Discover the picturesque route in the middle of the Truong Son mountain range

Famous for its majesty, wildness and mystery, the western branch of Ho Chi Minh Road is attracting many young tourists who are passionate about conquering the road and exploring nature.

Cloud hunting on majestic mountain tops

Among the 30 provinces and cities that the Ho Chi Minh Trail passes through, Quang Binh and Quang Tri are the two provinces in the country that have both the eastern branch (main route) and western branch running through them. Quang Binh province alone is the locality with the longest Ho Chi Minh Trail system running through it, with a total length of 320 km (both branches). Km 0 of the western branch of the Ho Chi Minh Trail is at Khe Gat intersection, Xuan Trach commune, Bo Trach district, Quang Binh province.

Choosing a sunny day in the middle of spring, we returned to the western branch of the Ho Chi Minh trail, crossed the U Bo peak and the primeval forest of the Phong Nha-Ke Bang World Natural Heritage, then climbed the Sa Mu slope to go cloud hunting in Khe Sanh, Quang Tri province. The route, although not wide, is of good quality, with a full system of signs and, despite going through the forest, visibility is still guaranteed so that "backpackers" or those who love to travel can conquer the height of the western branch safely.

During the war, U Bo used to be a fierce place but now it is a primeval forest with beautiful and charming scenery. Stopping at the U Bo Ranger Station located right on the western branch, we were introduced by the station staff to the location where the ranger station stands at an altitude of 850m above sea level. From here, visitors take about 30 more minutes to climb to conquer the top of U Bo. From that observation position, visitors can easily take in the whole area, especially on sunny and clear days, Dong Hoi city with blue sea, white sand and undulating high-rise buildings appear, beautiful like a picture. Up to now, there has not been an official tour to the top of U Bo, so anyone who comes here, if in need, will be guided by the staff of the ranger station to climb to the top to "touch" the clouds and admire the primeval forest of Phong Nha-Ke Bang.

Tourists swing and cross Duong Cam waterfall in Dong Chau-Khe Nuoc Trong Nature Reserve.

Leaving U Bo, heading south, we arrived at the center of Truong Son commune, Quang Ninh district, then passed through the primeval forest of Dong Chau-Khe Nuoc Trong Nature Reserve of Quang Binh. If Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park is known as the "kingdom of caves", Dong Chau-Khe Nuoc Trong is home to many beautiful waterfalls and streams. This place is also a potential destination connecting with many famous tourist attractions of Le Thuy district such as: Bang hot mineral spring, Than Dinh mountain, Hoang Phuc pagoda, General Vo Nguyen Giap memorial house, Le Thanh Hau Nguyen Huu Canh mausoleum...

Foreign tourists cycle and observe animals in Dong Chau-Khe Nuoc Trong Nature Reserve, Quang Binh province.

Dr. Bach Thanh Hai, Director of the Management Board of Dong Chau-Khe Nuoc Trong Nature Reserve, said that with more than 22,000 hectares of primeval forest, Dong Chau-Khe Nuoc Trong is assessed by the World Wildlife Fund as one of the 200 centers with high biodiversity resources in the world. In particular, with a system of majestic hills, streams, and waterfalls, it is possible to develop various types of ecotourism and experiential tourism. Leaving Dong Chau, following the winding western branch of Ho Chi Minh Road, testing the strength of drivers and two-wheeled adventurers, about 70 km further, we stopped at famous ecotourism spots in Quang Tri province. That is Ta Puong waterfall, which is gaining much love from tourists for its idyllic, pristine natural scenery. Also in Huong Hoa district, there are many other beautiful and pristine destinations waiting for visitors to explore such as: Sa Mu pass, Brai cave or Ta Con airport historical site...

On Huong Tan wind power hill, Huong Hoa district, Quang Tri province.

Our final stop on the western branch of the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Quang Tri Province was Khe Sanh Town, with the highlight attracting tourists being the “wind power hill” on the legendary route. Hundreds of giant wind turbines rotate evenly, creating a majestic and poetic scene. On the vast green grassland, visitors can immerse themselves in the sea of ​​floating clouds, freely checking in to have rare souvenir photos. “Standing under the 145m high wind power pole with a giant 70m long fan made me very excited and overwhelmed, feeling so small and truly impressed by the works and products created by humans to serve life and economic development” - my companion shared.

