Me Ly Homestay (Sub-quarter 9, Phu Loc town, Phu Loc district, 45 km north of Hue city) is a peaceful and poetic place in harmony with the cool green mountains.
Giving new life to recycled items
An old bicycle is rested along the small path leading to the garden, a swing and a beautiful little fence is made of low-quality wood, and a stack of tires is painted blue, red and yellow next to the rose bushes… That green, friendly and lovely scene has been collected day by day by Dan and Tuyet, a nature-loving couple, to create Me Ly homestay.
I visited Me Ly homestay two years ago. By that time, Tuyet and Dan had already incorporated a green and environmentally friendly lifestyle into their home. Having survived the pandemic, their dream of creating a beautiful, eco-friendly homestay, immersing in nature to wash away one’s sorrows, has now become a reality.
“My wish is simply to take simple items and turn them into useful and lovely things, thus reducing a bit of the waste burden for the environment,” Tuyet shared. With that viewpoint, this small homestay at the foot of Bach Ma mountain has made use of all available materials, from low-quality wood, tires, to other items that are no longer useful.
A peaceful moment in the highlands
With 4 small wooden houses, the entrance to the homestay is a garden full of bougainvillea, wallflowers, and roses. Loving the bright and youthful colors, the young couple used wood of low-quality to create variable fences and swings, painted in pink and blue in harmony with the colors of flowers, trees and the mountains here.
Dan’s skillful hands also turned their low-quality wood into tables, chairs, and wooden lampshades that are cleverly spread on the trails. The leftovers were made into signposts attached at the entrance to the garden, engraved with directions and distances to nearby famous Phu Loc district destinations, such as Bach Ma National Park, Bach Ma village, Khe Su stream, Nhi Ho waterfall, and Cau Hai lagoon.
Nature-friendly playground among the massive mountains and forests
In addition to their decorative purposes, the seemingly discarded tires are also used for refurbishment and repair. Some would be used to decorate small houses, others would be tied with strings, combined with iron frames to form tables and chairs, creating a colorful playground for the children.
The same goes for bicycles and other discarded items, cleverly repurposed by the couple. Every pathway and every corner of the garden are filled with interesting things. There are green pots hanging in the old baskets; the painted peach branches from the New Year decoration; or the chipped ceramic bowl as a unique flower pot...
But for me, the most interesting point about this homestay in the middle of the mountains is the heart of the person who made it. In addition to recycling discarded items, Dan and Tuyet also integrate and share messages to raise awareness of forest protection and environmental protection among tourists and local people.
And it only gets better from there, as this environmentally conscious couple actually works in Bach Ma National Park. In addition to the fun and memorable experiences at this “recycled” homestay, visitors can also participate in green activities like picking up trash, planting trees, and processing rose tea...
Breathing new life into discarded materials is not the only passion and love of the young couple. The eco-friendly homestay at the foot of Bach Ma mountain also provides a rustic but harmonious experience that immerses you in the symphony of nature, heaven and earth. Visitors will find themselves enjoying rustic, simple, and peaceful moments in this place in the midst of busy and tiring days.
Story: Tue Lam. Photos: Provided by the characters