Exploring Beekeeping in U Minh Ha Forest, Cà Mau

On a blazing summer day, I revisited U Minh Ha National Park situated in U Minh and Tran Van Thoi districts, at the tip of Ca Mau peninsula. Encompassing over 8,000 hectares, U Minh Ha is one of the three core zones of the Mui Ca Mau Biosphere Reserve, boasting diverse ecosystems and abundant flora and fauna.

In particular, the mangrove forests within U Minh Ha National Park attract bees year-round, producing the famous tràm flower honey. Instead of consuming bottled honey, I ventured into beekeeping in U Minh Ha forest with beekeepers to harvest honey directly from the hives, indulging in fresh honey straight from the source.

Traveling to U Minh Ha National Park

I was fortunate to travel at the right time when some airlines had opened direct flights from Hanoi to Ca Mau, with a flight time of only about 2 hours. You can search for air tickets from Vietnam Airlines, Bamboo Airways, Vietjet Air, priced at over 2 million VND per ticket on the Mytour website.

Upon reaching Ca Mau, our group rented a bus to U Minh Ha National Park. U Minh Ha is approximately 40 km away from the city center of Ca Mau. The road is beautiful and flat, but there are some narrow sections and high barriers, so buses need to take alternative routes. Therefore, renting a motorbike or taking a taxi is more sensible.

If traveling from Ho Chi Minh City, you can either take a coach or drive yourself. Coaches usually depart in the evening and stop at the city center of Ca Mau. The ticket price for the Ho Chi Minh City - Ca Mau route ranges from 200,000 to 300,000 dong one way. You should research the bus companies and ticket prices at the time before booking.

If driving from Ho Chi Minh City to Ca Mau, you take the direction of QL1A and Quan Lo - Phung Hiep, taking about 7 - 8 hours for the approximately 300 km journey depending on driving speed and rest time.

Exploring the profession of 'beekeeping' in the U Minh Ha forest.

In the middle of the 11th lunar month, before the late rainy season showers, beekeepers venture into the forest to find suitable spots to set up beekeeping structures, attracting bees to build hives. Beekeeping structures are typically long branches of about 2 - 3 meters, erected in secluded areas, sheltered from the wind to avoid disrupting the beehives while still receiving sufficient sunlight.

Around March and April in the lunar calendar, small clusters of white silver cotton flowers bloom on the trees. The gentle fragrance of the flowers drifts with the wind, attracting swarms of wild bees to collect nectar and build hives.

Just half a month after the bees build their hives, they can harvest honey for the first time, locally referred to as 'bee feasting.' A bee hive can yield honey six times a year, with each harvest producing 3 - 4 liters of honey. Honey harvested during this season (the sunny season) is considered the finest and most valuable.

Beekeeping in the U Minh Ha forest alongside local villagers.

Visit Mr. Hon's Hương Tràm restaurant in Khánh An commune, U Minh district for lunch and indulge in their specialties such as fermented fish hotpot, grilled snakehead fish, and don't miss the 'bee pizza' suggested by the locals.

Mr. Hon presents a round cake resembling grilled rice paper, divided into triangular portions like pizza. True to its name, the main ingredient of this dish is wild bee larvae collected from the U Minh Ha forest.

I've never tried any insect-related dishes before, so initially I was a bit hesitant. But being in U Minh Ha and not trying all the local specialties would be a disservice to my stomach, so I closed my eyes and gave it a try.

The crunchy texture, rich flavor of bee larvae surprisingly delicious and not at all repulsive as I had imagined before. This taste is completely different from its somewhat unsightly appearance with the messy bee larvae on the surface.

Eating alone is not enough, so some of my group dared to accompany Mr. Hon into the forest to see how different the U Minh Ha wild bees are from regular bees. Mr. Hon reminded us beforehand that 'they're gentle but still sting,' which made me both scared and excited. So, at 2 p.m., after resting, we boarded a triangular-shaped boat driven by Mr. Hon to collect honey with the 'beekeepers' in the U Minh Ha forest.

