Buzz
Early morning at Tà Năng.
When Tà Năng is mentioned, it's sure to ring a bell for many travel enthusiasts, especially backpackers, due to its dense coverage. Located in Lam Dong province, Tà Năng passes through three provinces: Lam Dong, Ninh Thuan, and Binh Thuan, adorned with lush green meadows, majestic hills, and wild landscapes—a perfect place for camping and marveling at nature's masterpieces.
This article will cover the key aspects: overview, essential preparations, and detailed itinerary.
Overview
Starting the first trail.
Preparation
Food: Instant noodles, sausages, sandwiches, and cucumbers. These are the main dishes we consume during the 3 days. I don't recommend bringing rice as it can be cumbersome to cook and time-consuming. Additionally, some snacks for enjoyment like chocolate, rice cakes, candy, shredded pork, fruits, and vitamin C tablets.
Drinks: Each person should carry 3.5 liters of water (2 large bottles and 1 small bottle). After running out of water, we will use natural spring water. In addition, our group has arranged for an extra 30 liters of water and a chicken from the porter - our guide, who will carry it to the camping spots. Porter Hiện's contact: 0969.461.557.
Group's food.
Personal Items
Shared items
The most beautiful route in the journey.
Detailed itinerary.
Friday Night - Kick-off
You can choose the sleeper bus of Phuong Trang or Thanh Buoi, the 22:00 trip with a ticket price of 220,000 VND/person, from Saigon to Ta Hine intersection (Duc Trong). Arriving at 4:00 am on Saturday, you'll reach the Ta Hine intersection, call Mr. Cuong with a 7-seater car to pick you up at Da Loan Market for breakfast and essential supplies shopping (the market opens at 6:00). After that, he will transport the whole group to the edge of the forest to start the Tà Năng trek.Remember to call Mr. Cuong a week in advance to arrange transportation.
Contact information: Mr. Cuong: 01699.118.088, price 500,000 VND/7-seater car.
Preview of a fantastic breakfast before the journey.
Saturday – Day 1 - Exciting Start
The journey kicks off at 9:00 at the forest edge, the farthest point accessible by a 7-seater car. Follow the tracklog, passing through various landscapes such as rice fields, grassy hills, and pine forests. By 12:00, the group takes a break and has lunch on the tallest and longest hill (after conquering a few smaller hills), taking about an hour before continuing the journey in an excited and virtual-spirited mood.
As the first day is relatively light and energetic, seize the opportunity to capture beautiful scenes. However, balance your time to reach the camping spot before sunset.The whole group arrives at the Nui Lo intersection at 16:00, turning right to reach the Tiger Hill, where you'll camp overnight. Turning left continues the journey to Phan Dung. Depending on the actual situation, choose the highest and least crowded hill for a comfortable sunrise view and photos the next morning.
Our first-day camping spot
After selecting the preferred hill, the first thing to do is set up the tent for back support and storage. Then, divide into two groups: one for gathering firewood and the other for preparing dinner.After a few small steps, our group had a quite complete dinner: grilled chicken, grilled corn, sausage, a few cups of noodles, and a bright moonlit night (as our group coincided with the full moon, both nights staying were very bright and rain-free). A wonderful experience.
After finishing dinner, tidy up the activity area, gather all the garbage into the fire for burning, go to sleep early in the tent to rest. Be sure to close the tent tightly because there is a lot of dew at night.
Sunday – Day 2 - Challenging Day
We commence the new day at 5:00 am, with the primary purpose of admiring the sunrise and indulging in some 'virtual living.'After personal hygiene, the group has various tasks to allocate: fire team, preparing breakfast, setting up cameras for photography, and more.
Witness the sunrise and savor a cup of coffee.
The sun rises rapidly on the mountain peak. Within a minute of seeing the first sunlight, the sun is already high above the mountain range. The scene is quite stunning: the dawn is breaking, clouds surround, the air is refreshing, and the sky is chilly. All around are forests and mountains, with the laughter of the group blending with the unfamiliar sounds of burning wood, bird calls, etc. Another wonderful experience.
After 30 minutes of virtual posing and enjoying the weather, the whole group has breakfast with a familiar menu: rice with meat, instant noodles and sausages, accompanied by a fragrant morning coffee.After breakfast, the group takes the opportunity to clean up, dismantle the tents, pack things neatly into backpacks to prepare for the move. Note before leaving, it's essential to burn all remaining waste, especially items made of nylon.
The whole group gathers for breakfast.
Day 2 of the Tà Năng - Phan Dũng trekking journey kicks off at 7:00 am. The group continues to traverse fields, pine forests, and various hills of different heights. Due to the considerable distance, the group limits photo-taking, unless relying on the guide, who carries a camera for snapshots.
