Thousands of visitors have been heading to Ba Vi National Park on Hanoi's western outskirts before dawn, drawn by spectacular seas of clouds that have blanketed its mountains for days.
Visitors line up before dawn to chase Ba Vi's sea of clouds
Over the weekend, thousands of visitors traveled to Ba Vi National Park, known as a "green lung" west of central Hanoi, hoping to catch the billowing sea of clouds that appears around sunrise.
At around 4 a.m. on Oct. 3, a long line of vehicles had already formed outside the park entrance as visitors waited to buy tickets. Crowds remained heavy on the morning of Oct. 4.
At times, vehicles heading toward higher viewpoints became so congested that visitors described the traffic as being "like rush hour in downtown Hanoi."
On Oct. 4, Nguyen Thi Han traveled 75 kilometers from Yen Phong in neighboring Bac Ninh Province to Ba Vi, hoping to see for herself the sea of clouds that had attracted "millions of views on social media."
It was her second visit to Ba Vi but her first cloud-hunting trip.
Despite setting off very early, Han found the park already crowded when she arrived and had to wait nearly 30 minutes to buy an entrance ticket.
"Luckily, I reached the mountaintop in time to see both the clouds and the sunrise. The sea of clouds was beautiful. After 6 a.m., the clouds became increasingly distinct and sank lower, creating an impressive scene," Han said.
She said she would return to Ba Vi if she had the chance, preferably on an even cloudier day and during the wild sunflower season.
Many visitors choose to stay overnight near Ba Vi National Park to avoid having to travel in the middle of the night.
Truong Thu Huyen, from Hanoi, arrived in Ba Vi on Oct. 3 and stayed at a resort inside the national park, enjoying the fresh air while waiting for an early-morning cloud-hunting trip on Oct. 4.
She left her accommodation at around 5:30 a.m. and was able to see the sea of clouds shortly after 6 a.m.
Having previously hunted clouds in Ta Xua and Sa Pa, two popular mountainous destinations in northern Vietnam, Huyen was surprised that Ba Vi, so close to Hanoi, could offer an equally impressive blanket of billowing clouds.
According to Ba Vi National Park, the period from October through the end of the year is cloud-hunting season, attracting thousands of visitors each day, particularly on weekends.
Visitor numbers are expected to rise further when Ba Vi's wild sunflowers come into full bloom, which is forecast for November.
Visitor numbers surge as clouds linger for days
Nguyen Nhu Quynh, a Muong ethnic woman from Ba Vi who works as a tour guide and runs a homestay in the area, said the sea of clouds had appeared for several consecutive days.
"This may be the longest stretch of cloud-filled days this year. The number of visitors to Ba Vi National Park over the weekend has clearly increased compared with last year," Quynh said.
"I've lived and worked here for many years, and even I'm quite surprised because the wild sunflowers haven't bloomed yet, but there are already so many visitors. Over the past few days, I've been getting up early every morning to livestream the sea of clouds on TikTok and Facebook."
Quynh said congestion occurred on Oct. 3 as visitors waited to buy tickets at the park entrance. On Oct. 4, however, the park began selling tickets earlier and deployed additional staff to direct traffic, allowing visitors to enter more quickly and easing congestion.
Accommodation services in Ba Vi are now well developed, with options ranging from budget stays to upscale resorts. Visitors can camp among pine forests or stay at resorts including Melia Bavi Mountain Retreat, Tan Da Spa Resort, Bavi Annam Garden and Madela Ba Vi - Nha ben suoi.
Duy Khang, who provides camping services in Ba Vi, said bookings had risen noticeably in recent days, particularly among groups of young people hoping to hunt clouds.
"Ba Vi has had consecutive days of beautiful clouds before, but such a long stretch of consistently beautiful seas of clouds like this is quite rare," Khang said. "Many people enjoy camping overnight in the park, then the next morning they only need to travel about 15 minutes to catch the sunrise and the sea of clouds."
He recommends that visitors hoping to see the clouds arrive at the park's 900-meter elevation area at around 5:30-6 a.m.
After viewing the sea of clouds, visitors can explore other attractions in the national park, including an abandoned old church, Thuong Temple, the temple dedicated to President Ho Chi Minh and Bao Thien Tower.
Visitors can also combine their trip with stops at Khoang Xanh - Suoi Tien, Ao Vua and Thien Son - Suoi Nga. Khoang Xanh features stretches of pristine forest and more than two kilometers of natural streams, along with waterfalls including Mo, Hoa, Tran and Mam Xoi.
Quynh advised visitors driving their own vehicles to fill their fuel tanks before entering the national park because there are no gas stations in the area.
Vehicles should also have their brakes, oil and overall operating condition checked, particularly if they have not been serviced for a long time.
"Visitors should also prepare drinking water, snacks and lunch because there aren't many food outlets on the mountain, and they can easily become overloaded on busy days," she said. "It's also advisable to bring some cash, a power bank and a flashlight in case they are needed."
Visitors should check the weather forecast before their trip and bring warm clothing and a flashlight if they plan to set off while it is still dark.
Established in 1991, Ba Vi National Park covers nearly 11,000 hectares and lies about 60 kilometers from central Hanoi.
Admission costs VND60,000 ($2.30) for adults, VND20,000 ($0.76) for university students and VND10,000 ($0.38) for school students.
The seas of clouds seen in early October are expected to continue drawing visitors in the coming weeks, particularly as Ba Vi's wild sunflower season approaches.
Vietnamnet.vn
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