Nghe An, Vietnam: The Hidden Gem with Beaches, Mountains, and Untouched Nature

💁‍♂️💁‍♀️ “When people travel in Vietnam, the classic route is Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, Sapa, Ha Giang, and maybe Ninh Binh, right?”

Everyone, could you please move your eyes just a little further down on the map?

There it is — Nghe An Province.

To be honest, Nghe An is not the kind of place that first comes to mind as a tourist destination.

But did you know this? Nghe An is actually called “a miniature version of Vietnam.” After the provincial reorganization on July 1, 2025, it became the third largest province in Vietnam, though it was already known as a very large province before that.

Nghe An has the sea, the mountains, and a national park. It is home to ethnic minorities such as the Thai and Hmong people. It has traditional culture, delicious local food, and many historical sites connected to important national heroes. In other words, Nghe An is like a collection of everything that makes Vietnam special.

The problem is that it is a little far from Hanoi. Because of that, not many people visit, and there is still not much travel information available. You can hardly find it in major guidebooks, travel magazines, or tourism websites. As a result, many people still do not know how attractive this province really is.

So this time, as a true Nghe An lover who actually lives here and has traveled around the province, I would like to introduce three great things you can do in Nghe An.

I especially recommend it for people who are tired of the usual tourist spots, people who want a satisfying short trip, and people who love photography.

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Contents

• 1. Enjoy the mountains, the sea, the national park, and great nature
• Pu Mat National Park | A Natural Highlight of Nghe An Province
• Cua Lo Beach | A Beach Resort with Fresh Seafood and White Sand
• Thanh Chuong Tea Island | A Scenic Spot with Tea Islands on a Lake
• Muong Long | The “Sapa of Nghe An,” a Misty Village in the Highlands
• 2. Feel the history of Vietnam’s independence and revolution
• Kim Lien Village | The Birthplace of Ho Chi Minh
• Phan Boi Chau | A Vietnamese Revolutionary Connected to Japan
• Nghe-Tinh Soviet Movement | An Important Event in Vietnam’s Independence Movemen
• King Quang Trung and Vinh | The Legacy of a National Hero in Nghe An
• 3. A Rich Mix of Traditional Culture and Ethnic Minority Life
• Recommended Travel Itineraries in Nghe An
• 2 Days / 1 Night | History + Beach
• 2 Days / 1 Night | History + Tea Hills + National Park
• Need Help Planning?
• How to Get to Nghe An (Vinh City)
• By plane
• By bus
• By train
• Traveling to Laos from Nghe An
• Final Thoughts

1. Enjoy the mountains, the sea, the national park, and beautiful nature

Nghe An is full of nature-based travel spots. These include Pu Mat National Park, one of the most biodiverse national parks in Vietnam, Cua Lo Beach, known for its calm and shallow sea, Thanh Chuong Tea Islands, where tea-covered islands float on a lake, and Muong Long, a highland village called “the Sapa of Nghe An,” where you can look down on the clouds.

If you use Vinh City, the provincial capital, as your base, many of these places can be visited as day trips.

Pu Mat National Park | A Natural Highlight of Nghe An Province

Pu Mat National Park (Vườn Quốc gia Pù Mát) is especially popular in summer, from April to September. One of its main highlights is Khe Kem Waterfall (Thác Khe Kèm), where water falls from a height of 150 meters.

In the pool below the waterfall, there are doctor fish. If you step into the water with bare feet, they quickly gather around you and gently eat the dead skin on your feet.

Click here for a complete guide to visiting Pù Mát National Park, including things to do and how to get there!

https://koheinruralvietnam.blogspot.com/2026/04/pu-mat-national-park-nghe-an-vietnam.html

Cua Lo Beach | A Beach Resort with Fresh Seafood and White Sand

Cua Lo Beach (Bãi biển Cửa Lò) is one of the beach resorts in Nghe An where tourism development started relatively early, so it is easy to find a place to stay. It is known for its long stretch of white sand and its calm, shallow sea. In summer, the beach becomes very lively with many local tourists.

