Ba Na - Suoi Mo, a new destination for tourists

The Ba Na-Suoi Mo tourist site, often called the ‘Da Lat of the central region,’ has become a magnet for both foreign and domestic tourists.

Situated 1,500 metres above sea level and about 48 kilometre west of the central city of Da Nang, Ba Na has mild weather with temperatures averaging between 17 and 20 degrees Celsius all year round.

Ba Na lies in a small valley with primeval forests containing diverse fauna and flora, including 543 species of flora and 256 species of fauna.

It is considered to be an ideal place for a resort, comparing favorably with Da Lat resort in the central highland province of Lam Dong and with Sa Pa and Tam Dao which are located in the northern provinces of Lao Cai and Vinh Phuc provinces, respectively.

After discovering Ba Na in the late 19^th century, the French built many hotels, villas and sporting grounds in the area. However, much of these works were either destroyed or heavily damaged by the war and also by the region's harsh weather.

At present, restoration work is underway in the Ba Na-Suoi Mo resort to develop it into a modern complete resort composed of hotels, villas, restaurants, tennis courts, and other services. A cable car system was installed to carry visitors from Hill Vong Nguyet to Mount Ba Na.

According to Nguyen Hai, deputy director of the Da Nang city's Tourism Department, tens of billions of Vietnamese dong have been poured into building and upgrading roads as well as electricity and water supply networks. Efforts have also been made to protect the resort's precious natural environment.

The number of tourists coming to Ba Na has been rising steadily in recent years. The resort welcomed more than 30,000 visitors in the first six months of this year.

To lure more visitors, various recreational and sport activities and cultural festivals have been held in the resort.

In addition, measures to protect the environment in the Ba Na-Suoi Mo resort have been strictly performed with the aim of giving visitors a chance to live closely with nature, making the area one of Vietnam's attractive new tourist destinations. (VNA)