If you’re planning to go to Ha Giang, don’t miss out on a cruise on the Nho Que River.
Boat cruises on the Nho Que River in Ha Giang to explore the Tu San Canyon by boat are attracting more and more visitors. With this experience, you will surely have the most wonderful and exciting journey!
The Nho Que River is one of the must-sees in Ha Giang along with the Vuong Palace and the Happiness Road.
BASIC INFORMATION ABOUT THE NHO QUE RIVER
If you’ve come to Ha Giang, you should not miss the experience of sailing on the Nho Que River. It’s because this painting of the Nho Que River is as beautiful as an oil painting. The Nho Que River is one of the most famous landmarks in Ha Giang, which you will surely hear about easily when you want to travel here.
This river originates in the mountains of Nghiem Son – Yunnan (China) and flows from northwest to southeast to Vietnam. The Nho Que River not only crosses Ha Giang but also goes to Cao Bang territory.
During its 192 km length, the Nho Que River has 46 km in Vietnam.
However, the most attractive part is the head of the river that flows from Seo Lung village, Lung Cu commune through Tu San Alley – which is considered the “canyon” deepest in Vietnam.
WHERE IS THE NHO QUE RIVER?
The Nho Que River is located just below the legendary Ma Pi Leng pass. The water of the Nho Que River always has an unusual moss green color, which is why it is very popular with tourists.
Along with the famous Nho Que River is the Tu San Canyon with a cliff height of up to 700-900 m and a length of nearly 2 km along the water. It is the combination of two beautiful and unique landscapes of the Dong Van rocky plateau.
If you don’t want to take a boat ride on the Nho Que River, you can also stand at the top of the Ma Pi Leng pass. By zooming into the abyss thousands of meters deep, you can admire the green Nho Que River. This river winds along the mountain side and is surrounded by the majesty of nature.
At a glance, the whole river is like a green thread that gently winds at the foot of the mountain. At this point, all you need to do is stand there and look to enjoy all the beauty of the Nho Que River.
When coming to the Nho Que River, you can also learn more about many historical and economic values here. In the past, the Nho Que River was not as calm and gentle as today.
This river is mainly a place for fishing for Ha Giang residents. At the same time, it is also a place to supply domestic water for ethnic populations and an important water source for most of the farmers’ terraced fields. But now, the Nho Que River has added more value in terms of tourism when tourists discover the great beauty of this place.
SHOULD YOU KAYAK ON THE NHO QUE RIVER?
Usually, when tourists come here, they choose to take a boat to stroll on the Nho Que River. But now, in this Nho Que River, there can be a new extremely interesting activity. It’s the kayak service on this Nho Que River. If you’re an active person, this activity is perfect for you.
With this experience, you’ll be able to sit on a kayak and slowly descend the stream of the Nho Que River to see the beauty up close. On both sides of the river are steep rocky cliffs, and above is the clear blue sky.
It can be said that this activity of sailing on the Nho Que River is definitely an extremely interesting experience that anyone who comes here should try. As you descend the water, you can admire cornfields, terraced fields. Or simply the image of people fishing by the river in the fresh air.
ROUTE TO THE MARINA ON THE NHO QUE RIVER
To be able to experience the Nho Que riverboat. You can find 2 docks: the dock of Ta Lang village, Pai Lung village and Xin Cai commune (on the other side of the Ma Pi Leng pass towards Meo Vac).
Ta Lang Dock
From Dong Van, you go up the Ma Pi Leng pass to the territory of Pai Lung commune, Meo Vac. Here, you will see a sign indicating the Nho Que riverboat station. The road from here to the bottom will be about 8 km with steep terrain, many turns.
You should ride a motorbike to be able to go down by yourself, and if you go by car, you should ask people to drive you at the price of 150k for both ways.
Ta Lang village is located next to the Nho Que River with 39 households from the Giay, Tay and H’Mong ethnicgroups. This place is located far from the commune center, people’s life seems separated from the outside world.
Their life since the completion of Nho Que 1 hydroelectric plant has changed a lot. Groups of people following the attraction of Tu San canyon have come to give people more opportunities to open boat rental and shuttle services. Currently, there are about 23 tourist boats in operation and carrying thousands of visitors each year.
Xin Cai Dock
Xin Cai is the first of the three most remote communes in Meo Vac district. The road leading to this communal area also runs along the Nho Que River.
From Ma Pi Leng pass, you can also easily see this road. At the end of Ma Pi Leng pass on the Meo Vac side, there will be a sign indicating Xin Cai, you just need to run about 5 km to reach the boat station here (near Trang Huong bridge). From there, you walk about 2 km to descend from the pier.
PRICE FOR A BOAT OR KAYAK ON THE NHO QUE RIVER
When coming to the docks of the Nho Que River boats. You can choose to take a boat or a kayak to explore the Nho Que River. Each vehicle will have a different cost and experience. Specifically like:
Regular Boat
You can easily see the normal group boats here at the price of 100,000 VND/person. If you want to take a private boat, the cost will be higher, about 500,000 VND/way for the route to see Tu San canyon in 1 hour.
If you travel with large tourist groups, you should look for larger boats. Of course, the cost of renting a boat is also higher with about 500,000 VND – 700,000 VND depending on the size of the boat.
With this kind of ordinary boat, the boatman will take you through the fresh water and take you to the most majestic landscapes. This is a service suitable for those who go in a large group and do not want to lose too much energy and time. However, it will cost you more with this type of boat service on this Nho Que River trip!
Kayak
With this kayak rental service, it will be cheaper (about 200,000 VND to 300,000 VND for a boat for 2 people) and also more comfortable in terms of route and travel time. To experience this kayak activity, you will go from Ha Giang to Meo Vac and descend at Xin Cai dock then do about 5 to 7km more to see Nho Que 1 dock.
When coming to Nho Que 1 dock, you will continue hiking for over 2 km to descend to the dock located right by the river. Here, you can rent a kayak and paddle yourself with your companions.
Currently, because this service is not yet famous on the Nho Que River, only a few locals rent boats to serve tourists. As most tourists who come here choose to take a boat. But if you want to rent a kayak, you can contact:
Chú Vàng: 038 2325 973 at the location of Nho Que riverboat dock from Xin Cai.
Chú Dài: 096 4426 017 at Ta Lang Pai Lung dock.
Anh Điệp: 0865 040 992 go down to Ta Lang dock, Pai Lung.
WHAT’S INTERESTING ABOUT NAVIGATING THE NHO QUE RIVER?
The answer is very simple, it’s the serenity and dreamy landscape of the Nho Que River. When you sail on the Nho Que River, you will have the easiest access to this vibrant watercolor. It can be said that the Nho Que River is one of the most beautiful places in Vietnam. This place is located at an altitude of over 1,000 m and the water flows like a green silk band on rugged terrain.
It’s the gentle but powerful current of the Nho Que River that will take your boat through the majestic Tu San canyon.
Although the weather in Ha Giang can change, the water of the Nho Que River always maintains a gentle blue color. That’s why anyone who comes to Nho Que can’t describe the beauty of this river. All beautiful scenes can only be directly felt with the eyes, ears, and even the breath.
Many people say that if you want to fully enjoy the beauty of the Nho Que River. You have to go through Ma Pi Leng pass then stop at the highest section and look down.
But there are also people who say that you have to row a boat on the Nho Que River and sit at the closest distance to enjoy the beauty of this place. Regardless of the opinion, the Nho Que River always has the same special appeal. If you stand from the top of the pass, you can see floating white clouds. When you take a boat on the Nho Que River, you can easily see
