TAM ĐẢO

The touristic site of Tam Đảo lies on the range of mountains which bears the same name, bordering the Northern side of the plain of Bắc Bộ. This mountain range stretches along 50 km in the Northwest-Southeast direc¬tion on the territory of two provinces: Thái Nguyên and Vĩnh Phúc. Tam Đảo is not far from Nội Bài International Airport and lies on National Highway N°2 that runs towards Hùng Temple and, Việt Bắc. If you take the route Hanoi-Vĩnh Yên (53 km) and turn right to go northward to Tam Đảo (24 km's distance), the total distance from Hanoi to Tam Đảo is 77 km. The appellation “Tam Đảo” (three islands) is due to the fact that the range of mountains has three highest mounts: Thiên Thị, Thạch Bàn and Phú Nghĩa. From afar they look like three islands emerging from a sea of clouds.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the area on the Southern side of this mountain range was turned into a resort. This is a valley surrounded on all sides by rocky mountains. The valley is at an altitude of 900 m, crossed by a stream called Bạc which supplies water to two swimming-pools constructed in the centre of the resort area and falls down through cracks into an abyss, forming the Bạc Waterfall. From a height of 40 m, the falling water erodes the mountain walls and makes white foam similar to myriads of silver particles.
The climate in Tam Đảo is temperate and the average temperature there is 10°c lower than that in Hanoi. In the hottest day, the maximal temperature never exceeds 27°c. Clouds float here and there and sometimes come into your rooms through the windows. The streams meander under the green pine- trees. Tam Đảo abounds in plants and flowers of temperate climate. There, you can see many bamboo suspension bridges over streams and abysses. Each day in this area, you can experience the climate of the four seasons. In the morning, it is rather cold like spring. At noon, it is hot enough for a bath in the Bạc Stream. The afternoon is like autumn and you have to put on some warm coats. At night, the temperature is like that of winter and you must cover yourself with a thick blanket while sleeping.
Tam Đảo is endowed with a lot of beautiful landscapes: the romantic combination of forests, streams and mountains; clouds driven by the wind; the sounds of the cascades echo far and wide, mingled with the songs of forest birds.

In Tam Đảo, there is a 19,000 ha-national park. Its forest resources are very diverse with 620 species of trees of woody and herbal families, 40% of which are oak-trees and beech trees. In particular, you can find here, as at Sapa1, the pơtììii considered a precious timber.
There are as many as 120 species of bird, mots of them are insectivorous and thus they contribute efficiently to the protection of forests. There are many kinds of pet birds with colourful feathers, such as oriole, sơìi tiêu, spotted pheasants, or those with melodious singing such as nightingales, laughing thrushes. Here, you can also find many other species with high economic value or worth hunting such as grouses, francolins, pheasants, spotted doves.
Wild beasts count about 45 species including such rare animals as tigers, panthers, bears, flying squirrels, black weasels, gibbons, a variety of apes, etc. Visitors can come across muntjacs, boars, antelopes, civets and so on.
Tam Đảo is a good resort for the people in Hanoi and the neighbouring towns to stay in .summer and to spend their weekends. It has all conditions necessary for the development of mountain tourism.
Now Tam Đảo chiefly serves as a summer holiday tourist site. As a result, the activities there have a clear seasonal character. Certainly, during their stay, visitors can enjoy the pleasure of visiting the Bạc Waterfall and the television tower, climbing Thiên Thị (Heaven Market) Mount, walking in the National Park, and buying small wild beasts such as tortoises, hedgehogs, squirrels, etc. for souvenirs.