According to various studies, there used to be extremely active volcanoes in Vietnam, especially in the Central region and the Central Highlands. Now, most of them have turned off and become attractive attractions, catching attention in recent years and being researched, built and promoted for tourism. Let’s follow VietnamTrips to discover the top 6 most impressive and breathtaking extinct volcanoes across Vietnam.
#1 of volcanoes in Vietnam - Bas Dong Nai volcanic remnant
Bas Dong Nai - Source: tcdulichtphcm
The first one of the top 6 most famous Vietnam volcanoes to visit is Bas Dong Nai volcano. According to geological records, the north and northeast of this province used to be rather active volcanic plains and plateaus in Vietnam. Through many periods, they have now formed various unique landscapes with traces of volcanoes with altitudes from 100m to less than 500m. There are places with concentrated volcanic traces in Dong Nai Province such as Dinh Quan, Gia Kiem, Xuan Loc, or some separate ones such as Quy or Dat Mountains. In which, the largest and highest bas Dong Nai volcano is Soc Lu with a height of 418m and a diameter of 5.5m.
This is one of the oldest volcanoes in Vietnam that last erupted more than 400,000 years ago, with its crater located at an altitude of 100m above sea level. Crossing the zigzag dirt road through many fields of local people, to reach the top of bas Dong Nai volcano is not too difficult but requires perseverance, and attention for going down. From the top, you can enjoy a unique panoramic view of the large funnel-shaped crater, which is covered with green forest trees, and various fruit trees planted by locals such as jackfruit, cashew, pepper, banana, soybean,… What a nice place for trekking at the weekend in Dong Nai. It is recommended as an unspoiled spot to visit if you are looking for a day trip from Ho Chi Minh city.
Top famous volcanoes in Vietnam: Chu Dang Ya Mountain
Chu Dang Ya mountain - Source: vietnamtourism.gov.vn
Located in the middle of Ia Gri village, Gia Lai province, Chu Dang Ya is proud to be the only volcano in Vietnam that was praised by the British newspaper Dailymail. Covered by vast rice fields, this mountain possesses a majestic natural landscape, with a funnel-shaped crater made up of 3 interconnected basins of different sizes. Having been inactive for millions of years, it is the ideal place for those who love nature, love to explore the wild and charming beauty of the Central Highlands. In particular, if you come in the wild sunflower season, you will find Chu Dang Ya volcano looking like a giant pile of straw, emitting a brilliant yellow color from the hillside to the crater.
This place is recommended as one of the most beautiful volcanoes in Vietnam to visit in November, when you have a chance to join the wild sunflower festival with various activities. You should not miss strolling through the vast fields, admiring the romantic yellow flower beds and taking impressive photos at Chu Dang Ya volcano. You can also immerse yourself in the rhythm of the gongs, try out traditional dishes of local ethnic communities such as rice lam, grilled chicken, and particularly can wine (Vietnamese tube wine). This is a specialty of the ethnic minorities in remote areas of Vietnam, only used in holidays, festivals or treating guests. The wine is fermented without distillation, and you will have to use perforated bamboo rods to drink it.
Ba Den Mountain - one of the oldest volcanoes in Vietnam
Ba Den mountain - Source: dantri
Having a height of 986m, Ba Den Mountain is an extinct volcano in Vietnam from ancient times, overlooking the valley of the Mekong Delta Vietnam. This is a famous sight of Tay Ninh, attracting tourists because of its majestic scenery, rich vegetation, and a system of sacred pagodas. From the beginning of 2020, you can take the cable car to the mountain’s top, but many people still love to conquer it with 5 trekking routes of different difficulty. To visit Ba Den mountain tourist area, you will have to buy an entrance ticket with a price of 16,000 VND / adult ($0.7), cut down half the price for children, the elderly and the disabled.
Being recommended here as one of top 6 worth-to-visit inactive volcanoes in Vietnam, Ba Den mountain is where you can admire many sacred temples. Besides Hang Pagoda or Quan Am Pagoda, it includes the famous Ba Den Pagoda with a history of more than 300 years. Once the base of the liberation army, the historical site of Kim Quang Cave is also a destination not to be missed, although the terrain here is quite rugged, preferred only for those who are brave and love to explore. Located on the top of this Vietnamese volcano, there is also a statue of Buddha Tay Bo Da Son, with a total height of 72m cast by more than 170 tons of red bronze.
