Bong Lai Valley
Bong Lai Valley is a fantastic rural valley interspersed with farms and small villages. There are now a number of attractions in the Valley making it a great relaxing day or half day out in the countryside. Places to visit include the Pub With Cold beer, Duckstop and Bong Lai Swing Nature Farm to name few.
The Bong Lai Valley is best seen on a bicycle or motorbike or it is a 12km round trip walking. Easy-rider style on the back of a bike with a licensed driver for a stress free and safe way to travel is also a great option..
There are no entrance fees to any places in Bong Lai Valley. It is best seen during the day so that you can return before it gets dark.
Pub with Cold Beer
This is the original watering spot in the valley for thirsty tourists. They opened in unison with the Farmstay in 2010 and were named for the fact that at the time, cold beer was pretty much nonexistent between the original DMZ Bar in Pham Ngu Lao St Hue and Bars of the old 1/4 in Ha Noi. Yes, a long ride between drinks it was. Well cold ones, anyway.
As advertised, cold beer, and most of what you eat there is grown in the village. A very “Farm to Table Affair.”
Chicken is the specialty of this lively establishment, with chicken is so fresh that when you arrive it will still be scratching around the veggie patch! While you wait for your lunch to cook you can rent a tube off them and float down the river. Just lie in a hammock with a cold beer or you can get as involved as you like with the preparation of your chicken, even catching and slaughtering the poultry yourself. The “Pub with Cold Beer” has been praised by foodie writers in publications including the “Huffington Post”, London’s “The Guardian” Newspaper and the “New York Times” travel sections.
Bong Lai Swing Nature Farm
If you want to get further off the beaten track, head a few more adventurous kilometres down the dirt track of Bong Lai valley from the “Pub with Cold Beer” to the Bong Lai Swing Nature Farm. In the same spirit of the pub with cold beer, they serve cold beer and delicious freshly cooked pork and other options, but in a more rural setting with views over the river. This is a great spot to swim or hang out in the huge Vietnamese house that Mr Cuong and his family have built. Past this location lies endless wilderness. It’s the end of the road.