The seafood here is also highly recommended. My personal favorites are grilled mackerel, squid, and crab.

The squid in Cua Lo is especially famous for its freshness. It is even called “mực nháy,” which means “jumping squid.”

There is a cable car at the beach that takes you to an offshore island with a theme park.

The best season is from May to August, but March to April and September to October are also good because there are fewer people.

https://koheinruralvietnam.blogspot.com/2026/08/cua-lo-beach-nghe-an-vietnam.html

Thanh Chuong Tea Island | A Scenic Spot with Tea Islands on a Lake

Another beautiful natural spot is Thanh Chuong Tea Islands (Đảo chè Thanh Chương). This area was once flooded after the construction of an agricultural dam. Only the small hills remained above the water, and tea was planted on them. As a result, the landscape looks very unique, with small tea-covered islands floating on the lake.

You can join a boat tour to visit the islands, and at the tea house on one of the islands, you can enjoy a cup of tea.

Vietnamese visitors sometimes even enjoy karaoke parties on the boat.

https://koheinruralvietnam.blogspot.com/2026/08/thanh-chuong-tea-islands-nghe-an-vietnam.html

Muong Long | The “Sapa of Nghe An,” a Misty Village in the Highlands

For something a little different, I also recommend Muong Long (Mường Lống). 

This highland village lies near the border and feels almost like Laos. It is located at an altitude of about 1,500 meters.

To get there, you need to travel for about five hours from Vinh City, crossing mountains and valleys along the way. The village is known for its dreamy atmosphere. Because it is often covered in mist, you can sometimes look down on the clouds. When I visited, it was also surrounded by fog.

The Hmong people live in this village, and some of them run homestays and resorts. While they have accepted parts of modern life, they still keep many of their traditional customs.

https://koheinruralvietnam.blogspot.com/2026/08/muong-long-nghe-an-vietnam.html

2. Feel the history of Vietnam’s independence and revolution

History lovers, this part is for you. When people talk about revolution in Vietnam, Nghe An is one of the most important places to remember.

Taken during the Ho Chi Minh birthday festival

Nghe An is known as one of the regions with the harshest climate in Vietnam. In summer, hot dry winds blow in from Laos, and in winter, it can be surprisingly cold. Perhaps because of this difficult environment, people from Nghe An are often said to be hardworking, patient, and strongly ambitious, even when they come from poor backgrounds.

During the imperial period, Nghe An produced many people who passed the imperial examination, which was extremely difficult. Later, during the French colonial period, it also produced many nationalists who joined anti-colonial movements.

Kim Lien Village | The Birthplace of Ho Chi Minh

The greatest historical figure from Nghe An is probably Ho Chi Minh, the founding father of modern Vietnam.

It is featured on the 500,000 VND banknote.

Ho Chi Minh was born in 1890 in Kim Lien Village in Nghe An Province. He spent his childhood in poverty and lived in a simple house with a thatched roof. In fact, the house where he spent his early years is printed on the back of the 500,000 VND banknote.

His father, Nguyen Sinh Sac, was a poor Confucian scholar, and because of this influence, Ho Chi Minh is said to have studied Chinese classics such as the Analects at home from a young age.

Nghe An was also one of the areas that suffered most under French colonial exploitation and corruption. From childhood, Ho Chi Minh came to carry a strong anger toward colonial rule and a deep wish for his country’s independence.

When you visit Kim Lien Village, you can see the village where Ho Chi Minh was born and raised, preserved as a historical site. There is also a museum complex, which is a great place to learn more about his life and history.

https://koheinruralvietnam.blogspot.com/2026/08/ho-chi-minh-birthplace-kim-lien-village.html

Phan Boi Chau | A Vietnamese Revolutionary Connected to Japan

In addition, another famous revolutionary from Nghệ An was Phan Boi Chau, who can be seen as an earlier revolutionary leader than Ho Chi Minh. 

