DAK NONG Trekking through 7 km of forest road to Ta Dung Lake, visitors go to the island in the middle of the lake, camp, hold a BBQ party and piano, sing to each other.
Thanh Hang has a trekking trip to Ta Dung Lake in June 2020. Below is her share of the trip.
This is the first time I come to Ta Dung Lake and also the first time to experience the form of trekking. Instead of going on my own with friends, I choose a single trekking tour. Together with me are 25 people who do not know yet, but have common interests of traveling and exploring nature.
Day 1: Trekking 7km of forest road, stream
Mr. Kinh, the main tour guide of the group introduced, Ta Dung Lake Road (Lam Dong) is relatively easy and suitable for first-time trekking. We depart from Ho Chi Minh City at 22:00 by private bed car to the public car park in Dak Nong (Lam Dong) at 6am. After that, the farm truck took the group to the starting point across the forest.
Before setting off, the group was instructed to start. When crossing a slope, where local people build barns, they take pictures with the dawn.
The trekking starts about 5 minutes on foot after that. The sound of human footsteps on the dry leaves, mixed with the sound of early morning wild birds and the wind blowing the rustling canopy of trees, are sounds difficult to find in the city. the sun was shining down, weaving through the foliage, making the path sparkling.
The forest path gradually became difficult as we walked through the slopes, edging through the streets only a hand bigger than a hand. This is the daily livelihood of the people, with many deep grooves created by the motorcycle wheel mark. People living in this area are mainly K’ho, Ma and Nung.
On a ramp over 45 degrees, we were asked to walk on a stoop, with feet wide open and take small steps. There are many members who are not careful to fall, but they all regain their spirit very quickly, not too difficult to continue.
On the way, we passed a bamboo forest, with soaring trees with no visible tops. Careless members may get cut into their skin by bamboo, but very soon we arrive at the resting point, where the view of Ta Dung Lake is clearly visible. The scenery in front of me makes me overwhelmed by the vastness and cool green color.
The team members took a break and checked-in before going down the descending slopes. We crossed the stream to reach the end of the trekking trail. The road seems to be more difficult when the terrain changes suddenly and many members are gradually getting tired. After many times slipped by moss rocks, some members accepted wet shoes to cross the road.
After nearly 5 hours of walking in the forest, we reached the pick up point of the canoe and moved to one of the 36 large and small islands of Ta Dung Lake. Here, we were greeted by a family of a resident of the island, named Nguyen. We have lunch, rest and prepare for the afternoon activities.
At 2:00, the group rowing with Sup rowing and experiencing water motorbike, completely new activities for me and most of the members of the group. We encountered a lot of difficult situations in the first experience but also memorable memories.
In the afternoon, when the sun subsides, the water of Ta Dung Lake turns a deep blue emerald color. We immersed ourselves in cool water, feeling all the tension, fatigue drift away.
While the members took advantage of personal activities such as swimming pools, rowing Sup, taking check-in photos, welcoming the sunset … the tour guide team prepared dinner and set up tents. Dinner includes chicken, all BBQ pork and wild vegetables. This is also the moment when people gather, eat and share their emotions after the first day together.
In the evening, we hold an acoustic music night for the members of the delegation to bond more together. Some members take advantage of early sleep to catch the dawn, others sit down, roast potatoes together, chat and watch the stars at night.
Day 2: Enjoy the panoramic view of Ta Dung Lake
At 5:45 am, the members of the delegation woke up to welcome themselves and had breakfast coffee. The night temperature on Ta Dung Lake drops to 16 degrees Celsius, so early in the morning, the canopy, grass tops and even the group’s tents are wet with frost.
Everyone took the time to talk and breathed fresh, cool air. The group had breakfast together and prepared luggage to leave the island to visit around Ta Dung Lake by canoe.
At 9am when the sun is high, it is also the time when the sun starts to cause a burning sensation, causing a burning sensation. The lake’s surface is sparkling with sunlight. The green of the lake in the morning is clear, different from the depth of the afternoon. Occasionally, on the surface of the lake, there appear a few wings of birds, taking turns to feed.
The canoe took us to a raft house built on the lake’s surface, experiencing how the people here stayed. The raft houses are built from drums and wooden planks, floating with each water season.
The tour guide of the group shared that people here never lose their way home, even though many islands are almost identical. Their way of identifying it is to look at the tallest treetop on each island.
At the end of the tour around the lake, the group stopped at a homestay and had lunch. Homestay has a panoramic view of Ta Dung Lake, members have lunch together and admire the wild beauty of the place a few hours away before we get on the bus back to Ho Chi Minh City.
On the way home, the members shared their feelings and thoughts for 2 short but full of memories. For me, the trip was a good start to continuing with trekking.
Notes when trekking Ta Dung Lake:
Visitors should wear long clothing to avoid leaves cut into hands and feet. The sun at Ta Dung Lake is very harsh, so prepare suitable sun protection options: sunscreen, sun jacket, mountaineering sleeves …
The island on the lake has very limited drinking water and electricity. Guests should conserve drinking water and prepare a backup charger. The total cost of travel includes 2,990,000 VND of tour and additional expenses such as breakfast on the first day and souvenirs.
Follow vnexpress/Photo : 52Hz, Thanh Hang