By 12:00 pm, the group takes a break and has lunch by a stream. Here, you can enjoy the natural 'fish massage' service.The water is refreshing, and the fish are quite abundant (whether they nibble your feet or not is a matter of luck, as some members get nibbled while others don't). The guide advises not to soak your feet under the stream for too long, as it can cause fatigue and muscle strain. However, the group indulges in foot soaking first and deals with the consequences later.
Tidy up and pack for the next move.
The lunch menu features familiar items: sandwiches, sausages, and cucumber.While eating, a sudden 'rain shower' occurs. Rainforest rain, to be precise. The rain isn't heavy, but it's persistent throughout the afternoon. By 1:30 pm,the group continues the journey in a damp atmosphere. Crossing through the forest, encountering slippery and steep paths, and strange insects become more prominent. An afternoon that consumes a lot of energy.
After a stretch, the guide stops the group, unloads all items from the vehicle. The group is unsure of the reason. After 30 seconds of discussion, it's revealed that the forest path is inaccessible for the vehicle, so they have to hide it in the woods and distribute the load from the vehicle.
The enchanting streams along the journey.
The trekking route from here to Yaly waterfall takes nearly 3 hours through the forest. As it's quite exhausting, the group's criteria are to stay lively as long as they hear laughter. Every few minutes, they encourage and tease each other. It's only now that they realize the importance of encouragement.
During the journey, they cross 4-5 streams, and whenever they feel tired at a stream, that's where they take a break. In other words, they rest at every stream by default.At 5:00 pm, the group reaches near Yaly waterfall and searches for a place to pitch tents since there's no flat ground at the foot of the waterfall.After setting up the tents, the whole group goes for a stream bath nearby. Anh Hien tends to the fire and grills meat for the entire team.
Yaly waterfall.
The second night's feast is more extravagant than the previous night because they have additional wine. The criterion for the night is to eat everything to lighten the load for the next day. Grilled meat, kimchi, dried pork, wine, moonlight, and shared stories. Another wonderful scene that I get to enjoy.After the feast, the entire group enters the tents to sleep. But tonight seems more difficult to sleep than the previous night. Perhaps because the ground is too rocky, or the night sky is quite hot, or maybe the alcohol content is not enough to bind the edges of slumber.
Sunday – Day 3 - The perplexing day
This morning is just like yesterday morning. We woke up at 5:00 am, the whole group did personal hygiene at the nearby stream. The group lit a fire to cook breakfast noodles and enjoy coffee.
Cooking rice.
Starting from the campsite, the group begins to explore Yaly waterfall. True exploration, as there is no clear trail from the tent to the waterfall. With forest trekking experience, the porter also has to explore new paths to reach the waterfall. Some parts are challenging, and the group even builds makeshift bridges to make it easier for the following team. Skills and stamina have limits; the group can only reach the 5th, 6th, or 7th tier of Yaly waterfall (a 7-tiered waterfall). You can see the waterfall from a distance, with a small stream flowing amidst the forest.
Returning to the tent, we pack up, take down the tent, and start at 7:00 am for the journey back.After 30 minutes, the group bids farewell to the guide, navigating the remaining route with the guidance 'just follow the stream.'At this point, without a guide and seeing the trail still far on the GPS track, confusion begins to set in.The entire group continues to walk, literally lifting their backpacks and walking.
After the trail ends, reaching a stream, with no path forward. In each such situation, a group member explores the path ahead and then returns to lead the way.
The path through Phan Dung.
On the third day, the trail primarily involves trekking through the forest, crossing streams, and encountering more wildlife. If you spot one caterpillar, look around a bit, and you'll see a whole family, a nest, a wildlife park in action. Sometimes, if you feel a slight touch on your body, take a pause for a moment to remove the caterpillar.
Reminiscing the sunrise in a distant place.
The journey concludes with a deep and peaceful sleep, along with unforgettable memories and experiences. We were present at4:00 am at the Eastern Bus Station, where members went home to freshen up and rest. By 9:00 am, we were at the company, ready to start a new workweek.
Above are some experiences and insights into the Tà Năng – Yaly – Phan Dũng trekking route. If anyone who has done this trek has additional insights, feel free to share.Wishing you a joyful journey and exciting experiences in Tà Năng - Phan Dũng!
Author: Chang Đường
*This article is part of the Mytour Golocal program.
Mytour Golocal is a blog program introducing beautiful destinations across Vietnam. This is a great opportunity to promote local tourism to everyone. For each qualifying article, you'll receive 800,000 VND and a chance to become a contributor with Mytour. For detailed information about the program, please visit: https://www.Mytour/en-vn/golocal