The triangular boat, also known as a 'tac rang,' is a small motorized boat, diamond-shaped, with an additional engine at the rear. This is a common means of transportation in the provinces of the Mekong Delta and the riverine region of the Mekong Delta, especially during the flood season.

The triangular boat stopped at the riverbank, in front of a small path leading into the mangrove forest. Each of us was given a head net, while the expert beekeeper carried a coconut fiber smoker, plastic bucket, and honey-cutting knife as we ventured into the area of beekeeping.

The place we arrived at was a small beehive, with the entrance only about a meter wide and high. Despite having tasted honey many times, I had never seen a honeycomb up close, so I summoned up the courage to enter the hive.

On the beekeeping frame, the hive was tightly packed with bees, leaving no gaps. Without sunlight shining down from above, I wouldn't have recognized this black mass as a beehive, where the sweet honey flows.

Entering the hive while the bees were still alert, I nervously took photos, fearing they would swarm and attack. After about 2 - 3 minutes, I withdrew to let the beekeeper perform the 'anaesthetizing' task.

The beekeeper ignited the smoker placed in the bucket and then brought it into the hive. Disoriented by the smoke, the bees rushed out like a 'hive explosion,' the buzzing sound of their wings startling our group. Mr. Hon reminded us to stand still if bees landed on us, so I calmly took step by step, feeling anxious. Luckily, I didn't get stung throughout the trip.

The bee colony we obtained wasn't too large and didn't yield much honey, but for us, it still counted as an achievement in beekeeping. Two people carried the bee frame to a grassy area near where the boat was parked for us to enjoy directly. Along the way, some bees lingered, clinging to the hive without leaving.

Hexagonal cells nestled against each other on the hive's surface like a perfect arrangement of nature. The hive's edge, white in color, gradually turned yellow and then dark brown towards the center due to the accumulation of honey.

Pressing on the bee hive, the glossy golden honey oozed out, prompting some members of our group to quickly use banana leaves and water bottles to collect it because they didn't want to waste this premium natural honey.

Breaking off a piece of beeswax to taste directly, the sweetness and aroma of the golden honey directly assault the taste buds from the very first bite. Tram flower honey is clear and golden like orange juice, liquid and slightly sweeter than other types of honey such as longan honey or pomelo honey that I've had before.

I'm not fond of sweetness so I didn't eat much, but I was drawn to the colors and mesmerized by the beauty of the wild bee hive with its tiny hexagonal cells. Under the summer sun, the honey layer shines brightly.

After enjoying it, we took the bee hive back to Mr. Hon's restaurant to process it into bottled honey. U Minh Ha Tram forest honey has been registered for trademark exclusive by the Cà Mau Province Department of Science and Technology. You can buy a bottle of Tram flower honey at U Minh Ha for around 500,000 VND.

The right time to visit U Minh Ha.

The weather in U Minh Ha is divided into two distinct seasons: dry season from May to October and rainy season from November to April the following year. Visitors can explore this National Park at any time of the year.

However, to experience 'bee feasting,' it's best to visit from late May to August in the lunar calendar or from October to March in the lunar calendar.

Arriving at U Minh Ha, I sat on the triangular boat, gliding through the pristine mangrove forest and across the sedge fields, watching dragonflies, swallows, and kites soaring in the sky. But the most memorable experience of my trip was my first time beekeeping in U Minh Ha forest, where I was chased by bees.

If you ever find yourself in Cà Mau, the southernmost point of Vietnam, give beekeeping in U Minh Ha forest a try. It's one of the national intangible cultural heritages you shouldn't miss.

Mytour Golocal is a blogging program introducing beautiful destinations across Vietnam, under the framework of Mytour Go & Share program. It's a great opportunity to promote local tourism. For each qualifying article, you'll receive 800,000 VND and a chance to become a Mytour Contributor. Details of the program can be found at: https://trv.lk/golocal