Authorities of Khanh Hoa Province, south-central Vietnam, have approved a plan to pilot tours to Hon Ba Mountain peak, where travelers can visit attractions in the Hon Ba Natural Reserve and a national historical relic – the house and office of Swiss-French doctor Alexandre Yersin, built around 110 years ago.

The pilot plan will be implemented for three months before official trips to the peak of Hon Ba Mountain, located in Cam Lam District, can be launched based on the trial results, the Khanh Hoa administration said in a recent dispatch.

The provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development should direct the coordination between the management board of Hon Ba Nature Reserve and concerned agencies and businesses to design tours for travelers to explore the mount peak on the occasion of the Tet (Lunar New Year) break that has started from Thursday, the document said.

Organizers of trial trips are required to ask tourists to comply with the nature reserve’s regulations while visiting destinations.  

The results of the implementation of the trial plan must be submitted to provincial authorities before May 15 for consideration, the administration required. 

The provincial People's Committee also assigned the Department of Culture and Sports to restore the relics of Dr. Yersin’s house, as well as auxiliary works.

The house, also the office, of the Swiss-French doctor and bacteriologist which was built around 1914 after he observed and searched for a path to climb the peak at an altitude of over 1,500 meters from sea level.

This residence-office site was recognized as a national historical relic in March 2023.

Visitors are seen on their tour of the house and office of Swiss-French doctor and bacteriologist Alexandre Yersin on the peak of Hon Ba Mountain in Khanh Hoa Province, south-central Vietnam. Photo: Minh Chien / Tuoi Tre

The department is also required to prepare a plan to upgrade traffic infrastructure on the route to Hon Ba Mountain, while other relevant agencies must ensure security, environmental hygiene conditions and fire safety at sightseeing sites in the mountain peak area.

Tran Minh Duc, deputy chairman of Nha Trang - Khanh Hoa Tourism Association, said there is currently a tour themed ‘Follow in Doctor Yersin’s footsteps,’ including a route to take visitors to the doctor's house and office.

However, most of the destinations of the tour are located in the Hon Ba Nature Reserve, so they cannot be accessible on a regular basis, and consequently there have been no official trips to the Hon Ba peak, Duc said.

“Bringing tourists to the Hon Ba peak will contribute to promoting the province’s tourism strengths,” Duc commented.

Infrastructure and destinations of the mountain peak tour must be upgraded soon to give the best possible experience to visitors, he added.

Dinh Van Thieu, deputy chairman of the Khanh Hoa administration, requested that concerned agencies must closely oversee the implementation of trial tours to the Hon Ba peak as they will involve destinations that are within the aforementioned nature reserve, which covers an area of 19,000 hectares.

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