Vast terraced rice fields on Ngoc Linh Mountain in Kon Tum Province in the Central Highlands are considered a version of the northwestern region. If tourists do not have time to travel to the north, tourists may choose to enjoy the ripe rice season in Kon Tum instead.
Ngoc Linh Mountain is home to Xe Dang ethnic people. The mountain is in Ngoc Linh Nature Reserve whose terraced rice fields on hillsides are unique in the background of majestic mountains and forests.
Although these fields are smaller than those in the northwestern region, they have their own beauty. The rice fields through which flowing streams run are dotted with stilt houses of the Xe Dang people.
The local scenery keeps its beauty all year round. Yet, according to some travel bloggers who have visited Ngoc Linh, the ripen rice season is the best time to enjoy that beauty.
First-timers to Ngoc Linh should stay overnight in Tu Mo Rong Village one day before their exploratory trip on the following day. They may as well ask locals for a place to crash out on the way. Travelers also should prepare raincoats and warm clothes in case that the weather turns chilly.
Conquering Ngoc Linh—the highest mountain in the Central Highlands at a height of 2,598 meters —will be without doubt an interesting experience tourists should not miss. Moreover, “Indochina T-Junction” in Bo Y Commune, Ngoc Hoi District in Kon Tum Province is also worth a visit. The spot is a place where the borders of Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos meet.
The yellow season on Ngoc Linh Mountain exposes the unique beauty of a mountainous region whose terraced rice fields embrace the mountain sides. As a side note, visitors to the region during the season can enjoy gong performances played by local people to celebrate the harvest season.
How to get there
Tourists should catch a coach departing HCMC for Kon Tum. Then, hire a motorbike and follow National Highway 14E and Provincial Highway 672 which leads to Tu Mo Rong Village. Next, tourists will get to Ngoc Linh Commune in Dak Glei.
By Ta Thanh Sang
