An autumn morning, we visited Bidoup Nui Ba National Park in Da Lat City, one of the five largest national parks of Viet Nam.
Established in 2004, the park has its name combined from Bidoup Mountain, the highest mountain on Lam Vien Plateau, and Ba Mountain, the highest one in Da Lat City.
Early in the morning, a car of the park was dispatched to pick us up and then brought us all the way along 723 Pass, which to many people is the most beautiful pass in Viet Nam, to reach the park, located 50 kilometers away from Da Lat City in Da Nhim Commune, Lac Duong District at a height of 650-2,287 meters above sea level.
A guide named Ha Trai of K’Ho ethnic community took us for a tour around the park. Along the way we were told of plants and leaves which can all be used as medicine that Ha Trai had learned from elderly people, and precious trees which have been enlisted in the World’s Red Book of Threatened Species. The forest was so wild while the atmosphere was cool and pure, giving us relaxing and comfortable feeling.
After a while, we reached Thien Thai Waterfall, lying in the middle of the forest, streaming strongly and leaving thousands of white bubbles around.
Inside the pine forest of Bidoup Nui Ba National Park are villas for tourists to stay for the night or take a rest.
At night, we were attracted by cong chieng (gongs) and dance performances of young K’ho men and women, the irresistible fragrance of grilled meat and the smell of ruou can (wine drunk out of a jar through pipes).
The next morning, we took a tour to the “low forest” to watch wild orchids, mushrooms and moss as well as Pinus krempfii, or Krempf’s pine, a rare species of pine which only exists at the Bidoup Nui Ba National Park, according to the park’s director Le Van Huong.
