Tourism authorities in An Giang Province are exploring ways to include trekking in the Bay Nui Mountain region – a new hotspot for trekkers from across Vietnam – in its tourism strategy.

Bay Nui (Seven Mountains) is a range of small mountains located in Tri Ton and Tinh Bien Districts, An Giang Province, near the border with Cambodia.

At 716 meters above sea level and 7,500 meters in diameter, Cam Mountain is the largest in the Bay Nui mountain range.

The Cam Mountain Tourist Site Management Board and the An Giang Trade and Investment Promotion Center are working together to develop and test sports tourism in the Bay Nui area, which they hope will attract visitors looking for tours that involve walking, sightseeing, and enjoying local cuisine.

Such an initiative has already been tested twice by the Cam Mountain Tourist Site Management Board and the An Giang Trade and Investment Promotion Center. 

One of these tests took place when professional and amateur athletes ran 42-kilometer and 21-kilometer races near the mountains.

About 40 members from the Mekong Delta Runners group participated in the event, which began at 4:00 am and ended at about 6:00 pm.

Phung Ngoc Phuong Giang, a member of the Mekong Delta Runners, said that the event was the sixth time he and the group had run Bay Nui mountain routes, yet each time offered a new experience.

Each time the group plans a run near Bay Nui, they look out for novel, off-the-beaten-path routes that allow them to discover new, natural landscapes.

“The 42-kilometer road trek the team did took me by surprise. I had only ever been able to traverse a short portion of this long path since COVID-19 put a two-year halt to my running," Giang said.

“Because of the many steep sections, the road at Cam Mountain is more difficult to navigate than many other areas I've visited in Da Lat or Cuc Phuong National Park [in northern Ninh Binh Province).

“The picturesque scenery of the Mekong Delta region, such as the rice fields, orchards, and Asian palmyra palms between the rolling hills and mountains impressed me.

“My group will return in the near future to accomplish even greater distances at the 100km milestone.”

According to Le Trung Hieu, director of the An Giang Trade and Investment Promotion Center, Cam Mountain has a lot of potential for developing sports tourism, which is in high demand among tourists these days.

“Following a test run, we will create a trekking route that combines travel, camping, and overnight dining, and is customized to different types of tourists, including school students, college students, officials, white-collar employees, and professional and semi-professional runners," Hieu stated.

“When individuals participate in this new tourism model, safety and helping visitors fully immerse themselves in nature are our highest priority.”

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!