The Trung Khan district in Cao Bang hugs the border with China. Best known as the home of Ban Gioc. If you only day-trip to Ban Gioc from Cao Bang city you are missing some beautiful landscapes. There is something peaceful about this part of Cao Bang. Unlike Ha Giang where you are conquering mountain trails on your motorcycle, in Cao Bang, you glide between elegant conical shaped limestone karsts.
One of the most beautiful parts of Trung Khanh is the Phong Nam Valley. Here a river flows through strange shaped mountains like a scene from a fairytale. It is a can’t miss area; only 45minutes from Ban Gioc, but most people miss it. You need a permit from Cao Bang city immigration to overnight in Phong Nam Valley. The permit is easy to get and they issue it while you wait. I usually just stay at one of the many hotels nearby in Trung Khanh city. No permit is required for Trung Khanh and it is just 10 minutes from the Phong Nam .
Photography Notes:
Sunrise is a great opportunity from one of the elevated hills looking out beyond the river with the Karst mountains acting as a horizontal frame in the Phong Nam Valley. To find it start at the Homestay Gioc Rung on Google maps ( a good place to base yourself but you’ll need a permit from Cao Bang to overnight here). Head south and look for the big bamboo trees beside the road, follow the cliff and look for the clearly defined path and follow that under the tower. After that look for a small trail heading up the hill.
A warning to drone cam pilots. Most of Trung Khanh is a no-fly zone due to its proximity to China. In both Ban Gioc and the Phong Nam Valley army border guards are patrolling for drones. Sunrise is not a safer time and in fact, more heavily patrolled.