He led the Dong Du Movement, which encouraged Vietnamese students to study in Japan, a country that had successfully modernized at that time, in order to seek independence from French colonial rule. In 1925, he was arrested by the French authorities in Shanghai and sent back to Vietnam by force. After that, he spent the rest of his life under house arrest in Hue. His writings, such as History of the Loss of Vietnam, had a strong influence on intellectuals of that time and helped inspire Vietnamese national consciousness. At the Phan Boi Chau Memorial House, visitors can see a restored version of his birthplace and learn about his achievements.

Nghe-Tinh Soviet Movement | An Important Event in Vietnam’s Independence Movemen

Nghe An has also played an important role in Vietnamese history in many other ways. One example is the Nghe Tinh Soviet Movement of 1930. 

Armed French soldiers can be seen in the background on the right, while local people holding sickles, hoes, and bamboo spears are shown on the left.
(At the Nghệ Tĩnh Soviet Museum)

Farmers and workers, who could no longer endure the harsh exploitation of French colonial rule, rose up together. They attacked the local puppet government and made it unable to function. For a short time, they even established a form of self-government by the people. It is said that they also created systems for education and self-defense. In the end, the movement was brutally suppressed by the French colonial government, but it became famous around the world as one of the earliest and most passionate movements in the history of Vietnam’s independence struggle.

Many political prisoners were held inside the prison at Vinh Ancient Citadel in Vinh City, where they were tortured and harshly interrogated, and many of them are said to have died there.

The old Nghe An Ancient Citadel

The present-day Nghệ An Ancient Citadel

Today, the hexagonal outer moat and gate still remain. Inside the citadel area, there are the Nghe An Museum and the Nghe Tinh Soviet Museum.

King Quang Trung and Vinh | The Legacy of a National Hero in Nghe An

Going further back in history, in the late 18th century, the heroic leader Quang Trung (Nguyễn Huệ), who reunified Vietnam after a civil war and defeated foreign enemies such as the Qing army, planned to make Vinh City, the capital of Nghệ An Province, the new capital of the country. In the end, this plan was never realized because Quang Trung died. However, his achievements still remain deeply respected in the hearts of the people of Nghệ An, and on Quyết Mountain in Vinh City, there is a temple dedicated to him called Đền Thờ Vua Quang Trung.

It is a solemn temple filled with the scent of incense.

Here is the most detailed travel guide to Vinh City you will find — check it out from the link below!

https://koheinruralvietnam.blogspot.com/2026/04/vinh-city-nghe-an-vietnam-travel-guide.html

3. A Rich Mix of Traditional Culture and Ethnic Minority Life

Nghe An is a place where many traditional cultures and ethnic minority ways of life still remain today. Along the coast, it is common to see people riding round basket boats as they go out fishing.

In the mountain areas, Thai and Hmong communities still live while preserving many parts of their traditional way of life. One of the great charms of Nghệ An is that you can experience their culture not only as something to see, but also as something to touch and feel.

At Cua Lo Beach

Open-air firing in a traditional clay pot village

A celebration of the Thai people. The large jar in the center contains ruou can, a traditional jar wine.

For example, many ethnic minority groups still use their own languages, such as Thai and Hmong, in daily life and continue to pass down their culture. Even today, some people still live in stilt houses, and traditional festivals are still celebrated.

When it comes to food, their tables are filled with simple but attractive dishes, such as colored sticky rice, rice cooked in bamboo tubes with its natural aroma, and meals made from ingredients gathered from the mountains and rivers.

Looks delicious!(at homestay in Con Cuong, Thai village)

Their handicrafts are also very attractive. For example, some traditional Thai textiles include patterns of animals woven into the cloth. Because this kind of work takes a lot of time and skill, the number of artisans is decreasing. However, in some weaving villages, these techniques are still being quietly preserved.

