The people in Thái Nguyˆn constantly poke fun at their own city, ironically calling their markets “large” and their sights “famous..for Thái Nguyˆn.” The source of this inferiority complex is the lack of any alluring natural wonder in the city or its surrounding countryside—something of a rarity for northern Vietnam. But from an outsider’s perspective, Thái Nguyˆn fuses together some of Vietnam’s most attractive characteristics with unparalleled grace. Sweeping colonnades from the time of the French turn into smaller, more livable avenues, then end in sprawling fields. Farmers dry corn and peanuts on the road as luxury cars drive by. On Sunday, every beer garden in the city is full of people chatting and trying to avoid the sun.
During the American War, Thái Nguyˆn was a target for American attacks. Supposedly, cables were strung across the streets and draped with camouflage to protect soldiers. The city today is a work in progress, suspended between the steel town that it once was and the thriving provincial capital that it hopes to become.
It’s best to visualize the city as being built around a straight street composed of a western segment (Hoàng Vn Thƒ) and an eastern segment (ÿi C+n). Dividing the two segments is the central rotary (marked by a clocktower). Running north from the clocktower is ™£ng B c Kån (also known as Th™ Minh). The Gia B=y Bridge is 400m north of the clocktower on the east side of this road. Running south from the clocktower is Càch Mang Tháng. One kilometer west of the clocktower, Hoàng Vn Thƒ intersects with L™£ng Ngßc Quy\n; the bus station is 100m north of this intersection. One kilometer east of the clocktower, ÿi C+n intersects with B\n T™ng.
Hotels in town offer decent prices, and almost all rooms include TV, air-conditioning, and private bath. Because most hotels are a long walk from the bus and train stations, it’s best to take a xe ®m (5000) to the central rotary, and go from there.
The people in Thái Nguyˆn enjoy their food and beer. A lot. Ph shops can be found everywhere; those found in the cluster at the intersection of B\n Túng and Nha Trang are particularly good. Superb bread and pastries can be found at H™£ng Tram, 2 Hoàng Vn Thƒ, 100m west of the second intersection. There are two markets in town: a small one next to the bus station and the much larger central market, which begins at ÿi C+n as it intersects with B\n Túng. There are no tourist prices (making the rest of Vietnam seem expensive), but watch your wallet here anyway as pickpocketing is common.
The B=o Tàng Vn Hóa Các Dñn Tÿc Viˆt Nam (Museum of the Cultures of Vietnam’s Ethnic Groups), located in a stately building just off the central rotary, has all you wanted to know (and more) about Vietnam’s 54 ethnic groups. The museum includes ancestral altars, fishing equipment, musical instruments, life-size model homes, costumes, and plenty of photos. Captions are in English as well as Vietnamese. The place is definitely worth an hour or two, even if you don’t plan on staying in Thái Nguyˆn. (Open Apr.-Oct. Tu-Su 7-11:30am and 1:30-5pm; Nov.-Mar. 7:30-noon and 1:30-5pm. 10,000.)
Thái Nguyˆn province also has many memorials hidden on side-streets and dirt roads, but the grandest of them is directly across from the museum at the central rotary. The towering, gray marble spire commemorates Thái Nguyˆn’s war heroes. It was constructed in 2000 for a whopping US$1 million.
For an inimitable museum-going experience, head east from the rotary on Hoàng Vn Thƒ to visit the B=o Tàng Quñn Kha 1 (Museum of Military Region 1). It is located just outside of town on the road toward Núi C®c. The entrance is through a large green metal gate, but be sure to ask to see the museum before entering, as there are no established visiting hours. You may or may not have to pay the 10,000 admission fee, and you will be guided by one of the on-site officers. This place is not built for tourists, but rather for Vietnamese to stay in touch with their history. The first floor of the museum documents the French war, and the second floor—which is scheduled for construction—will document the American war. It is helpful to have a Vietnamese speaker with you to navigate the museum.