Ecotourism development

Director of Netin Tourism Company Tran Xuan Cuong said that the west of the two provinces of Quang Binh and Quang Tri not only stands out with its wild natural beauty but also attracts tourists with its unique historical and cultural values, along with attractive experiential tourism activities. One of the major highlights is the Ho Chi Minh road, ranked in the top 10 most beautiful motorbike routes in the world. On this route, you can open tours to explore the majestic nature at Cha Cung-Cha Rao stream, Truong Son commune; explore Cha Loi cave in Ngan Thuy (Quang Binh) or bathe in Ta Puong waterfall, check-in "wind power hill", hunt clouds at Cu Vo hill (Quang Tri); visit historical sites; experience community tourism and local culture at Ho Rum village and Chenh Venh village (Quang Binh), experience the ideal backpacking route west of Truong Son.

Foreign tourists experience community tourism in the west of Le Thuy district, Quang Binh province.

Dr. Bach Thanh Hai said that Dong Chau-Khe Nuoc Trong Nature Reserve has planned eight types of tourism such as eco-tourism, adventure, resort, community...; nine eco-tourism routes and 18 tourism products in the form of forest environment leasing, joint ventures, and associations for development. In the immediate future, the Management Board is coordinating with Netin Tourism Company to organize a trial tour to explore nature with a system of two waterfalls: Duong Cam and Cong Troi. Although the number of tour visitors is not much, it is a good starting point for developing eco-tourism in Dong Chau-Khe Nuoc Trong.

According to Mr. Tran Xuan Cuong, with the tourism products being put into pilot exploitation, tourists are very interested in the trekking route, waterfall crossing and natural resource system on the western branch of Ho Chi Minh road. Currently, there are many international tourists traveling by motorbike from Hue to Phong Nha and vice versa on the western branch. "We cooperated with Quang Binh Tourism Club and partners to survey destinations along the western branch of Ho Chi Minh road in Quang Tri, bringing positive results, which is an important premise for opening eco-tourism and inter-provincial community tourism tours on this spectacular route" - Mr. Cuong said.

Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Quang Binh, Dang Dong Ha, said that according to the Planning of Quang Binh province until 2030, with a vision to 2050, eco-tourism on the Ho Chi Minh route belongs to two of the four key tourism clusters to affirm the brand of "Quang Binh tourism" on the international tourism map. That is cluster A with Phong Nha-Ke Bang tourist area, the goal is to develop this tourist area into a national and international tourist center with the typical product of cave exploration and cluster C in the southern area of ​​Quang Binh province is oriented to develop into a cultural, historical and resort tourism center.

Domestic and foreign tourists visit Ta Con airport, Quang Tri province.

However, compared to other clusters, the cluster of tourism development planning in the south of the province, especially destinations associated with the western branch of Ho Chi Minh Road, still lacks infrastructure to serve tourism development, typical products, and tourism activities are greatly affected by the weather. Currently, in this tourism cluster, there are not many official tours and routes, but they are only in the experimental form and the number is still limited. However, the initial steps show the attractiveness of the legendary route and typical tourism products here for young people, traveling in small groups, who like to explore and are good at "backpacking" tourism skills.

Mr. Tran Xuan Cuong said that the exploitation of eco-tourism on the western branch of Ho Chi Minh Road is still facing many difficulties. Along this route, the Bru-Van Kieu ethnic group mainly lives, economic conditions are still difficult, some areas do not have phone signal and electricity grid, commercial services are almost non-existent... so it is difficult to welcome guests. The western branch of Ho Chi Minh Road passes through the border area, so if international tourists want to stay or experience tours, they must register with the authorities a few days in advance. Meanwhile, many international visitors do not meet this regulation...

Under the overlapping Truong Son mountain range along the Ho Chi Minh trail in the western branch of Quang Binh and Quang Tri provinces, there is the wild and wonderful beauty of nature and the vitality of famous historical sites that have gone down in the history of the nation's heroic struggle. To "awaken" these potentials, localities need to conduct surveys and specific assessments as soon as possible, on that basis, there are solutions to exploit them effectively, contributing to creating attractive eco-tourism products. Building a tour connecting natural destinations in the middle of the Truong Son range and historical sites on the legendary road is not only to exploit the potentials and strengths of the land but also to pay tribute to the previous generations and contribute to "awakening" a residential area with many difficulties in the western border of the Fatherland.

Source: https://nhandan.vn/kham-pha-cung-duong-dep-nhu-tranh-giua-dai-ngan-truong-son-post865093.html