Thanh Hoa has an area of ​​over 11,000 km2, the 5th largest in the country, a 102 km long coastline with many different ecological zones. This is an area that develops many types of tourism such as exploration, resort, spirituality.

Beautiful season
Thanh Hoa has two distinct seasons. The hot season starts from May to October, with strong sunshine, heavy rain and often storms and floods, with an average temperature of 38-40 degrees Celsius. The cold season is from November to April, often with the Northeast monsoon, little rain and dry at the beginning of the season. The lowest temperature can drop to 2 degrees Celsius.

The best time to travel to Thanh Hoa is from March to August. Summer is suitable for visiting famous beaches. Autumn, the weather is cool, suitable for vacations. At this time, the number of tourists also decreases, service prices are more stable than the peak season.

Transportation
Thanh Hoa is about 160 km from Hanoi along National Highway 1A and more than 1,400 km from Ho Chi Minh City. Visitors can get there by many means such as train, motorbike, bus or plane, depending on the departure location.

The price of Thong Nhat train tickets from Hanoi ranges from 140,000 to 280,000 VND per ticket depending on the seat class and type of train. This is a way to save money and enjoy the scenery along the way.

There are many bus companies operating from Hanoi to Thanh Hoa. Visitors can buy tickets at My Dinh or Giap Bat bus stations with prices ranging from 150,000 VND to 200,000 VND per ticket.

If using a private car from Hanoi to Thanh Hoa, there are two routes: National Highway 1A Hanoi - Ninh Binh - Thanh Hoa or Phap Van - Cau Gie - Ninh Binh - Thanh Hoa expressway. From the end of April 2023, the Mai Son - National Highway 54 connecting the two provinces of Ninh Binh - Thanh Hoa will help travel from Hanoi to about 2 hours.

Ho Chi Minh City is more than 1,400 km from Thanh Hoa. For visitors from the southern provinces, airplanes are the most convenient means of transportation, landing at Tho Xuan airport. Round-trip tickets of Vietnam Airlines, Bamboo Airways, Vietjet Air are about 2-3 million VND, flight time is nearly 2 hours.

To travel to the city center, visitors can take a taxi, a shuttle bus or a bus. The three largest taxi companies are Mai Linh, MeKong and Taxi 36. In addition, Thanh Hoa also has local buses.

Accommodation
Some hotels located in the center of Thanh Hoa city are Muong Thanh Grand Hotel, Melia Vinpearl Thanh Hoa, Phu Hung Hotel, Central Hotel, Phuong Hoang Hotel... From here, it is easy to travel to tourist destinations in the city center. Average room rates range from 600,000 VND to over 1 million VND per night.

Hotels and motels at some beaches and tourist areas are more expensive. In Sam Son, if you are looking for a place to stay near the sea with a nice view, you can refer to the hotel, resort and private villa system at FLC, Van Chai resort; in Hai Tien there are Paracel resort, Moonlight Hotel, Hai Tien resort, Eureka Linh Truong; in Bai Dong there is Nghi Son Eco Island... Room rates range from 800,000 VND to about 4 million VND per night.

In addition, visitors can also choose budget motels in the city center or districts, with full basic amenities. Motel prices in Thanh Hoa are about 300,000 VND per night or more.

The only golf course in Thanh Hoa province.

Where to go
Thanh Hoa has rich tourism resources with many scenic spots, historical sites, beaches, primeval forests, cave systems and limestone mountains spread across the districts of the province and many famous festivals.

A famous tourist destination in Thanh Hoa is Sam Son beach. Every year, the beach attracts a large number of tourists, especially during the April 30 holiday and summer.

In addition, Thanh Hoa has many other famous destinations.

Hai Tien Beach

Located about 15 km northeast of Thanh Hoa city center, Hai Tien has a long coastline, clean sand, and pristine scenery but the infrastructure is quite modern, with convenient services, suitable for relaxation. Visitors can participate in many activities on the beach, enjoy fresh seafood or experience a cruise, visit some places such as Ne island, Linh Truong mountain, Lach Hoi, Con Truong.

Bai Dong Beach

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Bai Dong. Photo: Manh Tien Khoi

Dong Beach is a destination in Tinh Gia district, about 40 km southeast of Thanh Hoa city. The sea here is quite calm, suitable for swimming and participating in water activities. Dong Beach has a long coastline, surrounded by high mountains, rocky cliffs, pristine and peaceful scenery, not as crowded as Sam Son or Hai Tien beaches. This is a suitable place for camping overnight, watching the sunrise. Dong Beach also has many bungalows and restaurants.