There are two nice walks in town. Return to the rotary and then continue west. At the end of ÿi C+n by the central market, take Oánh heading out of town. Turn left up an unmarked street (by building 182), and you’ll begin passing houses and walking out toward the S®ng C<u River. Soon the road dies out and a small dirt path leads past farmers perched under umbrellas tending their plots. e Bao S®ng C<u is a shorter and more established walking path that begins by the gas station beside the Gia B=y Bridge and follows several hundred meters along the river before turning back onto ÿi C+n. The path is popular with young couples looking for solitude, so your typically shocking presence might actually be ignored.
In terms of nightlife, beer gardens and pool halls fill up in the evenings and tend to stay open until 11pm. The hottest place in town is Mˆhyco, near the central rotary across from H™£ng Tram bread shop. The venue is newly opened and remains packed every evening. Amateur hour is from 8pm until closing (usually midnight), with a big stage and some pretty decent performances (beer 10,000).
Hang Ph™£ng Hoàng (Phoenix Cave) . Forty-five kilometers northeast of Gia B=y Bridge is Hang Ph™£ng Hoàng, a large cave that was once used as a meeting spot for revolutionary leaders. A short way down the path at the caves, the road splits. To the left is an incredibly steep and rugged trail that climbs a nearby mountain. While the views are a great reward, make sure to bring enough water, and a companion, as navigating the route can prove difficult (about 2hr. round-trip). The right-hand path ascends 300m before leading to Ph™£ng Hoàng Cave. The sign announcing a 100m approach is neither gross underestimation nor typographical error (“Did they mean 1000 meters?”)—there is a cave entrance 2min. from the first junction, but be sure to find the others too. The inside of this first cave is illuminated, and families gather to hop from stone to stone or swim in the refreshing waters. (Hang Ph™£ng Hoàng is a 1hr. drive from Thái Nguyˆn, and a xe ®m will cost 70,000-80,000 round-trip. It is also possible to take a metered taxi from Thái Nguyˆn, but prepare to dish out big bucks. There is a 25,000 entrance fee collected on the highway.)
Lake Núi C®c. Núi C®c (Lake in the Mountains) is an artificial reservoir amid rolling hills. The 26-square-kilometer lake is just gorgeous. However, it’s more than just a lake—in the 1980s, a theme park was constructed here that might just be the most ridiculous spot in Vietnam. A labyrinth of plastic trees and concrete paths lead to a zoo (3000), fake cave (10,000), plastic underworld (10,000), pool with a waterslide (20,000), and several other money wasters. Vendors are persistent in selling their ph or kem (ice cream). From the port, it’s possible to organize an overpriced boat ride on the lake (1hr.; 180,000 for 4 people), which circles a small island before heading back to shore.
Of course, no tourist lake would be complete without a man-made origin myth. As the story goes, two young lovers, C®c and C®ng, wanted to marry each other, but C®ng’s father disapproved because C®c was poor and without land. The two lovers fled, but the father found them and killed C®c. C®ng was pretty broken up over the whole affair—so much that she broke into (a lot of) tears, which formed the river leading into the lake. Other, more boring legends whisper that the lake was created by some very intelligent engineers. Regardless of how it came to be, this DisneyWorld gone terribly wrong is worth a peek. (Núi C®c is 20km from Thái Nguyˆn. There is no public transportation to the lake; a xe ®m costs 20,000 and takes 45min. It is also possible to circle the lake instead of being dropped off at the park entrance, but prices should be negotiated before leaving Thái Nguyˆn, as this is an uncommon request. Entrance to the park is 10,000 and most of the actual attractions are open daily until 4pm. It’s best to arrive in the afternoon, when the heat is more bearable and the crowd has died down.)
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For 52 years, we have published the world’s favorite budget travel guides, written entirely by students and updated every year. With pen and notebook in hand and a few changes of underwear stuffed in our backpacks, we spend months roaming the globe in search of travel bargains.
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