The national tourism area in the northern highlands province of Thai Nguyen is only halfway through its construction and won’t be finished until 2020, but the landscape and overall appearance of the new establishment is so striking that as early as now, it’s already an attraction in the place.

The Thai Nguyen tourism area which is actually a reservoir was built in 1973. It has a 19,000 hectares land area with 89 both big and small islands along a 17-kilometer length. Tourists love visiting the place because they can take boat rides which take them to several islands like Co (stork), De (goat), and Khi (monkey). The islands are named after the animals who live in the area. There are other more islands wherein visitors can have a relaxing time with the simple quiet life of the local villagers. They can also visit the temple of Mau Thuong Ngan, just one of Vietnam’s three goddesses.
Nui Cai (big mountain) is the most popular island in the area where more than 1,000 products from more than 90 craft villages around the country are displayed at an old house. But to reach the place is quite a daunting task as one has to take 108 steps uphill, with century-old graves and old, giant trees along the way to make the trip even more difficult, even eerie. Another old house, 200 years old to be exact, adds more mystery but otherwise even more interest and attraction to the place.

An outdoor museum showcasing hundreds of terracotta copies of relics from the Sa Huynh and Ec Eo cultures can also be found in the island. The former is said to have existed between 1000BCE and 200CE in Central and Southern Vietnam, while the latter is believed to have flourished in the first to sixth centuries in the Mekong Delta. Some of the relics displayed at the museum are statues of lions, tigers, and elephants; and reliefs covered with human shapes.
Nui Cai Island also boasts of a breathtaking sight of the biggest hydropower dam in Thai Nguyen, 500 meters big to be exact. A theme park is one of the largest attractions in the tourist area with a water park 3.4 hectares big and a one-hectare forest inhabited by monkeys, deer and ostrich. Huyen Thoai Cung (legendary palace), Ba Coy Thong (three pine trees), and The Gioi Co Tich (fairytale world) are artificial caves adorned with artworks on their walls especially made for the visitors which they can see and admire as they pass through aboard boats. The first cave also offers a sort of storytelling of a famous legend through graphic and audio tools.

The Thai Nguyen tourism area has about 200 guest rooms built on hills for a refreshingly different experience for its visitors. Local specialties like giant freshwater fish can be experienced and enjoyed by tourists. Moreover and amazingly, a hotel is even built inside three large statues near Ba Cay Thong cave for an authentic Vietnamese experience.