Hai Hoa Beach

Hai Hoa Beach is about 45 km south of Thanh Hoa city, near Nghe An. Hai Hoa beach and resort is peaceful with a pristine beach, clear water, calm waves, and long sandy beach. At dawn, Hai Hoa beach is bustling with fishermen pulling nets to harvest seafood. This is also a place for visitors to enjoy fresh and delicious dishes at affordable prices. Hon Me island can be seen from this beach. However, the services here are not as rich as other places in Thanh Hoa.

Ben En National Park

Ben En National Park. Photo: Nguyen A

Known as "Ha Long of Thanh Hoa", Ben En National Park has many activities for visitors to choose from such as rowing, swimming, diving to explore the riverbed, camping on the shore, fishing, exploring Ngoc Cave with many limestone sediments, stalactites or visiting Ben En Museum with many preserved antiquities and historical relics. Ben En National Park also owns a diverse ecosystem, with 300 valuable medicinal herbs and many rare animals such as red-eyed monkeys, ground phoenixes.

Pu Luong Nature Reserve

Pu Luong in the ripe rice season. Photo: Tuan Dao

A nature reserve with a total area of ​​over 17,500 hectares, Pu Luong is located at an altitude of 1,700 m, with cool weather, fresh air and a landscape close to nature. Pu Luong has two ripe rice seasons in May and October every year, attracting many tourists. Coming to Pu Luong, visitors can conquer Pu Luong peak, visit Hieu village famous for Hieu stream, where tree roots in the stream are calcified into stone, Tom village, Don village, Bat cave...

Ham Rong historical and cultural relic site

Located about 3 km from the center of Thanh Hoa city, Ham Rong historical and cultural relic site has a total area of ​​560 hectares, including scenic spots, revolutionary historical relics, cultural and spiritual works such as Ham Rong bridge, Ham Rong mountain, Tien Son cave, Long Quang cave, Ngoc mountain, Canh Tien mountain, Dong Son ancient village, Truc Lam Ham Rong Zen Monastery. There are also mysterious natural landscapes with a complex of mountains and caves.

Cam Luong divine fish stream

Cam Luong divine fish stream eco-tourism area is located in the west, about 80 km from the center of Thanh Hoa city, along Ho Chi Minh road. The Holy Fish Stream originates from the water source in the Bo Um limestone mountain in the Truong Sinh mountain range, only about 150 m long but is home to thousands of natural fish of all sizes and colors. The stream water never dries up, the deepest water level in the rainy season is from 50 to 80 cm, almost always clear. The best time to visit the Cam Luong Holy Fish Stream is from April to September when the water level is at its highest, seeing many fish swimming.

Ho Dynasty Citadel

NHA HO Citadel

About 45 km from the center of Thanh Hoa City, Ho Dynasty Citadel is the capital of Dai Ngu (the national name of Vietnam during the Ho Dynasty) built by Ho Quy Ly in 1397. Visitors can admire the massive citadel, built entirely of stone blocks, some of which weigh more than two tons. The stone citadel is recognized by UNESCO as a world cultural heritage, and is one of the few remaining stone citadels in the world.

Lam Kinh Historical Site

Lam Kinh relic site belongs to Lam Son cultural space, an ancient land, dating back to the time of Hung Vuong's founding of the country. Lam Kinh is the cradle of the Le Dynasty, built by King Le Loi in 1428. The ancient capital Lam Kinh is famous for its "mountain-facing-water" feng shui architecture, surrounded by Dau Mountain, Chua Mountain, Huong Mountain, and the clear Ngoc River flowing around, with areas of palaces, temples, tombs, walking areas... Lam Kinh is an architectural art system with tombs, steles, temples, shrines and many surrounding relics. This is one of the most intact structures, helping history-loving tourists learn more about the Later Le Dynasty of Vietnam.

THAI MIEU NHA LE

Le Dynasty Temple. Photo: Le Hoang

Located 2 km from the city center, in Dong Ve ward, Thanh Hoa city is the Later Le Dynasty Temple (also known as the Le Dynasty Temple), a place to worship 27 Emperors of the Le Dynasty, the Queen Mother and the Princes of the Later Le Dynasty, including two founding heroes Nguyen Trai and Le Lai. The temple still preserves many valuable original artifacts.