Ly Son Island volcano in Vietnam
Ly Son island volcano - Source: vovankienthuc
Formed from the eruption of volcanoes millions of years ago, Ly Son Island has an area of about 10.3km2, located in the northeast of Quang Ngai province. This place has traces of 10 used to be active volcanoes in Vietnam, now only extinct craters with 3 located on the seabed dating back to during the Quaternary period, about 11 million to 4,500 years ago. Thoi Loi and Gieng Tien are among top spectacular Vietnam volcanoes with many majestic landscapes that attract thousands of tourists every year.
Located in An Hai commune, Thoi Loi is the highest mountain on the island with an altitude of 169m, with its last eruption being more than a few million years ago. Standing prominently, it is surrounded by a wall of stacked stone blocks of all shapes and sizes, highlighting a Vietnamese flagpole at the top. This is a unique landscape due to having both a freshwater lake and a cave, along with many submerged archaeological sites. Reaching the peak of one of the most magnificent volcanoes in Vietnam, you will also be able to see the Ly Son garlic field in the beautiful season, like a picture with many eye-catching colors.
Meanwhile, Gieng Tien volcano located in An Vinh commune is filled with lush green trees all year round, along with the protective poplar forest creating a green lung for the area. This old volcano is 86m high with a basin-shaped crater up to hundreds of square meters wide, providing a basaltic red soil similar to the Central Highlands, contributing to the special Ly Son garlic flavor. In January 2020, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism ranked national monuments for two scenic spots on the island - this mountain and Thoi Loi mountain.
Ham Rong Mountain volcano in Vietnam’s central highlands
Ham Rong mountain - Source: digialai.com
Located in Pleiku City, Gia Lai Province, Ham Rong Mountain is also known by many names including Hon Rong mountain, Cho Ho Rong, Chu H'Drong or Chu Ho Dong. Although born in the volcanic eruption period about 4 - 0.3 million years ago, this is still one of the late-formed Vietnam volcanoes. Some studies and observations have pointed out that Ham Rong Mountain, which has spewed smoke and ash, is still active and estimated to erupt in 100 - 200 years.
Ham Rong Mountain has a circular shape like a horseshoe, with a large deep trench cutting the slope from the top, a crater area of 0.7km2, a foothill area of 14km2 and a slope of 20 - 30°. Used to be one of the most active volcanoes in Vietnam, Ham Rong protrudes prominently with a top at an altitude of 1,028m, from which you can enjoy the panoramic view of the whole Pleiku city. The top of the mountain is often covered in clouds and has a cool climate, also placed a telecommunications transceiver station of the province. Climbing up there is limited, which is one of the reasons why the mountain is still unspoiled and green, not much affected by human impacts.
Nam Kar Volcano - a young cluster of young volcanoes
Nam Kar mountain - Source: daknonggeopark.com
Consisting of young volcanoes in Vietnam dating back to about 10,000 years ago, the Nam Kar mountain range is an attraction of Phu Son village, Quang Phu commune, Krong No District of Dak Nong Province. Here in the region there are a total of 3 volcanoes, including a main one with a typical oval shape - 60m high, 220m in diameter, and about 20m deep measuring from the top of the mountain. The two subs are located a few dozens of meters away, with a height of 24.2m & 22.4m, without a crater and having a horseshoe-shaped crater respectively, formed mainly from slag.
Nam Kar Vietnam volcano is part of the Dak Nong Global Geopark, which has a total of 5 craters for you to freely explore. You can visit the Nam Blang volcano with its characteristic truncated cone, home to traces of prehistoric people and containing many unsolved mysteries. Meanwhile, Bang Mo volcano is considered as one of the youngest volcanoes in Vietnam, dating from 200,000 to 600,000 years old, having a relatively clearly round shape. Although Nam Gle and Nam Duong volcanoes are smaller, they also have unique beauty, a suitable place for those who love to explore.
Possessing unique and magnificent features, Vietnam volcanoes are now a strong eco-tourism resource, attracting more and more domestic and international guests to explore. Most of them are still quite wild, inside of which retains the typical texture of the formation process, covered by the vibrant green color of rich vegetation. Hopefully with the information mentioned above about some of the volcanoes in Vietnam, you will have an interesting discovery trip.
— Ha Bich
