Wandering through the forest

For once, be like the wind, freely gliding along the winding mountain roads. More than just a trip, the Ho Chi Minh Trail through Quang Nam is an invitation from the majestic mountains, where small villages nestled on green hills quietly tell stories of the land and sky.

Kham Duc is one of the "mountain towns" offering many experiences along the Ho Chi Minh Trail through the western part of Quang Nam province. Photo: KY Y

From Kham Duc to P'rao

From Kham Duc (Phuoc Son) - a mountain town of vibrant colors, passing through the peaceful Thanh My (Nam Giang), and arriving in P'rao (Dong Giang) to travel upstream along the A Vuong River during the season of endless green rice paddies. Each leg of the journey is a vivid picture, igniting in you a yearning to escape the suffocating city life and return to the lush greenery of the mountains and forests.

Try once to follow the winding mountain paths, imagining yourself as a wild wind wandering through the vast wilderness. It's not just a trip, but a journey for your heart and eyes to freely roam amidst the wonders of nature.

The Ho Chi Minh Trail through Quang Nam , where legendary footprints still remain amidst majestic mountains and forests, will open the way for travelers to find their way back to the wind, the clouds, and the small villages nestled on the hillsides.

A parade of drums and gongs by the Bhnoong people through Kham Duc town during the local traditional festival in 2024. Photo: THANH CONG

The town of Kham Duc, once dubbed the "gangster town" during the gold rush about twenty years ago, is now bustling with the colors of a modern city. Kham Duc is vibrant with numerous accommodations and lively shops and restaurants.

The mountain town still retains its unique character. The town has expanded with development, but there are still open spaces with the Autumn Lake and the deep green of the Spring Mountains, with the scent of the forest that can be fully inhaled just a few kilometers from the center...

The Bhnoong children in the villages along the town, though their faces are sometimes smudged with dirt, have bright eyes and infectious laughter when they see a car speeding past...

From Kham Duc, driving towards Thanh My, travelers have the opportunity to visit Ro village, with its charming little houses shrouded in the hazy smoke of the evening. Thanh My is also an ideal stop to enjoy highland cuisine , along with the specialties of the local Co Tu and Gie Trieng people. If you're lucky, you can even participate in the annual gong festival, captivated by the joyful dance of nature performed by the graceful footsteps of the young women...

Young women from the highlands of Nam Giang shine brightly in their traditional costumes at the Gong Festival. Photo: PHUONG GIANG

The Ho Chi Minh Trail opens up a continuous stretch of horizon on the journey from Thanh My to P'rao, a land whose name itself evokes a sense of mystery.

P'rao appeared with its endless hills covered in white reeds. Interspersed among the reeds were small villages of the Co Tu people, their stilt houses peeking through the trees. I had the opportunity to stop my car by the roadside and watch an old woman sitting by her loom, weaving brocade, her hands moving swiftly as if telling the story of the mountains and forests through each thread. Children in the village ran and played around a large tree, their clear laughter echoing, blending with the cool, refreshing sound of the stream flowing from its source at the edge of the village...

Against the Current, King A

As I ascended to A Vuong, I felt like I had entered another world, where lush green rice paddies stretched endlessly, embracing small villages perched precariously on the slopes. A Vuong during the new rice season was as beautiful as a watercolor painting. Amidst the boundless green of the rice, occasionally, thatched roofs made of silver-gray palm leaves would appear.

I encountered Katu women carrying baskets on their backs by the stream, their gentle smiles shining in their eyes. The village in A Vuong is beautiful not only because of its scenery, but also because life there still retains its pristine tranquility. The sound of gongs from a Bhalêê communal house seemed to invite travelers to stop and rest, enjoy a fragrant meal of sticky rice cooked in bamboo by the fire, and sip on strong rice wine in the cool mountain air.

Bhnoong girl goes to the fields. Photo: PHUONG GIANG

Wandering along the Ho Chi Minh Trail is also an unforgettable experience on the journey up the mountain. Challenging winding roads suddenly open up into vast stretches of land and sky.

I descended a long, winding slope, feeling the wind and the scent of the forest as I steered. Through each bend, I was fortunate enough to encounter a sea of ​​white clouds, like steps leading to the gates of heaven. Standing at the summit of the pass, I wondered how long it had been since I'd recognized the difference between high and far; how long it'd been since I'd escaped the suffocating atmosphere of the city...

The journey through the villages along the Ho Chi Minh Trail is not just a trip, but a return. A return to the vast forests, to the red sunsets in the west, when the cries of deer echo against the mountain cliffs, when the melodies of the abel instrument resonate in the folk songs of the village elders.

The Ho Chi Minh Trail through Quang Nam is not just a journey of discovery, but also an invitation from the distant green land. The West always holds many wonders, constantly beckoning and urging adventurous footsteps, fulfilling the desire to conquer. Go, see, listen, and be at peace with the land, the people of the highlands, who are always kind, hospitable, and sincere...

Source: https://baoquangnam.vn/lang-thang-mien-rung-3151754.html