Cao Bang is a market town in the far northeast of Vietnam, hemmed in by limestone mountains and only a short distance from the Chinese border. The Bang Giang River winds through the town, and beyond it a landscape of karst pinnacles, caves and rice terraces stretches in every direction. It is a quiet provincial capital, home to Tay, Nung and Hmong people, with a bustling covered market and food stalls serving the local specialties, including roast duck, rice-paper rolls and sticky rice with colored dyes.
History here is deep and political. In 1941, after thirty years abroad, Ho Chi Minh returned to Vietnam through a cave at Pac Bo, in the hills near the border, and used the cave as a base to organize the independence movement. The site, with its stream, rock table and surrounding forest, is now a national monument. Earlier, the Mac dynasty, driven from Hanoi, held out in Cao Bang for decades in the late sixteenth century. The area is now a UNESCO Global Geopark, recognized for its geology and limestone landscape.
The big attraction is the Ban Gioc waterfall, about eighty kilometers northeast, where the Quay Son River tumbles in broad tiers over limestone steps, forming the border with China. It is among the largest waterfalls in the world to straddle an international border, and the best time to see it is September and October, when water is high and the rice fields around are golden. Nearby, the Nguom Ngao cave is a vast, lit cavern of stalactites. The road there runs through karst scenery, with pointed hills rising from the paddies, and gentle curves along the river.
Cao Bang has fuel, food and several hotels, and the roads are generally decent but narrow, with trucks, motorbikes and animals, so slow down for corners. The mountain passes on the road from Hanoi, long and winding, can be misty and slippery. The best months are September to November, with clear skies and mild weather, and spring, when the hills are green. Summer is hot, wet and prone to landslides, and winter brings cold, damp fog. Carry some cash, as card payment is rare, and do not ride at night if you can help it.