Walk in Ta Lai: A Route Back to Childhood
Ta Lai may not be a famous landmark or a luxury getaway, but it still has enough charm to win your heart. This special journey takes you back to childhood, to wide rice fields stretching into the distance and forest roads full of southern Vietnam character.
INTRODUCTION TO TA LAI
Ta Lai Commune is located in Tan Phu District, Dong Nai Province, about 150km from Ho Chi Minh City. Most local residents belong to ethnic minority communities, mainly the Ma and S’tieng peoples. Ta Lai is an ideal destination for trips that seek fresh air and simple rural beauty. As it is only about 100m from Cat Tien National Park, the Ta Lai tour is also a chance to walk through the forest and learn about nature.
A PEACEFUL, SIMPLE TA LAI
Ta Lai opens before you as a peaceful Vietnamese countryside scene, with poetic stretches of rice fields and bicycles passing along roads shaded by trees. In the early morning, the green rice fields carry the scent of young seedlings, then shimmer under moonlight at night.
The rivers of southeastern Vietnam bring a cool, gentle breath to the air, giving Ta Lai a pure and refreshing feel. Woven into that are the lively sounds of birds typical of the countryside. You may come across the distinctive long houses of the Ma people, explore a centuries-old lagerstroemia forest, or admire a pink cassia forest blooming across the landscape, as dreamy as a scene from a film.
EXPERIENCES THAT TAKE YOU BACK TO CHILDHOOD
Ta Lai is like a ticket back to childhood days of flying kites and riding bicycles. Your mind can shake off everyday worries. In Ta Lai, you are simply a child excited by your own bright summer, surrounded by the people you love.
Camping and watching sunrise over the rice fields
Walk in Ta Lai connects you with nature through camping and a BBQ in the fields. Setting up pretty tents against a young green rice field and hosting a barbecue under a calm night sky is an experience worth trying at least once. It lets you watch sunset fall over the countryside, unlike the city where tall buildings often hide the sun.
When night dew begins to settle beneath the starry sky, you can hear the sounds of everything around you: insects singing, water flowing softly in the distance, and wind brushing through young rice plants. Each morning, lift your face, take a deep breath, and enjoy sunrise spreading across the rice fields in the cool air.
Flying kites like when you were little
When thinking of Ta Lai, it is easy to imagine a village scene on a summer afternoon: holding a small kite and running through the fields, breathing in the scent of rice as wind rushes past your ears. It is a familiar image, yet hard to experience in the city. Step away from the usual noise and let a light, peaceful feeling fill your soul.
Leisurely cycling on forest roads
For many of us, childhood is tied to a bicycle. On Walk in Ta Lai, you can turn back time, sit on a bike, and slowly ride along forest trails shaded by cool green canopies on both sides.
The trail before reaching Cat Tien National Park is flat and easy to travel. It is also a special stretch, with grassy patches one after another and grazing animals appearing in the distance, creating a rich countryside picture. As the wheels turn, the scenery shifts between forests, southern-style villages, and small streams crossing the fields. Your heart can simply relax into that quiet joy.
Visiting the animal conservation station
Another appealing stop on the Ta Lai tour is the animal conservation station. Leaving behind the poetry of the rice fields, you will walk through cool green forest to discover the fascinating diversity of local flora and fauna. The journey feels like the wildlife films we watched as children: insects with bright wings, many kinds of mushrooms with their own uses, and many other unique species.
Tasting cacao products, a seasonal activity
Most children love chocolate. If you visit in the right season, the cacao garden in Cat Tien National Park becomes a cacao world that may draw you in completely. Here, you can enjoy special tasting experiences with different cacao products such as fresh cacao, cacao smoothies, ice cream, cacao coffee, and cacao-fermented wine.
WHO IS THE TA LAI TOUR FOR?
Because this is a gentle Nature Walking route with Vietnamese countryside scenery and childhood-inspired activities, the Ta Lai tour is suitable for many groups and ages. You can travel with children to strengthen family bonds and create nature experiences for them, or go with friends to make beautiful memories together.
Some Walk in Ta Lai experiences with Tổ Ong include:
– Vietnam’s first campsite on a rice field
– Exploring a centuries-old lagerstroemia forest
– Childhood activities in the fields
– Cycling on the animal-feeding road
– Making chocolate by hand
– Visiting an ancient Konia tree and sitting on a swing beneath its shade
If you once missed a date with childhood, or wish to become a carefree child again in the bright summer sun, join Tổ Ong on a time-travel journey back to the rural land of Ta Lai and tell your own childhood stories.
