Visiting Vietnam: Pinic places in Dong Nai Province

Escape from the hustle and bustle

Wrap up and go for a picnic!

Hey Saigoners or those who are living in Saigon even for work or vacation, would you like to stick in such a crowded and polluted metropolis at weekends?

I guess you don't want to, some even get tired and sick of the city. Thus why don't you head out of town and chill out with friends in a picnic at somewhere nearby? You don't know any interesting places, huh?

Let me tell you some in Dong Nai Province within some one-hour ride from the city center.

Bửu Long Park

Located in an area of about 80 ha, Buu Long Cultural Park features two lakes, namely Long An Lake (Hidden Dragon Lake) and Long Van Lake. Its topography is almost hilly terrain with two mountains Buu Long (34 meters high), and Long Son (37 meters high).

These lakes and mountains were named after a historical event when the last Vietnam's monarchy emperor Gia Long was forced to flee to this place.

When you arrive at the gate, there are 2 huge dragon statues standing strikingly with vigorous hue. Through the ticket gate, your eyes will stick right to a big facet hovering in the middle of nowhere flowing water, again, from nowhere. Then a long avenue with beautiful plants and flowers leads you toward Buu Long Cultural Park. For family with kids, this part of Buu Long is so cool to play around.

Go swimming. Go exploring. Go have fun with merry-go-rounds, ball houses and roller coasters.

For a group of friends or couples in love together, a picnic is of great delight to celebrate. The park offers endless green lawns carefully pruned with large shady trees. Remember to bring a canvas mat to lay down on the grass, you guys can hire some barbecue stuff at the restaurant and yeah, enjoy the picnic. If you don't want to sit on the lawns, there are lots of tourist huts scattering around the park, go find an ideal place to stay.

For those who are alone, never mind being lonely because such landscape will draw your utmost attention right at first sight. Take a walk around those lakes, take photos and yeah your day is just spent away in a blink of an eye.

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And do not forget to take photos. Scenery abounds! Roam around and photograph.

Bò Cạp Vàng

Originally as a resident haven owned by a retired teacher, Bo Cap Vang was just a cool and peaceful countryside to hole up after all ups and downs in life. It came to fame when more people seeked such a place as a getaway from the hustling citylife.

Situated at Phuoc Khanh Commune, Nhon Trach District, Bo Cap Vang (literally named after Cassia fistula or golden rain flower) has idyllic scenery as bound by Ong Keo River (a branch of Dong Nai River) and covered by lush green trees. - only 25km away from Saigon, just a 45 minute ride leads you to so excellent a destination as you can both picnic and partake in heaps of outdoor activities.

Amusement activities

• Water games: boat sailing, fishing, swimming, water-sliding, floatie jumping

• Partying: The eco-resort serves food as well. You just choose a table to sit, head to the resort restaurant to order and serve yourselves then. A bunch of dishes are offered such as hot pot, grilled seafood (you can ask to make it by yourself). If you don't want to order, you can bring your own stuff to party.

And of course, taking photos is of great delight and you'll absolutely have beautiful snaps since the landscape is that excellent!

Giang Dien Waterfall

Those destinations above are near Ho Chi Minh City, which is quite easy for you to visit. However, if you wish to explore more, Giang Dien Waterfall Resort will be cool enough for a day trip. Around 50km away from downtown Saigon, Giang Dien Waterfall is located in Giang Dien Commune, Trang Bom District, Dong Nai Province. This waterfall is actually a cluster of 3 waterfalls namely Chang (Guy), Nang (Girl) and Giang Dien (the main one). Under 2 typical seasons (rainy and sunny) in Southern Vietnam, the water changes time by time - opaque in the rain and fresh clear in the sun.

How to get there

You can take a bus No. 12 or 602 that lead straight to Giang Dien from Ho Chi Minh City. If you dare ride far, get on the motorbike and follow A1 Highway to Dong Nai Province. Be careful with your speed and traffic around.

For your info

So what to do there?

Right, this 65ha park is such an ideal place for picnic or outdoor activities like team-building games or camping. Thanks to its distance, people from Saigon or elsewhere nearby can make a day trip. Well, if you have no idea of what to do, why don't you just stroll around and take photos? It's also of paramount importance to save your memory through outstanding pictures. Come and enjoy.

Mango Garden Resort

Established in 2006, Mango Garden Resort occupies 35ha over the area of Tan Cang, Phuoc Tan, Long Thanh - roughly 40km away from downtown Saigon. Originally as a farm, it has been developed into a garden resort with harmonious beauty of nature and wild animals. Besides, there are a stack of fun games for entertainment. Let's see how we can picnic there.

Anything fun?

For a picnic, one just needs a shady green place to sit and have fun. Right, there's lots of verdant space around this resort. Many huts and rest stops here and there serve as nice shelters for visitors or anyone who needs a place to hole up. Fish ponds, artificial streams and waterfalls beautify the landscape and offer nice backdrops for photographing. If you go with kids, well take them to the zoo to learn about wild animals. If you go with friends, come join in team-building activities.

And if you are devil-daring (just kidding) or seeking adventure, go for orchid riding, grass sliding, crocodile fishing, coracle sailing or paint shooting. If more, come yell at the roller coaster or bumping cars.

Anywhere else?

Spanning an area of 5,907 km² with diverse topography, Dong Nai owns mountain-and-river landscape that hosts a large number of tourist attractions. Above are 4 typical destinations for a picnic trip within a day. Still, there are many other places where you can pay a visit and enjoy yourself. They are Dao Dua Lua (Fire Coconut Island) in Phu Huu Ward, Nhon Trach District; Bang Lang Tim Garden Resort (near Bo Cap Vang), Chua Chan Mountain in Xuan Loc District and so on. These are also beautiful in nature and close in distance so that you can both have fun and learn more of the neighborhoods. Don't hesitate to travel, especially during weekends or holidays. Life's short, so go live the best of your life!

Author's note

The author has been to all of the places I mentioned here (except those listed in Anywhere else). Many photos adopted in this article are collected from many sources online (instagram, newspapers), the rest is under courtery of the author.