In Hoa Tien Village

Life in these communities is also gradually becoming more modern. At the same time, they are adopting some elements of the lifestyle of the Kinh people, Vietnam’s majority ethnic group, while continuing to keep a balance between tradition and modern life.

For travelers, this is a place full of discoveries. The best way to experience this culture closely is through a homestay. Staying with a Thai or Hmong family gives you a kind of human warmth that you cannot get by only visiting tourist sites. Their spirit of hospitality is very strong, and it makes the journey feel much deeper. To be honest, I have lost count of how many times I got completely drunk in the villages...

Recommended Travel Itineraries in Nghe An

2 Days / 1 Night | History + Beach

Day 1

• Morning: Vinh City → Kim Lien Village (Ho Chi Minh’s birthplace)
• Lunch: Local food in Vinh City
  
• Afternoon–Evening: Travel to Cua Lo Beach, enjoy fresh seafood and a walk around the port town　→ Stay overnight at Cua Lo Beach

Notes:

• You can take a Grab or Xanh SM from Vinh to Kim Lien Village.
• It is difficult to find a taxi around Kim Lien, so it is best to ask your driver to wait for you.
• You can also visit both Ho Chi Minh’s paternal and maternal houses before returning to Vinh.
• You can travel to Cua Lo Beach by Grab or taxi.

Day 2

• Morning: Walk along Cua Lo Beach, visit the local market (you may also see fishing activities)
• Midday: Take a cable car to Hon Ngu Island (Đảo Song Ngư), if time allows
• Afternoon–Evening: Return to Vinh → Visit Vinh Ancient Citadel / museum / Ho Chi Minh Square → Buy Cu Do (local sweets) as souvenirs

Cu Do

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2 Days / 1 Night | History + Tea Hills + National Park

Day 1

• Morning: Vinh City → Kim Lien Village (Ho Chi Minh’s birthplace)
• Late Morning: Explore Kim Lien Village
• Afternoon: Visit Thanh Chuong Tea Hills → Take a boat ride and have lunch nearby
• Evening: Travel to Con Cuong (home to Pu Mat National Park)

→ Stay at a Thai ethnic homestay (local food & traditional performances require reservation)
→ Hotels are also available if you prefer (e.g., Muong Thanh Hotel)

Notes:

• The easiest way to travel (Vinh → Kim Lien → Tea Hills → Con Cuong) is to hire a private taxi.
• See our guide below for how to get to Con Cuong.

Day 2

• Morning–Afternoon: Visit Khe Kem Waterfall in Pu Mat National Park
  (Optional: museum or wildlife rescue center)
• Afternoon–Evening: Return to Vinh → Visit city attractions → Buy souvenirs such as Cu Do

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Need Help Planning?

There are many ways to explore Nghe An!
If you have any questions or need help planning your trip, feel free to contact us anytime.

How to Get to Nghe An (Vinh City)

From Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City, you can travel by plane, bus, or train.

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✈️ By Plane

• Hanoi → Vinh: about 40 minutes
• Ho Chi Minh City → Vinh: about 2 hours

→ Fast and perfect for a weekend trip

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🚌 By Bus

• Hanoi → Vinh: about 5–6 hours
• You can book easily on platforms like Vexere or 12Go

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🚆 By Train

• Hanoi → Vinh: about 5.5–7.5 hours
• Overnight trains are a good option (arrive in the morning)
• 
  

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Traveling to Laos 🇱🇦 from Nghe An

You can also cross into Laos via National Route 7A.
From Vinh City, buses are available to Xiangkhouang Province.

It’s not uncommon to see international travelers cycling between Laos and Vietnam through this route.

Final Thoughts

What do you think? Doesn’t Nghe An feel like a place full of everything that makes Vietnam special?

I hope this guide made you want to visit Nghe An.

There is still not much information available, but that’s part of the adventure.

If you have any questions about traveling here, feel free to contact me anytime!

Contact >>> 【FB】Kohei Unoki　【IG】unoki1222

See you!