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In the southernmost corner of the country, amidst the endless waterways and vast wetlands, lies a forest that quietly keeps the earth’s rhythm alive. U Minh Ha National Park, at the core of the Ca Mau Biosphere Reserve, is a place where nature never stops moving, where the call of birds and the scent of cajeput resin blend with the morning sun like a gentle greeting from the forest itself.
Detailed info and location of U Minh Ha National Park on ExoTrails
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Among the Cajeput Trees
About forty kilometers from Ca Mau city center, U Minh Ha National Park rests on thick peat soil, where cajeput trees grow densely, their grey mossy trunks and slender leaves rich with essential oils. Beneath the canopy thrives a layered ecosystem: monkeys, otters, pangolins, pythons, turtles, and hundreds of freshwater bird species. Together, they create a dense ecological network, where every breeze seems to carry a spark of life.
From the 24-meter-high observation tower, the view stretches endlessly. Green follows green, with only the sounds of wind, wings, and rustling leaves breaking the silence — a melody that makes a person feel small, yet deeply connected, realizing they are part of the forest.
Waterways, Honey Trails, and the Rhythm of Life in U Minh
During the rainy season, the forest is submerged under reflective waters. Boats glide silently along the canals, past rows of cajeput trees and the smoke from fishermen’s stoves as they roast freshly caught fish. In U Minh Ha National Park, where paths are drawn by water waves, everything slows down: the splash of fish, the dip of oars, the buzzing of bees at noon.
U Minh honey is the forest’s gift, born from the pale yellow cajeput blossoms and the tireless work of millions of bees. From December to June, forest honey gatherers venture deep inside to harvest golden blocks of honey, tasting the young bees entwined with the sweet nectar — a flavor both raw and exquisite, like inhaling the entire forest in a single spoonful.
Traces of Memory and Time
U Minh Ha National Park also preserves stories from the resistance era. It once served as a revolutionary base and a hideout for southern leaders. Amid the cajeput trees, history remains present; silent, yet never fading.
Perhaps it is this blending of human memory and nature’s recollection that gives this land its ineffable beauty. Every tree trunk, every canal seems to narrate the story of life, and of how humans once lived with, not against, the forest.
The Flavors of the Forest
Venturing deeper into U Minh Ha is entering a world of scents and tastes:
- Grilled field fish with the aroma of smoke mixing with golden crispy skin.
- Braised eel with nonu leaves, mildly spicy with the earthy fragrance of damp soil.
- Fermented bee sauce, golden-brown and thick, as intoxicating as sunlight through the canopy.
- Banana leaf steamed garden chicken, the sweetness of the meat mingling with a hint of leaf bitterness.
All of these are the forest telling its story through taste — familiar, earthy, yet surprisingly refined.
The Forest is Still Breathing
U Minh Ha National Park is more than a destination. It is an invitation to reconnect with nature; a silent dialogue between people and forest, between modern life and primal memory.
Standing atop the observation tower, feeling the wind on your face and inhaling the rich scent of cajeput, you realize: the forest is still breathing, and in that moment, so are you — truly alive.
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