More and more people are flocking to the "cloud paradise" of Tăk Pổ (Trà Tập commune), choosing nature as a haven for their souls.
Lost amidst the clouds
Tak Po is cold all year round. A gentle breeze whistles in the early morning, the chill seeping through the cracks in the wooden walls, making one reluctant to leave their blankets. Yet, during the cloudy season, bright eyes pierce through the mountain mist, before the endless sea of clouds, as if wanting to capture this rare moment in Central Vietnam.
The cloud season in Tăk Pổ usually begins in late January, when the heavy rains gradually subside, and ends around September or October, when the mist turns into showers.
As the clouds gather, Tak Po is enveloped in a sea of white mist. Looking up from Tu Gia, one can only see a few palm trees peeking up into the blue sky; the houses and fields are completely covered by the clouds. People yearn for moments like these, so along the two-kilometer stretch of road from the top of Tu Gia, through the winding bends, their eyes are fixed on where the clouds are, and they speed towards it.
Many experienced photographers, like Phan An from Tam Ky, flock to Tak Po every year during the cloud season. He arrives very early, the afternoon before, books a room with an acquaintance, and sleeps until his alarm rings at 5 a.m. Carefully positioning his camera, pointing the lens towards the sun, and activating time-lapse mode, he and his camera immerse themselves in each poetic moment amidst the endless sea of clouds.
In the videos An posted, the sun had just risen high, the size of a corn kernel, a bright red, followed by the faint purplish-blue light of dawn, and at the same time, the sea of clouds appeared.
In front of the Tăk Pổ school hill, the lush green grass of the old terraced rice fields stretches out. The field edges have been eroded by thousands of footsteps and years of neglect. The first time I visited, in 2021, it was a towering grassy hill, connecting to a long slope where backpackers could stop and camp. Today, roads cut through the fields, homestays have sprung up, awakening a promising Tăk Pổ.
Cloud services
Today, Tăk Pổ is not just about clouds drifting in the wind; it also has the sound of people's footsteps. Ms. Oanh Trần, the owner of a homestay in Tăk Pổ, says that since Tet (Lunar New Year), every Thursday to Sunday has been fully booked, even though she has three homestays with nearly 15 rooms and 30 tents operating there.
"Since the road was built, more tourists have come to know about Tak Po, partly thanks to local tourism promotion activities, and partly thanks to word-of-mouth on social media. Business owners like us are eager to seize the opportunity, and the villagers are also starting to follow suit," Ms. Oanh shared.
Homestays have breathed new life into Tak Po. Beyond just business, people like Ms. Oanh also dedicate time to training local people in tourism skills.
Besides accommodation, visitors to Tak Po can also experience the community life, with nights of gong music by the fire, enjoying traditional rice wine and local specialties. Thanks to this, the Ca Dong people earn additional income from rattan harvesting.
"When guests contact us and express interest in services, in addition to advising on accommodation and meals at the homestay, we often prioritize letting them experience community activities. Compared to the past, tourists coming to Tak Po had to be self-sufficient, bringing their own tents, fast food, etc., which was very inconvenient. Now, everything is readily available for guests to choose from," Ms. Oanh added.
Mr. Tran Van Phai is considered a shrewd businessman. Last year, noticing the increasing number of tourists and the nascent services appearing in Tak Po, he started setting up campsites, opening a drinks stall, providing parking, and renting out tables, chairs, and tents to tourists who didn't book rooms. For him, earning 400-500 thousand dong was unimaginable before, but now it's just a number, thanks to the rising land prices.
Now, every afternoon, the DX road passing by the commune headquarters occasionally murmurs with the sound of hot exhaust pipes, groups of motorbikes carrying passengers, their heads covered with full-face helmets, and their necks wrapped in Southern Vietnamese checkered scarves. A fleeting glimpse reveals the "scent" of backpackers. Then there are convoys of pickup trucks winding along the mountain, heading towards Tak Po. The mountain path becomes bustling again.
Source: https://baodanang.vn/cham-vao-hoang-so-takpo-3331190.html
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