Located eighty kilometers from Hanoi, Van Long lagoon, also known as Van Long swamp, in Gia Vien district, Ninh Binh province is one of the largest reservation areas in the Northern Delta. This is also one of the ideal destinations for travelers who want to find a peaceful place to escape the bustle and hustle of urban life.

With an area of nearly 3,500 hectares, Van Long lagoon is not a natural lagoon but is formed from the embankment of more than 30km long of Day River to prevent flooding.

Since then, Van Long turned into an immense wetland, having beautiful rocky islands and caves. Van Long lagoon is like a beautiful painting, which will dazzle and fascinate  any one. The landscape is so majestic with wind, water and clouds. 

Van Long Lagoon is home to thousands of animals, plants, and aquatic life, especially the Trachypithecus delacouri, which is an endangered species. 

Van Long has over 30 beautiful caves, many large caves are put on the list of tourist attractions (in the high water season, there are some unreachable caves) such as Ca Cave, Bong Cave, Rua Cave and Chanh Cave.

After going through the mountains, you will go to Ca Cave, a half-submerged and half-dried cave with 250m long, 8m high and 10m wide. 

The cave is located at the foot of the mountain, so after crossing the cave, to the other side you will see a small valley surrounded by mountains. 

If you get lucky enough - usually in the afternoon (about 15:30 - 16:30), there will be a chance to see storks flying. 

In addition, there are some limestone blocks with the shape of its name "Cat Scratches" (on the side of the mountain there is a "picture" like a cat scratch on the stone), Raspberry, Book, Stone, etc.

The best time to visit Van Long is at the end of the summer and early autumn. At that time, the lagoon is peaceful, and you can easily look through the water to see the moss below. 

However, due to the rich ecological system, visitors should go to Van Long at any time and they definitely can discover the beauty of this destination. 

The most beautiful time of the day is probably late in the afternoon. At that time, visitors will see a gentle and charming Van Long. 

No longer harsh bright sun, the lagoon turns into red, storks also begin to fly.

To get to Van Long from Ha Noi, the only way is to follow National Highway 1A, through Phu Ly to Gian Khau junction, turning left to Nho Quan junction to Gia Van commune, Gia Vien district. 

Van Long Lagoon is located at the foot of the dyke. Here, visitors buy tickets which include renting the boat to go sightseeing in two directions. The main direction is to go Kem Tram – Hang Bong with many beautiful landscapes. 

The second direction is for the animal lovers as they can meet the rare langurs drinking water or passing tree branches. 

There is also a very interesting destination, which is the stork garden, about 2km west of the boat docking. 

Van Long lagoon attracts visitors by its natural beauty and tranquility, so when you come here, you should not laugh or talk loudly, otherwise you can break the quiet landscape of the lagoon.

 If you are a photo enthusiast, you should talk to the boatman beforehand so that they can help you get every suitable location in Van Long (about 2 hours).

Hanoitimes