by Thanh Ha
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Pole position: Bamboo rafting is one of the activities available for the adventurous in Madagui.
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Death or glory: Young visitors are always interested in taking on the role of soldiers during a round of paintball. | |
LAM DONG — If you are looking for a destination that offers a wide range of experiences, look no further than Madagui Forest Resort in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong this summer.
It takes about three hours drive from Da Lat or HCM City to Da Huoai District to reach the resort.
In the local ethnic minority language, Madagui means the "Gui River of the Ma people". Madagui includes 1,200ha of Nam Cat Tien National Park, an unspoilt forest, home to rich fauna and flora, network of caves, beautiful river and stream network.
The park, which stands 500m above sea level, has a beautiful view and cool air, and is an ideal location for the all-in-one camping venue.
Madagui offers adventure tourism, games and the chance to relax.
But it is the adventure tourism options that seem to attract the majority of visitors.
The most popular attraction is probably the white-water rapid rafting. Visitors get to take part in a short class which introduces them to the boat, the river and their route, as well as basic skills to control the boat and how to co-operate to successfully steer the boat.
Despite receiving an introductory lesson, we had to struggle hard as a team to stop our boat being capsized.
At the 5km point we eventually reached a quiet stretch which gave us an opportunity to discuss the best strategy for the remainder of the trip.
If white-water rafting isn't your thing, then take a dug-out canoe or hollowed tree trunk produced by the local ethnic people and take a more placid tour around Thach Lam Lake where you can witness or participate in fishing activities. You can eat the caught fish later.
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Tree house: The ‘Tarzan House' is unique to Madagui Forest Resort. It offers a place to take a break and provides a panoramic view of the area. — File Photos |
"I tried both trips and preferred the first as it forced us to co-operate, but it is extremely exciting and entertaining. It was an amazing experience," said Dang Hoang Ha, a visitor from Hai Phong.
"I was first very afraid at first, but the staff were excellent," Ha added.
The next choice if you want to continue exploring is the spectacular local cave network.
A winding stone path under the forest canopy leads explorers to Tu Than (Death) Cave which is 300m long and 15m under the ground. The terrain of the cave is the product of huge rough rocks dropping between the roots of century-old trees.
To discover the cave, visitors also have to traverse a wooden bridge that leads to a dark, narrow and mossy corridor that requires a good deal of attention, one second of carelessness and you could fall.
"It was really nerve-wracking in the cave. We three girls held each other's hands tightly. Sometimes I jumped when I heard noises created by the falling stones.
"However with only a flash-light we successfully navigated the cave," said Nguyen Thanh Luong from Thai Binh.
Doi (Bat) Cave is also an attraction, as it plays home to thousands of wild bats that hang from the walls asleep during daytime. When night falls, they wake up and leave the cave for food. These nocturnal flying mammals bring significant benefit to the local people, who collect their guano to sell to farmers for use as organic fertiliser. Fruit trees fed with bat dung can provide higher productivity and give the fruits more colour and better quality.
After two exciting journeys, you'll no doubt be hungry. It's time for a delicious lunch.
In Madagui, people can have meals at the resort's restaurants but it's even more fun to experience a meal down near the lakes or streams.
Madagui offers a diverse menu but the local forest herbs, vegetables and river fish are second to none.
Lang, a kind of river catfish, is the most wanted speciality. It can be grilled, fried, mixed with pork to make a pie and cooked in hot pot.
On the second part of our day our group divided, with two different targets.
Some of elderly people decided to walk through the tropical fruit tree garden where 80 different varieties from various regions grow.
Some other travelled around the forest on a jeep after visiting the bamboo garden which is home to 100 varieties, then visit the "Tarzan House" which hangs high on a tree.
Meanwhile our younger members decided to have a go at paintball.
Strap on a uniform and get a gun, and you are ready for a strategic fight without blood and injury, just fun and laughter.
"We are rolling, dragging and crawling in mud, from brushwood to termite mounds and blockhouses to find and shoot our enemies. We assigned a team captain and decided our tactics to defeat the other side," said Hai Minh, a student from HCM City.
"We treated like it was a real battle, and were afraid of being captured or shot, we had a day living like soldiers," said Minh.
Your day will conclude with a Highland Festival when the sun sets and it is time to immerse in resonating sound of gongs, circle around a flickering bonfire, drink ruou can (home brew drunk out of a jar through pipes) and promise to return to spend more time in Madagui. — VNS