The old folk-song “Whoever visits Binh Dinh would see its women practising martial arts” is often used to talk about Binh Dinh, the land of martial arts with picturesque landscapes and historical legends related to the Tay Son dynasty.

A park in Quy Nhon city

There was no alternative choice other than travelling by coach or train when going from Ha Noi or HCM City to Binh Dinh many years ago.

The Phu Cat airport is now in full operation; thus, it takes only 1 hour or 40 minutes for tourists to arrive at the airport from two ends of the country.

It then takes 45 minutes to travel from the airport to Quy Nhon city. Passing through the Ba Ghi bridge, tourists will see a 4-tower cluster called Banh It (or silver) because they look like banh it la gai (a kind of glutinous three-cornered rice cake filled with green bean paste), one of Binh Dinh’s specialties.

Binh Dinh is the cradle of many ancient Cham towers which are mostly located in Quy Nhon city and three districts of Tay Son, An Nhon, and Tuy Phuoc.

The towers have wonderful view over the surrounding areas, offering tourists chances to take distinctive and beautiful photos. Their arch entrances are decorated with different patterns and stone relievos, such as statues of Siva, Ganesa, Uma, and Bhama, making tourists get the feeling that they are lost in the mysterious Cham kingdom.

Reaching Quy Nhon city, tourists could experience a beautiful and peaceful city backing towering mountains and facing the sea. The fresh air of the coastal city will bring tourists a very relaxed atmosphere.

Many small hotels have been built in the city. Any one visiting the city could stay overnight at the hotel with very cheap prices. For those who want to stay at luxury hotels, there are also big ones meeting their needs, such as Hai Au (Seagull), Hoang Yen, or Life resort built along the beach.

Coming to this coastal city, tourists also want to visit Ghenh Rang and the tomb of poet Han Mac Tu. If possible, tourists could hire a motorbike and travel along the national highway 1D, connecting Quy Nhon with Phu Yen province’s Song Cau district, to experience natural landscapes.

Also, along the 30-km road sees a series of newly-built tourism sites, including Bai Bang, Bai Xep, and Bai Rang.

Going to the north of the city, tourists will see the Nhon Hoi Economic Zone and the Thi Nai Bridge, which is the Southeast Asia’s longest sea crossing one. Tourists also could enjoy fresh seafood at restaurants located right under the bridge.

Another destination that couldn’t be ignored is the Quang Trung Museum located in Tay Son district, which is 45 km far from Quy Nhon. The 9-hectare-museum displays thousands of items originated from the Tay Son dynasty.

Also, the museum features many relics, such as a well, a tamarind tree, and ancient objects, related to three Tay Son brothers.

It takes about 10 minutes to travel from the museum to Ham Ho, which is comprised of a chain of streams, rocks, and forest. Ham Ho was once used as one of the bases of the Tay Son insurgent army.

There are two ways leading to the Ham Ho tourism site. Tourists could travel either by boats or on foot. Paying a small amount of money, tourist also could be taken to the site by horse-drawn carriages. Visitors are able to camp on huge and smooth rocks floating on the surface of the streams.

When getting hungry, tourists should enjoy some specialties in Ham Ho. Staying here for one more day, tourists are able to walk along deserted path to visit the Doc fall and stay overnight in the forest.

Source: thesaigontimes.vn