Developing the Ho Chi Minh City - Bu Gia Map National Park tourist route

(BP Portal) - There are many potentials and advantages for exploitation of the Ho Chi Minh City - Bu Gia Map National Park tourist route connecting from National Highway 13 to DT741 through Binh Phuoc province. Departing from Ho Chi Minh City (a metropolis with an abundant number of tourists) and stopping at Bu Gia Map National Park (a famous eco-tourism area of Binh Phuoc), visitors will experience a wide range of emotions at tourist sites with different nuances, such as scenic spots, religious belief establishments, historical sites, hydroelectric projects, and attractive artificial works.

Conclusion No. 384-KL/TU dated June 25, 2022, of Binh Phuoc Provincial Party Committee on tourism development of Binh Phuoc in the 2021-2025 period, with orientation to 2030, has identified the task of focusing on forming tours and tourist routes, and at the same time actively connecting with domestic and international tours and tourist routes. The solution is to create experience, resort, and sports tours combined with sightseeing and public service activities; a time to experience forest ecology, a chance to discover and experience the unique cultural space of the S'tieng and M'nong people. With the above tasks and solutions, the Ho Chi Minh City - Bu Gia Map National Park tourist route can ultimately become the province’s key tourist route.

Tourism is a general economic sector. A complete trip requires numerous factors. In particular, traffic must be convenient, tourist sites on the route must be rich and diverse, satisfying the experience needs of visitors, accommodation facilities must ensure quality and services, and a variety of dining and shopping. Meanwhile, organizing travel agencies and the reception at destinations must be thoughtful.

However, due to the lack of close connection between the parts on the Ho Chi Minh City - Bu Gia Map National Park tourist route, most travel agencies take visitors directly from Ho Chi Minh City to Bu Gia Map National Park, a distance of nearly 300km. The travel time of almost 5 hours makes tourists tired, and the tourist attractions on the route need to receive this number of visitors.

Meanwhile, many tourist sites have different contents on this tourist route along DT741. At Son Ha swiftlet island tourist area in Tan Phu town, Dong Phu district, right at the gateway of Binh Phuoc, visitors will be able to take an energy boat trip around Ba Mu lake and visit the swiftlet island. Then, they can experience health care and treatment according to traditional medicine combined with modern science. After that, they can enjoy nutritious dishes with ingredients raised and grown in the resort, such as yam and deer antler porridge, bird's nests, and lotus seeds sweet gruel. 

On Highway 14, not far from Dong Xoai city, there is a tourist farm of Vinh Phuc Joint Stock Company with primeval forests, a tile-roofed bridge that the Asian Record Organization has recognized, the Son Dang tower, which got recognized as a Vietnamese record, a floating pavilion, Thuy Tien lake, wild zoo, an orchard, and a chicken farm.

In Phu Rieng district, Hung Kings Temple is where tourists stop and offer incense to pay tribute to the merits of the Hung Kings, the founders of the original Vietnamese nation, and learn about legends and beliefs of worshiping the Hung Kings. At My Le eco-tourism area, with more than 70 hectares, visitors will walk around by trams, sightsee and enjoy the cool air with green tea hills, winding roads around the giant crape-myrtle, freshwater mangroves, breadfruit hill, and fruit trees. In addition, visitors can also visit the 9-meter-high statue of Quan Am Buddha, relax on the water surface with swan boats and dragon boats, and walk on monkey bridges silhouetted against the poetic lake.

Regarding spiritual tourism, Ba Son Giang Temple - a provincial historical relic - is the place to show Southern residents' Mother Goddess worshiping beliefs, and Duc Hanh Pagoda is a site with unique architecture with a stone gate that won a Guinness Vietnam record. Both have attracted many visitors from many places to adore and make pilgrimages.

The Ba Ra mountain tourist area is a national historical relic in Phuoc Long town. The Road 14 - Phuoc Long Campaign Museum displays large exhibits, such as C123 aircraft, F5E aircraft, T34, and M48 tanks; pictures and models of the Road 14 - Phuoc Long Campaign as well as the historical tradition of Phuoc Long, including the traditional culture of ethnic groups, Phuoc Long in the resistance war, portraits of Heroic Vietnamese Mothers, Phuoc Long in the period of development and the life of Major General Nguyen Thi Dinh.

Visiting Thac Mo Hydropower, visitors will learn about the process of building the plant, the pipeline system, turbines, and generators. Son Long's eco-tourism area has a 50-year-old ancient orchard, including durian, mangosteen, coconut, and avocado. The Son Long Antiquities Collection includes antique furniture, cars, ceramics, bronze wares, paintings, and ornamental flowers and plants. At Nam Thuong stone spring tourist site, visitors can sightsee natural rock springs, take souvenir photos and enjoy Binh Phuoc's specialties.

The ending point of the route is Bu Gia Map National Park, with unique tourism products, such as returning to the wild, immersing in majestic, primeval, and poetic nature and mountains, as well as visiting the waterfalls of Dak Mai, Dak Bo, Dak Con, Dak Ka, Luu Ly, Dak P'Rak, Dak Sam, Dak Manh, and the Skylight. In addition, visitors can also visit 39 Vietnamese heritage trees and border landmark 62, experience bathing in streams, and sleep in the forest. Visiting the extended house area and the unique culture of the S'tieng people and sightseeing pine hill, the wildlife rescue area, and the end of the oil pipeline from the North to the South during the war against the US are also experiences that visitors can enjoy here.

With diverse and rich attractions located on the nearly 300km-long tourist route, these are the stops for tourists to rest, learn and experience on the journey to Bu Gia Map National Park and feel different travel emotions.

Despite this, this tourist route has yet to become vibrant and attractive due to the lack of connections between travel agencies and tourist attractions. To overcome the above limitations, the local tourism promotion and management agencies must actively act as a bridge to connect travel agencies, tourist attractions, dining, and shopping spots into a complete tourist route to fully satisfy the tourist's entertainment and relaxation needs, learning, and experience. If this premise can get conducted, the Ho Chi Minh City - Bu Gia Map National Park tourist route will become the province's key tourist route, attracting visitors from Ho Chi Minh City, a huge tourist market. This income can contribute to fulfilling the province's goal of welcoming 1.7 million tourists by 2025./.