SOURCE THERMALE DE KIM BÔI

The Kim Bôi thermal spring, set in a magnificent landscape, is the perfect place to relax on the road to Mai Châu. It's a little detour that's well worth making, especially during the hot season. Just a few dozen kilometers from Hanoi, the landscape is wild, with karst boulders emerging from forests and rice paddies. The region is riddled with caves and underground installations. It was home to Communist leaders during the wars against the French and the Americans. The area still conceals military installations, and some roads remain off-limits. It was from here that the famous Hô Chi Minh trail left to supply the fighters in the South, and today it is the starting point for the new Hô Chi Minh road, which runs inland through the high plateaus, doubling National Road No. 1 along the coast.

Kim Bôi is therefore not only a good place to stop, but also a pleasant place to spend a weekend. We enter another world, one that's ideal for bucolic hikes between mountains and rivers. The spring water flows at a temperature of 36°C. Bottled, it's a refreshing mineral water that's also recommended for bathing to treat rheumatism. In the village, bathers have free access to a public swimming pool. It's best to head for private thermal baths for a more comfortable and serene experience.