Initial touching on "abdomen
Instead of choosing to rest at a hotel after a long journey, I decided to rent a motorbike in Ca Mau and then drive straight towards the sea. From the green forest stretch leading me through the Monument Complex commemorating the train gathering to the North at Song Doc, then stopping at Hon Da Bac National Historical Relic Area. When the sunset began to set, dyeing a whole area of sky and water red, I stood silently in front of the vast sea and sky.
For the first time, I truly sympathized with the two words "vast" of Ca Mau - a concept that I myself had previously only seen through film footage or geographical books. That evening, returning to the center, I still had the aftertaste of that vastness in my heart, restlessly waiting for the journey to explore the melaleuca forest the next morning.
At exactly 6:30 AM on Sunday morning, I was present at U Minh Ha National Park (NP). Contrary to the usual quietness of the old forests that I had visited, the atmosphere here was unusually bustling and dynamic. Thousands of people from all over flocked to participate in the "Ca Mau Forest Fragrance 2026" event.
The first interesting thing lies in the cross-forest cross-country race. In the crowd, I did not see tense faces racing to win prizes, instead interspersed with leisurely steps to enjoy. We walked amidst the pure fragrance of cajeput, inhaling the fresh air and passionately observing the monkeys boldly crossing branches right next to the walkway. At this moment, all the fatigue of city life seemed to disappear.
Breathing in the forest
The climax of the event lies in the monkey bridge challenge area. Although the cajeput forest water is characterized by its alum yellow color, dozens of people still patiently lined up waiting for their turn to experience it. Enthusiastic cheers and cheerful laughter echoed non-stop whenever someone lost balance and fell into the water.
Mr. Nhat Linh (a tourist who just completed the challenge) excitedly shared: "I have been walking on monkey bridges and also practiced keeping my body steady, but coming here, under the pressure of skills, time, cheers, the feeling of nervousness made me walk unsteadily and then fall into the water. Anyway, this is still a very fun experience, because walking on monkey bridges in the forest is really hard to find for the second time in my life".
According to information from the Ca Mau Electronic Information Portal, U Minh Ha National Park is one of the 3 key wetland conservation points in the Mekong Delta, recognized by UNESCO as the core area of the Ca Mau Cape World Biosphere Reserve since 2009. With a total area of 8,527.8ha (and a buffer zone of 25,000ha), the garden is structured into 3 specialized sub-zones to conserve the melaleuca forest ecosystem on mud coal land, restore resources and provide administrative services.
This place possesses a rich biodiversity with more than 150 plant species and hundreds of animal species, including many birds, animals, reptiles and rare aquatic products listed in the Vietnam and World Red Books. Located in a tropical monsoon climate with two distinct rainy and dry seasons and a unique hydro-regulating dyke system, U Minh Ha plays the role of an important "green lung", contributing to environmental protection and maintaining sustainable ecological balance for the region.
Perhaps that's why the activities taking place inside the National Museum that day made people and tourists feel like they were immersed in the purest natural space, a place to listen to birds singing, a place with rustling leaves to feel the tolerance of mother nature.
Living "in harmony
Leaving the center of the National Park, we crossed long, dark forest roads to reach Muoi Ngot Eco-tourism Area, to clearly see the soul of the culture of the melaleuca forest residents most clearly revealed through the traditional beehive keeper profession.
Next, we enjoyed dishes imbued with local flavor such as fatty bee salad, crispy fried bees, grilled catfish... Mr. Lam Duy Khanh (facility owner) - confided, tourists come here not only to eat but also to "live" with the forest through experiencing activities. It is the excitement of tourists, from young people to the elderly, that is the motivation for him to stick with and innovate every day, contributing to promoting the beautiful image of his homeland.
According to Mr. Tran Cong Hoang - Director of U Minh Ha National Park, the event is a traditional activity, an effective way for tourists to directly "touch" the ecosystem and the unique lifestyle of the people of the wetlands. From Don ca tai tu to OCOP products, all create a diverse tourism ecosystem.
Mr. Le Van Su - Vice Chairman of Ca Mau Provincial People's Committee - said that "U Minh Forest Fragrance" is not simply a festival, but also an affirmation of the aspiration to rise up of the southernmost land of the Fatherland. Through the event, the province wishes to introduce the unique beauty of U Minh melaleuca forest, the wetlands ecosystem and the Southern river culture to domestic and international tourists.
This is a leverage event, contributing to promoting the economic potential of ecotourism, gradually transforming resource potential into economic value" - Mr. Su expected.
New chapter for green tourism
It is known that the People's Committee of Ca Mau province has decided to approve the zoning plan for the construction of the U Minh Ha National Park eco-tourism, resort, and entertainment area, scale 1/2000. It is expected that by 2030, the tourist area will attract about 310,000 visitors per year, of which international visitors account for about 8%. Notably, the local tourism industry expects the overnight stay rate to reach 28%. On average, the infrastructure system here is ready to meet the needs of 800 to 1,000 visitors per day.
Director of U Minh Ha National Park - Tran Cong Hoang expressed that this is a great opportunity for U Minh Ha but there will also be challenging factors. "To create revenue to reduce the State budget, only ecotourism can be done. In that process, we always focus on forest protection, along with calling for investment, mainly from socialized sources" - Mr. Hoang added.
My trip ended unexpectedly with a downpour in the forest. Sitting in the car crossing the green melaleuca trees under the rain, I suddenly realized that Ca Mau has been and is writing a new chapter for tourism with a methodical strategy.
No longer doing fragmented tourism, Ca Mau chooses to cherish natural values and elevate them with professionalism. When each citizen is aware that they are a "tourism ambassador", "forest scent" U Minh will continue to write new stories, affirming Ca Mau's solid position on the green tourism map of the country and internationally.