The Later Le Dynasty Temple was originally built in Lam Kinh (Tho Xuan district), then moved to Thang Long with the name Hoang Duc palace. In 1805, King Gia Long ordered the Later Le Dynasty Temple to be moved to Bo Ve village. In addition to sightseeing and learning about history, visitors also have the opportunity to explore the ancient architecture and sculptures typical of the Later Le Dynasty.

Specialties
Nem chua

Nem chua Thanh Hoa. Photo: Vu Thuan Khuyen

Nem chua is the most famous specialty of Thanh Hoa, with many types such as long, square, nem coi, nem thinh, nem nuong. The ingredients for making nem chua are sliced ​​pork skin, lean rump, rice bran, wrapped with galangal leaves or guava leaves and other spices. Nem chua is often dipped in chili sauce. Nem has the crunchiness of pork skin, a light sour taste after fermentation, the spiciness of chili and garlic and the sweetness of meat.

Shrimp cake

The right shrimp cake must be grilled over charcoal. Photo: Thanh Flavor

Shrimp cake is a rustic dish of Thanh Hoa. The cake filling is made from fresh, finely ground shrimp, minced pork belly, dried onions and chopped rice noodles, seasoned with spices and gac oil for color. After being pre-processed, the filling is wrapped in small rice noodles the size of the palm of the hand, clamped in fresh bamboo splints or placed on a charcoal grill.

Shrimp cake is often eaten with pickled vegetables, raw vegetables and diluted fish sauce. The sweet and fatty taste of the shrimp filling combined with the mild sourness of the pickled vegetables and a little bit of spiciness from fresh chili and raw vegetables creates a new flavor for diners from far away.

Shrimp pancake

Thanh Hoa pancake is made from ingredients such as rice flour, chopped celery, shredded cabbage, green onions and especially fresh river shrimp, processed in a deep cast iron pan. This cake is eaten with fish sauce and pickled vegetables made from papaya, carrots and figs. With a thin, crispy crust and the sweet taste of vegetables and the rich taste of shrimp. Thanh Hoa shrimp pancake is considered easy to eat and can be eaten without feeling full.

Thanh Hoa rolled rice cake

Thanh Hoa rice rolls. Photo: Do ​​Trang

Thanh Hoa rice rolls are different from rice rolls in the northern provinces, because the filling is made from sea shrimp and fried onions. Thanh Hoa people often use bamboo tubes as big as a plow to get the rice rolls instead of thin bamboo sticks like in other places. Thanh Hoa rice rolls also have many other variations, the most popular is the rice rolls without filling, cut into cylinders, sprinkled with fried onions, eaten hot with fish sauce or with eel porridge, which Thanh Hoa people liken to "twisted breadsticks" eaten with Hanoi pho. The rice rolls are eaten with local fish sauce and sausage, with added black pepper and chili.

Nga Son eel salad

Eel salad is a specialty of Nga Son region. Eel is a type of slippery fish, long, strong and aggressive, often living in brackish water. After cleaning the slime, peeling the skin and removing the bones, the meat is squeezed with galangal and lemongrass. When eaten, it is mixed with rice bran.

The soul of eel salad is the sauce made from crushed fish bones mixed with pork belly, fermented rice, chicken eggs and spices and cooked. The finished sauce will be orange-red in color, with a special consistency and flavor. Eels are difficult to catch and the preparation process is elaborate. Thanh Hoa people often roll fig leaves into a funnel shape, put eel salad in, pour the sauce, add shallots, rice paper, shrimp paste and enjoy.

Banh rang bua

Banh rang bua. Photo: Pham Cuc

Banh rang bua is known as a royal specialty in many districts such as Vinh Loc and Tho Xuan. The cake is wrapped in dong or banana leaves, the shell is made from rice flour, and the filling includes pork shoulder, wood ear, onion, and pepper. The cake is cooked by boiling or steaming, and served with pure fish sauce mixed with lemon, chili, or northern pepper. Banh rang bua is best eaten hot. Peel off the leaves, revealing the green color from the leaves that naturally permeates the outer layer of the cake. The hot cake will have the aroma of onion fat, the sweet taste mixed with the rich taste of the filling.

Banh gai tu tru

The ingredients that create the unique flavor of the cake are the gai leaves, along with sticky rice flour and molasses, creating a characteristic black cake shell. The cake filling is made from the main ingredients of sugar, green beans, grated coconut, and banana oil. The banana leaves used to wrap banh gai are dried banana leaves that have aged naturally on the tree, which are tough and give the cake a fragrant smell. The combination of the soft, chewy taste of sticky rice, the fragrant taste of mung bean filling and the sweetness of molasses creates the unique flavor of this cake.

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