Ta Nang Phan Dung a trekking route that you should try once in your life

Nhat Quynh, 25 years old, shares detailed experiences of the Ta Nang Phan Dung trekking trip.

Some details about the Ta Nang Phan Dung route

Ta Nang Phan Dung is known as one of Vietnam's most beautiful trekking routes. The starting point is in Ta Nang commune, Duc Trong, Lam Dong, extending through green grass hills and vast pine forests and ending in Phan Dung commune, Tuy Phong district, Binh Thuan. This trek route lasts 28km on foot, and people's homemade motorbikes travel the last 7km.

Also read: Review trekking Phong Nha - Ke Bang (Quang Binh, VN) 3 days 2 nights

Trekking to Lung Cung Peak

Journey to conquer Ta Nang Phan Dung Peak

We drove by bus from Ho Chi Minh City at 11 p.m. and arrived in Ta Nang at 5–6 a.m. The group stopped for breakfast at a small restaurant near the forest's edge. The menu here has pho and noodles, the taste is quite delicious, and the servers are enthusiastic. After personal hygiene and eating, the whole group will prepare their costumes and warm up gently before starting the trip.

Next to the restaurant, there is a local grocery store. This is also the only store on the trip, so if you need to buy anything, please take advantage of it!

Day 1 itinerary

The road in the first stage is mainly a gentle slope, with only a few muddy sections due to the rain the previous day; the rest is mostly flat roads and green grass. We walked among the coffee, tomato, and passion fruit gardens of local people.

The sky is blue, the air is cool, and the pine forests whispering in the wind soothe the soul. Our group stopped for lunch on a faraway hill; we could see clouds playing on the pine trees.

In the afternoon, we crossed the terrain, endless green hills with the highlight in the middle being the red strip of land of the highlands. The road gradually sloped up; we reached the top of Ta Nang Phan Dung mountain, 1110m high. Even though it was very tiring, everyone felt it was worth it and enjoyed the mountain atmosphere. After that, we moved back to the camp to rest overnight. The journey back to the camp was really difficult.

Sudden uphill and immediate downhill, deep and long downhill slopes with no end in sight. The final slope at the end of 16km on day 1 stood tall after our group descended a super long slope.

At night, we gather together to eat, sing, and chat. Although the camp is far from people's houses, we can eat delicious dishes such as grilled chicken, beef porridge, grilled corn, baked potatoes, etc.

Day 2 itinerary

On day 2, we went through Binh Thuan province. The road is mainly a gentle slope, passing through dipterocarp forest, seeing countless beautiful things here. The typical vegetation is green forests in the rainy season, the temperature gradually increasing, and the sky is both high and clear.

We took a lunch break in a clear stream, soaked our feet, relaxed, and ate together. The forest is full of life in the season of green leaves, and yellow and white butterflies flutter in the moist lands. In the afternoon, we continued our journey among bamboo forests, flowers and grass and occasionally sat and rested on large, undulating but sturdy rocks. This land used to be the sea, but after many years, the terrain changed, so when walking in this forest, above your head will be a shady canopy of green trees; under your feet is a thick layer of white sand, an extremely interesting feeling.

The 12km of day 2 was not too strenuous; we left the forest and ended the trip with a 30-minute "jungle grab" on the last 8km of the road in Binh Thuan.

Impressive things

Nature and people

Ta Nang Phan Dung, in the rainy season, is covered with an endless green colour. Walking on this road makes people feel relaxed and amazed by the vast and beautiful nature. Most of the locals are Churu (Ta Nang commune) and Raglai (Phan Dung commune), are extremely hospitable and have a deep understanding of nature and local culture.

The night sky at Ta Nang Phan Dung

The sky is full of stars, and the cold air is extremely pleasant. After dinner, we went out to watch the stars, telling each other many stories amidst the sounds of the mountains and the camp lights.

Dawn on Ta Nang Phan Dung peak

The alarm rang once, and I woke up immediately. Open the tent door; sunrise is right before your eyes. Below is a dreamy green forest in the mist, and above is a red horizon welcoming a new day. That glorious scene will be an unforgettable experience in my life.

Some important note

Check the weather before going if you go during the rainy season. The soil is red basaltic, so it will be very muddy and difficult to move if it rains. However, suppose you are in good health and want to increase the difficulty of challenging yourself. In that case, this is also an interesting choice.
Prepare appropriate clothing, especially trekking shoes. It would be best to choose light, sweat-absorbent clothes and anti-slip shoes of the appropriate size. Because you will have to wear a backpack throughout the journey, minimize the items you bring to save energy.
Exercise before going. This is quite a heavy route for beginners, so if you are sedentary, practice about 2 weeks before going. You can walk, jog, and climb stairs to get used to the exercise.
Do not litter, and do not affect the vegetation as well as the ecosystem of the entire road.