You'll ride among beautiful mountains and green rice fields, before you arrive at the Ban Gioc waterfall. It is the journey doubly well spent. The waterfall is located near the Chinese border. Indeed, right across the river is the People's Republic of China. They have built on the other side of the river a hotel on a hill. On the Vietnamese side you can't detect any construction activities.
You will not recognize at first glance, but if you've been at the waterfall once you recognize him immediately calendars and pictures hanging in, inter alia, Chinese restaurants, hotel lobbies and cafes. To reach the waterfall you should take a walk through the rice fields and across wooden bridges before you come to the foot of the waterfall. The best visiting time is during the rainy season (September - October), because the waterfall then contains the most water.

You must buy a permit (card) at a little office, before you can walk to the waterfall. The waterfall is fed by the Quay Son River, which flows from China into Vietnam. The impressive waterfall comes cascading down. You can come up with a raft near the crashing water, but you have to rent the raft with other people. They love that. The 30 meter high waterfall is the highest in Vietnam, and it is the most spectacular and widest. It is a very popular destination for Vietnamese tourists, who come to the Bam Gioc waterfall with some buses on weekends to admire the cascading waterfall. They are also used to keep here a nice picnic at the foot of the waterfall. They love that. The base of the Ban Gioc waterfall is full of pleasant chatting, drinking and picnicking people.

French colonists built originally small villas on the shore at the foot of the waterfall. It was a beautiful setting. You could swim and it was cool.
If you have not booked an organized tour to the waterfall, you can in Trung Khanh hire a van. There driving some minivans per day. The ride takes 20-30 minutes. It is also possible that youcome to the Ban Gioc waterfall on a motorcycle for little money.
The impressive Nguom Ngao Cave is located just a few kilometers beyond the falls. This cave is definitely worth a visit.

Ban Gioc Waterfalls

Nguom Ngao Grot - you can visit this cave before or after Ban Gioc. This immense the Nguom Ngao Cave has a series of majestic, breathtaking spaces, filled with intricate formations of stalactites and stalagmites. In the off season, you can even have this cave for yourself. Guides are helpful and point you out particularly interesting rocks and nesting sites ofthe bats.

From a travelogue:

"Came here with my wife and was beautiful even on a cloudy day. A bit tough to go up to have the views but absolutely worth the effort. The views are stunning! Did the boat to have the views and not bad, would be worth it given the time spent to reach Ban Gioc. The scenery is just gorgeous."