Peace on the road

Le Thuy Xuan Duong and her husband enjoy the pre-Tet days in Da Lat. Photo: NVCC

Peace in your own way

Not rushing, not racing against time, Le Thuy Xuan Duong and her husband (living in Hai Chau ward, Hai Chau district, Da Nang city) were excited for their first trip to Da Lat in their lives.

They encapsulate experiences close to nature: Staying in a homestay with a "view" overlooking the green mountains with clouds and pine trees; visiting a fresh strawberry garden; enjoying the cozy flavors of hot pot and grill; making your own matcha in the cool weather of the flower plateau; taking photos under the cherry blossom trees, walking by Tuyen Lam Lake...

“The days in Da Lat have no work in mind, only connection with nature and time to rebalance myself after a busy year” - Ms. Duong shared.

Also traveling to the Central Highlands on New Year's Day, Ms. Nguyen Thu Thao (Tien Phuoc district) chose to celebrate Tet in her hometown before departing for Mang Den ( Kon Tum province) right when the cherry blossoms bloom.

Especially loving and "defaulting" the land in Kon Plong as the destination for long trips, having chosen Mang Den to take wedding photos, Ms. Thao and her husband talk about Mang Den with all their affection.

On Facebook, she shared about the trip: “February 8, 2025. It’s us and Mang Den again. Even though Mang Den is bustling, we still find peace in our own way.”

Peaceful in its own way, Thao and her husband's trips to Mang Den are a series of intimate experiences with a simple itinerary: enjoying mountain cuisine , driving through pine-covered roads, breathing in the fresh air and meeting and chatting with local people.

Thao said that each tourist has a different approach to a land. For her family, traveling to Mang Den is not only about beautiful photos, wild mountain scenery with Pa Sy waterfall or Kon-Tu-Rang suspension bridge but also about the special indigenous culture of the Mang Den people.

The final stop

On flights leaving Da Nang at the beginning of the year, there were young people who chose to travel alone, like Nguyen Thien Nhan (teacher, from Thang Binh district). Nhan's destination, nearly 6 hours away by plane from Da Nang, was a scenic complex in Kunming (Yunnan, China). Admitting that he is curious about new things, from the time he prepared his luggage to the time he went to the airport, Nhan always asked himself: "What fun things are there to explore over there?"

Nguyen Thien Nhan on a solo trip to China during the New Year. Photo: NVCC

One of the “fun things” in Kunming is visiting the Qiaozi Snow Mountain. Joining a group of tourists, the 22-year-old girl challenged herself to conquer the mountain, which is nearly 3,900 meters above sea level. In addition to the two cable car trips, tourists are required to walk on their own, adapting to the thin and cold air of the North.

“Climbing to the top of Kieu Tu is not easy. Some people have had respiratory problems due to lack of oxygen, even cold shock in the middle of the journey, including me. However, the “gift” for my efforts when I reached the top was witnessing a completely different world - a world covered in white snow like a fairy tale, something I thought I would only see in a movie,” Nhan recounted.

Nhan's luggage back to Da Nang, along with beautiful photos and unforgettable memories in a foreign land, also has spiritual value. It is knowledge about Chinese nature and culture, new friends, and experiences that surpass one's own limits.

Every time she travels far away, Ms. Nhan unconsciously compares that place with her hometown. She says that traveling is fun, learning new things, seeing many beautiful sights, but still remembering her hometown in Quang. During her short days in Kunming, she tried many typical Chinese dishes with lots of spicy, hot spices and full of the aroma of Chinese medicine, but it did not suit her taste.

The local climate is also not pleasant. Returning to her hometown, the young teacher concluded: “No matter how far or how long she travels, her hometown is always her final destination. She can only eat delicacies a few times, but home-cooked meals are never to be missed.” In her travel notebook, she noted down a few destinations with the intention of “saving them for a future trip with her family.”

After the spring days in Da Lat, Duong and her husband returned to Da Nang. During the first two days of spring, the small family looked at each other happily: "No matter where we go, home is still the place to return to."

Source: https://baoquangnam.vn/binh-yen-tren-nhung-chang-duong-3149391.html