Refresh your vacation with a trip to Ninh Phuoc.

This year, during the April 30th and May 1st holidays, the beach remains the top choice for tourists visiting Khanh Hoa. However, besides the beach, many visitors to southern Khanh Hoa can experience other equally interesting journeys: Visiting Ninh Phuoc – a place with lush grapevines, tranquil lotus ponds, the rhythmic sounds of the My Nghiep looms, and the traditional Bau Truc pottery kilns. A Ninh Phuoc tour, though only a few dozen kilometers long, offers a wealth of local charm and culture.

Sweetness under the sun

The experience begins with grapevines laden with fruit under the characteristic sun and wind of this low-rainfall region. At Ba Moi Vineyard or Hoang Yen Vineyard, agricultural tourism has shifted from "seeing and buying" to "doing and experiencing." Visitors are guided to observe the ripeness of the grapes by their skin color and firmness, then use specialized scissors to carefully cut each bunch without damaging the stem. These seemingly simple actions help visitors understand the rhythm of care throughout an entire growing season.

Tourists enjoy picking ripe grapes themselves in the vineyards of Ninh Phuoc.

Visitors can experience wine tasting in the wine cellar setting at Ba Moi Vineyard.

The "behind-the-scenes" process of growing grapes unfolds right under the vines: sorting, washing, crushing, and fermentation. Some households still maintain semi-traditional winemaking methods, explaining the ratio of sugar, yeast, and fermentation time to create a balanced flavor. Guests can sample different product levels: fresh grapes, concentrated grape syrup, grape wine, and dried grapes; each representing a step up the spectrum of flavor. The differences between varieties (red, green, seedless) and cultivation processes create a unique identity, making "eating grapes" a learning experience.

Bau Truc Living Heritage

Leaving behind the sweetness of grapes, the journey shifts to the red hues of the earth at Bau Truc Pottery Village - one of the oldest pottery villages in Southeast Asia, which has been included in the National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Here, the clay doesn't rotate on a potter's wheel, but moves according to the craftsman's hands. The "hand-molding - open-air firing" technique creates unique, one-of-a-kind products, each a one-of-a-kind variation.

Artisans from Bau Truc pottery village guide tourists in making pottery using the traditional Cham handcrafted methods.

Tourists choose Bau Truc pottery products as souvenirs from their trip .

During the holiday season, the experiential space is expanded, with artisans providing direct guidance to visitors, allowing them to mold pottery, feel the plasticity of the clay, learn how to shape it using rolling and smoothing techniques, and adjust the thickness of the product by touch. The open-air firing process is also introduced step-by-step, from arranging the products and applying fuel to observing the color of the fire to estimate the temperature. Interspersed between the experiential sessions are the sounds of Cham drums, making pottery making a "living performance" of the heritage.

Mr. Phu Huu Minh Thuan - Director of Bau Truc Cham Pottery Cooperative shared: "Combining cultural performances with hands-on experiences helps Bau Truc attract young visitors, while also contributing to retaining the next generation of artisans."

When the thread tells a story

The sounds that continue the journey are the rhythmic looms at My Nghiep Weaving Village. From cotton and yarn to dyeing with natural materials, then stretching the frame, setting up the heddles, weaving the base, and weaving the patterns – each step requires patience and precision. Visitors can try steering the shuttle, compressing the yarn, and maintaining a steady rhythm; in just a few minutes, they can clearly feel the difficulty of keeping the pattern from shifting. Going deeper, they discover the story behind the patterns: geometric shapes symbolizing the cycle of life, zigzag lines suggesting mountains and hills, and color bands connected to the Cham people's cosmology.

Artisans in My Nghiep weaving village sit at their looms, weaving brocade patterns that reflect the unique Cham culture.

Mr. Phu Van Ngoi, Director of the My Nghiep Cham Brocade Weaving Cooperative, said: “Currently, brocade products not only serve the daily lives of the Cham people but are also being redesigned for practical application. Besides shopping, tourists can experience and understand why a piece of fabric takes many days, even weeks, to make, and why each product has its own name. Once they understand, choosing to buy is no longer just a transaction, but an act of appreciation.”

The low note of lotus amidst the sunny land

After three intense experiential "chapters," the My Nghiep lotus pond offers a deliberate moment of tranquility. Walking on the bamboo path across the water, the pace naturally slows. The most beautiful time is early morning or late afternoon, when the light is soft, the lotus fragrance is strong, and the breeze is just right.

Besides taking photos, visitors can enjoy lotus tea, listen to stories about the lotus's growth cycle, harvesting methods, and fragrance application. This space is suitable for families, the elderly, or anyone needing a moment to unwind after a series of continuous activities. In its own unique way, the lotus concludes the journey with tranquility.

Tourists visit and take photos amidst the lotus ponds of My Nghiep.

If the sea is the place to "let loose all your energy," then Ninh Phuoc is the choice for "slow travel." The journey from grapes - pottery - weaving - lotus flowers isn't long, but it's enough for visitors to take home more than just photos: it's the feeling of having "touched" a land that tells stories through its own rhythm of life.

According to the plan, Ninh Phuoc is developing experiential tourism linked to agriculture and traditional crafts, with Cham culture as its core value. During the April 30th and May 1st holidays this year, the commune intensified the promotion of community tours and standardized services in craft villages, from the team of local guides to the guest reception process. The locality also focuses on heritage preservation, supporting artisans, and developing OCOP (One Commune One Product) products linked to tourism, creating a foundation for sustainable development of tourism activities in Ninh Phuoc.

YOUTH - THU LOAN

Source: https://baokhanhhoa.vn/du-lich/trai-nghiem-kham-pha/202604/lam-moi-ky-nghi-voi-hanh-trinh-ninh-phuoc-e865f06/