Moc Chau District, 180 kilometers from Hanoi, is home to 1,300 hectares of plum trees. From the end of January to the middle of February, when the plum blossoms are in bloom, the district attracts a lot of tourists from across the nation.

According to the manager of a Moc Chau homestay, many accommodations in the area have been completely booked since the beginning of February, particularly on weekends.

The largest plum-growing valleys are in Na Ka and Mu Nau valleys, which are also the most popular travel destinations in Moc Chau. Na Ka is frequently chosen by group tours or by families with elderly relatives and young children to visit because it is easy to get there and because there are many plum gardens on both sides of the road that are convenient for sightseeing.

Plum trees in Na Ka are planted in rows. The trees are quite large, and their flowers bloom evenly. Tourists can rent traditional clothing for photos at costume rental stores in Na Ka.

Trang A Nang, a plum garden owner in Na Ka Valley, said that even though the weather in Moc Chau in February is not ideal, as it can be sunny and gloomy within the same day, the temperature can dip, and sometimes there is small rain, there are still many visitors who come to visit the garden. On weekdays, his garden sees about 100 to 150 visitors per day, and about 300 visitors on weekends.

Mu Nau Valley is a great place for travelers to enjoy the scenery of rocky mountains. However, it is extremely difficult to get to Mu Nau because there are numerous treacherous and steep passes that are only passable via small, high ground clearance cars driven by experienced drivers. You can also get a ride into the valley with a motorcycle taxi service.

Plum trees in Mu Nau are planted along the mountainside and hillside, and the flowers are said to bloom more uniformly. The entire valley is covered in a landscape of white plum trees, which combined with moss-covered stone walls and old rock cliffs make a picture-perfect scene.

The blossom season in Moc Chau lasts about two weeks, depending on the weather and the humidity at which the flowers bloom, which can vary from year to year.

The plum blossoms bloom later this year than they did last year, according to the locals, because winter arrived later this year. Following the Tet holiday, the flowers begin to bloom, and it is anticipated that they will stay in bloom until next week.

With entry tickets starting at VND20,000 to VND30,000 (85 cents to $1.27) per person, many families choose to camp overnight. A camp can be rented for between VND150,000 and VND200,000 during the day. Camping overnight will cost you VND300,000 ($12.72).

"At night, when the temperature drops down to 5 or 6 degrees Celsius, our whole family gathers around the heater," said Hiep, a visitor from Hanoi. "We were able to wake up and watch the sunrise in the middle of the plum garden. What makes me the happiest is that my children enjoyed the time while we were here."

The road to the plum gardens is quite slippery due to the fog and high humidity. Visitors are recommended to visit the gardens between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Tourists should bring warm clothes because the daytime temperature in Moc Chau fluctuates between 12 to 17 degrees Celsius.

Tags