Buzz
I boasted to everyone that this weekend I'm heading to 'Quảng Trị' for a little adventure. From family to friends, even colleagues, they all asked me, 'What's in Quảng Trị?' Everyone knows my travel style is all about adventurous exploration, trekking through forests and streams, while Quảng Trị is renowned for its historical significance, deeply rooted in the wartime era. As the first stories about my Quảng Trị adventures started to surface, I immediately received a flood of astonished messages because nobody believed it was Quảng Trị.
A charming bungalow nestled atop a sun-drenched hill, a vast azure lake surrounded by colossal wind turbines, or a surreal wind farm amidst the clouds, all of these have truly captivated me in the Western region of Quảng Trị.
But why call it the 'Western region of Quảng Trị'?
A colleague of mine, born and raised in Hướng Hóa - Western Quảng Trị, once told me, 'If you crave the atmosphere of Đà Lạt but dislike crowds and urbanization, then come to my hometown.' So, off I went!
Hướng Hóa, a mountainous border district situated along National Highway 9 connecting Laos, Thailand, Myanmar, and Central Vietnam. It's home to three main ethnic groups: Pa Kô, Vân Kiều, and the Kinh people. Hướng Hóa is ideal for 'backpacker-style' tourism due to its predominantly majestic mountainous terrain, with winding roads mainly traversing through mountain passes, complemented by hundreds of rivers and streams crisscrossing throughout.
The breathtaking scenery of Western Quảng Trị
The ideal time to visit Western Quảng Trị
From May to August, Quảng Trị experiences the influence of Laotian winds, resulting in hot and sunny weather. Meanwhile, from September to January is the rainy season, with the period after Tet holiday until around May considered the ideal time to visit Quảng Trị. However, if you don't mind the sun and wind, you can visit Quảng Trị from February to July.
Sunset in Hướng Hóa
Where to stay in Western Quảng Trị?
No matter how many times you ask me, the answer remains the same: Năm Mùa Bungalows. Truly, this is an incomparable accommodation. Though the road to Năm Mùa is quite distant, about 25km of winding mountainous roads from the central area and main tourist spots, its seclusion offers unparalleled tranquility.
The highest hilltop house
Spacious bungalows for only 400,000 VND/night
Entirely made of wood
Năm Mùa is situated on a hill featuring vintage-style bungalows crafted from wood or recycled from old machine crates. Each bungalow is named after places like Vân Đài, Giáng Hương, Hoàng Thảo,... And what I love most about these bungalows is the front balcony area, where you can simply open the door and immerse yourself in nature, breathing in the fresh air and listening to the melodious chirping of birds.
The incredibly poetic balcony area
Gardens overflowing with flowers and foliage within the premises
A variety of flowers abound
Exploring Western Quảng Trị journey
The solitary tree
The area of solitary trees is one of the most beautiful spots in the Hướng Hóa region, with a vast, deep blue lake surrounded by towering mountains. Later, the construction of gigantic wind turbines around the area made it even more popular.
The deep blue lake with countless wind turbines
The incredibly charming solitary tree
The ideal time to visit the solitary tree is at dusk, although you won't see the sunset from this direction, the atmosphere in the evening is super chill, with gentle breezes, shimmering lake waves, and wind turbines spinning against the backdrop of the blue sky and white clouds.
Cu Vơ Peak
Cu Vơ Peak is located at kilometer 10 of Hồ Chí Minh Road, 2km further from the Khe Sanh monument, take a left turn. This is considered the best spot to witness sunrise and capture beautiful clouds in Hướng Hóa. But if your morning schedule doesn't fit, you can come here in the afternoon, after visiting the solitary tree.
From atop Cu Vơ Peak
Super cool photo spot
This section of the road is quite steep, but the beautiful concrete road makes it quite easy to traverse. When you reach the top of Cu Vơ, you'll see the Hướng Linh wind farm and the Rào Quán reservoir below.
Note: Remember to time your return as clouds tend to roll in quickly in the late afternoon at the peak!Hướng Tân Wind Farm
Hướng Hóa is considered the 'capital' of renewable energy, especially wind power; wherever you go, you see wind turbines all around. And the wind power paradise of Hướng Hóa is none other than Hướng Tân.
Wind power paradise
It's worth getting up at 5 in the morning
The sun is high, but the clouds still linger around
I stumbled upon a video showing wind turbines engulfed in clouds with the rising sun. After scouring information everywhere, I luckily found a local guide video on cloud hunting. So, at 5 a.m., I embarked on a nearly 30km 'adventure' from Năm Mùa. As I turned into the Hướng Tân area, there was absolutely no one around. The path from the main road to the cloud hunting spot was about 2km. I followed the clouds and wind turbines, but deep down, I was truly scared. Running along a long stretch with nobody around, just towering wind turbines, occasionally the blades turning startled me. So, the advice is if you want to hunt clouds in Hướng Tân, you should form a team of at least 3-4 people.
Absolutely mesmerizing
The 'lonely' wind turbines
Just want to keep stopping for photos endlessly
Cafe Homi
Homi is a cafe nestled against the mountainside right along National Highway 9, easily visible when passing by. I'm not comparing, but from Homi's perspective, I feel like I'm in the remote regions of our homeland - Hà Giang, with the small river embraced by mountain ranges below and the ethereal white clouds floating above, an incredibly liberating sensation.
Cafe Homi
Every corner is beautiful
Beverages here are simple, priced around 30,000 VND - 40,000 VND.
National Highway 9 is always bustling with traffic, especially buses and containers, so you need to be extra careful when crossing the road.
The sầu đâu tree blooms with pristine white flowers.
Western Quảng Trị has truly taken me from one surprise to another. I was born and raised in Huế, spent almost my entire youth exploring Vietnam, but inadvertently overlooked my 'neighbor' just a 2-hour drive away. If you're passionate about mountains, and enjoy experiential travel, then don't miss out on Hướng Hóa!
Author: Hoàng Linh Hà
*Article participating in Mytour Golocal program
Mytour Golocal is a blogging program introducing beautiful destinations across Vietnam, part of the Mytour Go & Share program. It's a wonderful opportunity to promote local travel to everyone. For each qualifying article, you'll receive 800,000 VND and a chance to become a Contributor with Mytour. Details about the program can be found at: https://trv.lk/golocal
