Learn about mangrove forests, make fences to nurture the fish-sauce forest, experience the local people’s life only on 2 weekends.
I just had an experience trip to the southernmost point of my country with completely strange friends. Unlike previous vacation trips and beautiful photography, to the land of Ca Mau cape, I want to see and contribute my strength in creating mangroves.
Day 1: Experience foresting, live like a local
Departing from Saigon, after 8 hours by night, our group was in Ca Mau at 5am. After resting, the transfer bus took us to Cape Ca Mau National Park at 8am.
Here, we met the staff, heard stories about fish mam trees and learned about mangrove forests on canoes. At 10am, we go to the zoning area for forest. 50 ha of alluvial ground in the core zone of Mui Ca Mau National Park, belonging to Ca Mau World Biosphere Reserve, has been zoned and promoted natural regeneration to transform into forest.
Here, we experience mangrove planting, organized by Gaia Nature Conservation. Activities contribute to increasing forest area, responding to climate change, combating saline intrusion and improving economic and ecological values of forests. In particular, this will be the residence of many rare and precious wildlife.
We are directly engaged in fence, in the system to keep white fish seeds. The system with a length of 2,900 m, made of more than 11,000 cajuput piles and 2,900 m of net was established. The fence retains the fish that has fallen from the mother tree, to develop into a seedling tree and develop into a mangrove forest, after 6 years.
The forest is monitored, supervised and cared for by the National Park Management for 6 years, to ensure stable forest development. The target will have at least 185,000 fish sauce growing healthy.
After completing 20 meters of the fence, we had to move because the water was up. The way back to homesstay is a journey to explore the mysterious nooks and crannies of the mangrove forest, where canopy of over 50 years old canopy grows overflowing and green.
Coming to Ba Su homestay, located right in the National Park, we have the opportunity to learn about the life and experience the river life of the people of Ca Mau. The homestay is designed in the form of a house on stilts right on the water, with 2 guest rooms, 1 dining room, 1 kitchen and 4 large rooms, specialized for tourist groups of 8 or more people. Surrounded by a green mangrove forest.
After lunch with typical local dishes, we were given a ride on interest pods (a type of canoe), challenging to install crab roofing. In the evening, we took the three grooves and enjoyed the starry sky, right on the 1 km long river where the homestay is located.
At 6pm, we gathered around a little fire, together enjoyed the quiet countryside atmosphere, in intimate stories, beside the warmth of mangrove peat and the smell of potatoes, grilled corn tasting western .
Day 2: Check-in at the southernmost point of the country
Early in the morning, we were awakened by the voices of migratory birds. The air in the land at the end of the country brings a refreshing, fresh feeling.
Everyone has their own time in the morning to visit the garden and chat with the locals. People can live in the National Park but have the obligation to preserve and protect forests.
Ms. Diem (1992), the owner of the homestay said: “The proportion of forest and water surface must always be maintained at 70-30. In addition to farming shrimp and trenches, in recent years, when tourism develops, we also business additional services such as homestay, tour to experience indigenous life. Homestay is created from the house over 90 years since my grandmother’s time. “
After talking with Diem about people’s lives, we picked pea flowers, cooked hot tea early in the day to prepare to check-out homestay, and continued the journey.
Coming to Dat Mui, it is impossible not to stop at milestone 0. At the National Tourism Area of Ca Mau, we are told about walking land, about the daily “blooming” journey of this land.
Ms. Tu, the tour guide of the tourist area, took us to visit GPS0001 National Coordinate Landmark, a small landscape icon of a windy boat always facing the sea, Endpoint Building Ho Chi Minh. In addition, there is Lac Long Quan temple, Au Co mother statue, breakwater, Hanoi flagpole project. We have a panoramic view of the junction between the East Sea and the West Sea and enjoy fresh specialties.
The flagpole has 10 floors. In which floor 1, floor 2 show the process of forming natural succession of Dat Mui region. Includes more than 180 images of all kinds and 2 models of mangrove and mangrove ecosystems in Ca Mau. The third floor has the theme of typical cultural heritages of Thang Long – Hanoi, introducing the core cultural heritages of the thousand years of civilization, with 16 special national relics, 12 artifacts. Group of artifacts are national treasures, 3 intangible cultural heritages recognized by UNESCO and registered in the intangible cultural heritage of mankind.
At the high floors of the flagpole, we have a panoramic view of Ca Mau mangrove forest, the vast East Sea and the beautiful and poetic Hon Khoai island cluster.
Ảnh: Gaia Nature Conservation, Thanh Hằng/ vnexpress