Tam Dao Three Experiences 1998-2000
About a two-hour drive from Hanoi is the Tam Dao Recreation Center. Tam Dao consists of three mountains (the name means three peaks) and has long been a popular tourist destination for Vietnamese. Although the mountains are less than a kilometer high, the climate changes greatly from Hanoi's near sea level. Especially on hot summer days, many people miss Sunday visits and possibly the new, five-day workweek will give this center an extra boost.
It has been said that in Tam Dao you can experience all four seasons in the summer. In the morning, the freshness of spring, during the day, the heat of summer, in the evening, the coolness of autumn, and at night, you should have proper bedclothes so that you don't freeze.
Visit 1
We visited there for the first time in April 1998. In just over an hour and a half we drive in the direction of Bai Bang and reach the foot of the mountain. Since Tam Dao is an official tourist center, you also have to buy tickets there (20FIM for 2 guests and a car) and then start climbing up.
The drive up gives a familiar atmosphere, as the narrowness of the road and the windings around the slope are very reminiscent of the mountain roads in the Canary Islands.
Since we were not sure about the level of accommodation the first time, we decided to start with just a day trip. And we quickly realized that the journey to the tourism level in Spain is about twenty years away. There are only guesthouses or hotels for locals, which we were not particularly interested in going to. Therefore, we decided to just look around a bit and after a short sightseeing tour we found ourselves at an interesting point where we could get to the TV tower.
We didn't think the trip up would take long. We have done an even longer trip on the Perfume Mountains, but there we didn't go up all the time, but there were always more flat and sometimes downhill. Luckily for us, it started to drizzle, but we still started climbing the stone stairs. The problem was that we didn't know how long it would take.
Maybe half an hour later, Sini said at the larger rest area that it was enough (right-hand picture). He has always had problems with excessive sweating here and now it felt like the humid air wasn't providing enough oxygen for breathing.
Visit 2
About half a year later, we set off again. The weather was a bit better then and we were sure that we would make it all the way to the top. But it wasn't as easy as it was said. After a few stops, the goal always seemed unattainable and in the end, we decided to head back. Just before turning around, we asked the couple going up how far it was. They said they didn't know. Guess how much they told us when we saw them again on the way down. They said it had only been 100 meters.
After returning to the foot of the stairs, Jari was so hungry that we decided to go in search of a delicious meal. While searching, we finally found a typical restaurant hotel (Hu'o'ng So'n or phonetically hyöng sön, some letters in Vietnamese are easy for Finns), where we would probably find something to eat. With the help of Jari's Vietnamese, the hostess took her guests, who were in the best climbing condition, first to the second, then to the third and finally to the fourth floor. Of course, we assumed we would find a roof terrace with a great view, but laughter filled the hotel room doorway. It would have been a quiet room in a hotel that felt empty, but we went back down to look for the menu.
Visit 3
Well, then we went for the third time in March 2000. On the way out, however, our expressions became a bit more serious, when it started to drizzle just before we reached Tam Dao. So far, all the pictures on this page are from this trip, so you don't have to think that we always wear the same clothes.
However, there was no other option but to set off on a journey that would eventually take us up to the top. We took quite a few breaks and finally, just 100 meters after the old rest stop, we came across gates at the end of the stairs that looked like they would be free. And there was reason to celebrate. At the top there was a restaurant and several large satellite dishes. And by some grin they had been taken there, for us at least a helicopter was needed.
The walk back was a real experience. The slippery stairs and the descent made our feet really jelly-like. And luckily we walked hand in hand in many places, because every now and then the other slipped. On the way we also met criminals, illegal loggers. When you look at the following pictures, keep in mind that the stacks of wood weigh 35-50 kilos and are carried 6 kilometers down to the village mainly by women.
Since we only had ourselves to take down, we didn't envy the work of others at all. However, we got down safely and then went to celebrate at Hu'o'ng So's restaurant. Now we didn't walk a single extra step there and ordered something to eat. Although Sini didn't really want anything, the order came with a double portion. Then Jari ate his fill and Sini also nibbled a little. The girl had grown a lot and we felt really good after the work.
On the way down we had to stop for a while because the road was being improved and we were not allowed to drive on soft asphalt. Of course we didn't like it, and Jari went to look for an alternative route. Since he is not yet used to Vietnam, it was difficult to follow in the car.
So all in all, the adventures require three trips to Tam Dao and we consider it quite unlikely that a fourth visit will be required.