On the map, Nha Phu Lagoon is a sea area starting from Luong Son (about 15km from Nha Trang City), curving around the entire Hon Heo peninsula. Located between two major bays, Nha Trang and Van Phong, Nha Phu Lagoon covers an area of about 1,500 hectares, of which mangrove forests account for about 40 hectares. There are many large and small islands with famous tourist attractions such as: Hon Da Bac, Hon Lao - Monkey Island, Hoa Lan Stream, Six Senses Ninh Van Bay Resort...
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| The main means of transport for villagers is motorboats. Photo: HOANG DUC |
If you go from Nha Trang City north along National Highway 1, past Luong Son, you will see the Nha Phu Lagoon sea area with thick green patches of mangroves along the highway. Turn down to any village, into hamlets such as: Luong Son, Cat Loi, Tan Thanh, Ngoc Diem, Tam Ich, Ha Lien... you will also reach Nha Phu Lagoon, see the peaceful scenery of fishing villages, markets selling fresh fish just caught, seafood processing scenes..., or enjoy typical fishing village dishes of Khanh Hoa such as: Banh Can, fish noodle soup, jellyfish noodle soup...
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| A corner of Nha Phu Lagoon. |
One day in early March, we visited Ha Lien village in Ninh Ha ward (Ninh Hoa town), a special village because seen from above, the village looks like an oasis standing out among aquaculture areas in Nha Phu Lagoon. From the turn-off to Ninh Ha, we followed Ben Do road and came to a junction with a sign pointing left to Ha Lien. The communal house is at the beginning of the village, followed by Hue Lien pagoda and the market... The paths in the village are paved with cement and especially have corrugated iron roofs for shade. Like many roads leading to the sea in fishing villages, however, the special thing here is that you will see a thick green mangrove area lying in the creeks, possibly on the other side are fields, ponds... We hired a boat to go out to sea from this creek.
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What was interesting for us was that in Ninh Hoa, it felt like we were traveling on a river region in the Mekong Delta, only difference being that our hometown has mountains surrounding it. That day, we only explored a small corner of Nha Phu Lagoon but were overwhelmed by its beauty. Mangrove trees grow in thick green clusters, wherever you turn you see mangroves. A few boats leisurely passed by on the lagoon, people casting nets, catching fish and shrimp... Here and there are fish and shrimp net pens. Over there is Hon Quai stretching long. In the distance is Phu Huu mountain. On our left is the Hon Heo mountain range running in undulating waves.
After a loop around the lagoon, when bringing us back, the boat driver also took us for an extra round on the creek around the village. The sound of oars gently stirring the water, the call of coucals, and surrounded by mangroves, it felt even more like traveling on the waterways of Ca Mau.
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Sitting resting on the porch of a house, we heard stories about the life of the local people, whose economy mainly relies on catching fish and shrimp. Depending on the season, the tide rises and falls; when the water recedes, a sandbar emerges in the lagoon, and villagers row boats out to catch fish, snails, oysters... Like this season, from early morning, people wear headlamps and go by boat to the sandbar, returning at 5 a.m. In May and June, they go during the day, for example, at 12 or 1 p.m. when the tide starts to go out, they go in the afternoon... If you come here at the exact time when the whole village goes to catch aquatic products, you will see many people on the sandbar catching crabs, snails... Many film crews have come to shoot this scene...
Returning to the coastal city of Nha Trang, the peaceful beauty of Nha Phu Lagoon and the simple, rustic nature of its people left us with a longing and a promise to return to this place many more times...
DAO THI THANH TUYEN
