Escape the heat in the mangrove forest near Ha Long

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QUANG NINH – About an hour by car from Ha Long city is a campsite by the sea and mangroves where you can paddle SUP and scratch clams and oysters.

Dong Rui National Mangrove Forest is a place not many tourists know, close to Tien Yen, Quang Ninh, about an hour by car from Ha Long . Ninh Linh, born in 1996, living in Hanoi, chose this as a camping spot, escaping the heat and stuffiness of the capital at the weekend, after being introduced by friends as a place near the sea, empty and easy to go. during the day.

Dong Rui mangrove campsite is exclusively exploited by a travel company, 20 km from the center of Tien Yen town in the direction of Ha Long. To camp here, you need to go in groups of 10 people. The campsite is still unspoiled, family owned, consisting of a large patch of land, bordered by the sea and mangroves. On the day Linh came to experience, the whole area had only 4 tents.

Dong Rui mangrove forest seen from above.  Photo: NVCC
Dong Rui mangrove forest seen from above. Photo: NVCC

Ninh Linh went in a group of 12 adults, and lost 450,000 VND for entrance tickets and services here. Although wild, this tourist destination has many interesting experiences, suitable for putting everything aside and relaxing on the weekend, she said. Linh was most impressed with the experience of raking oysters, because “as a lowland resident, this is not easy, especially in the middle of the sun”.

For someone who has never held a rake, Linh doesn’t know how to scratch properly and where to get cockles. After struggling for a while, she realized that she had to use a lot of hand force, raking under the layers of sand, when she felt that the scraper could not be pulled towards her, she used her other hand to dig under the sand to see if it was oysters. . “Fortunately, I still managed to scratch a large scallop. I am very happy because this experience is not possible in the city”, Linh laughed. She grilled and ate her “fruit” right away, although it was still a little gritty, but it was sweet and firm.

Visitors can experience scratching clams.  Photo: Ninh Linh
Visitors can experience scratching clams. Photo: Ninh Linh

The second experience is rowing SUP. The campsite is unique when visitors can choose to paddle in the sea or in the mangroves. “Sitting on the board, pushing out with my hands in the middle of the sea with the flow of tears, I feel very comfortable,” Linh said. At that time, she felt like a tiring working week deserved such a gentle, pleasant weekend. However, Linh also noted that the water flow is quite strong, and tourists pay attention not to swim far from the danger room, even though there is a lifeguard on duty regularly. Sea water is clear, no waste.

Here you can also enjoy two specialties: grilled chicken and nodding cake, two specialties of Tien Yen. Chickens in this area are hill chickens, famous for a long time thanks to the free-range farming method, so the meat is firm. Grilled chicken skin is succulent, greasy, and attractive to all mouths. Nodding cake has a strange name, from the story that everyone has to nod and praise when eating the cake. The cake is rolled up like Banh Cuon, eaten with humiliation, a dipping sauce made from delicious fish sauce and chicken fat, adding minced meat, fresh chili, and fried onions.

After experiencing it, Linh was impressed with the campsite thanks to its wild and quiet appearance. All activities are associated with nature, most people will want to leave their phones when coming here. The owner of the campsite is enthusiastic and pleasant. The minus point is that the bathing area is too simple and not clean. You should consult and book Tien Yen’s tour in advance because the weekend is crowded.

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