Find peace at Tri An Lake

Tri An Lake is not far away.

Tri An Lake is an artificial lake located on the Dong Nai River, spanning the districts of Vinh Cuu, Dinh Quan, Thong Nhat, and Trang Bom in Dong Nai province. It serves as a water reservoir for the Tri An hydroelectric power plant.

Like other tourist destinations near Saigon, Tri An Lake is a popular choice for young people on weekends. People come here to enjoy the cool air, the peaceful and rustic scenery, and to savor delicious fresh seafood caught directly from the lake.

SUP PADDLEBOARDING ON TRI AN LAKE

Our group left Saigon at 1 PM, traveling along National Highway 1A and then turning towards Vinh Cuu, Dong Nai, to reach Tri An Lake. After two hours of motorbike riding, we arrived at Tri An Lake at exactly 3 PM.

The first thing the group did was set up the tents. Once that was done, we all took out our SUPs to paddle on the lake. I was incredibly excited about Truong's SUP. Perhaps it was because it was my first time paddling a SUP on a lake, so I felt a strange sense of anticipation.

Then the SUP started gliding across the water. The lake was vast, and in the distance were endless green mangrove forests. Other groups were also paddling on the lake, everyone playing incredibly fun games. A SUP only allows one or a maximum of two people to paddle. But the group of six took turns carrying each other on the SUP, causing it to capsize. They all plunged headfirst into the water. Then, half-crying, half-laughing, they struggled to climb back on. It was truly hilarious.

Near the shore, the water has a greenish color due to the algae clinging to the surface. Moving towards the middle of the lake, the water color changes from greenish to its natural color.

The cool water rising from the lake made me feel incredibly comfortable. The weather was beautiful, the sunlight shining down on the boats of the fishermen casting their nets to bring in their catch for tomorrow. I heard that Tri An Lake is famous for its catfish, and people from the city come here on weekends just to enjoy the catfish caught from the lake.

As evening approached, we returned to the campsite to prepare for the BBQ party that evening.

EAT RIGHT ON THE STOVE

At night, Tri An Lake becomes even more enchanting and magical. The tents change their colors. Yellow lights illuminate the tents, inside them, and even the places where we cook… Our group started a fire, lit the stove, and grilled seafood. Today we had many dishes: catfish, squid, oysters, chicken feet, beef rolls, and even Thai hot pot.

Then everyone started grilling. The aroma of fish, squid, oysters, and even Thai hot pot wafted up from the grill, making me unable to resist my craving. Then everyone passed around cans of refreshing Tiger beer. Perhaps, unable to wait for the moment when all the dishes were cooked, we ate right on the grill while we cooked. And then we shared funny stories about our lives.

Next to our tent were some students. Because of that, everything was much more lively. They put on popular youth songs, then stood up and danced enthusiastically. When they were exhausted, they sat down, took out their guitars, and sang.

It was late at night, and I stepped out into the open field. I looked up at the twinkling stars in the sky. Because it was quite far from the town center, Tri An Lake was shrouded in darkness. Instead, the stars in the sky had the opportunity to show off their brilliance. The entire sky was full of stars, shining brightly, breathtakingly beautiful. Time to go back to the tent to sleep; today had been more than enough.

DAWN AND YOUTH

At 5 a.m., instinctively, my eyes opened. My ears listened to the whispering of people. Outside the tent, everyone else was also stirring to greet the sunrise.

Outside, the wind was chilly. It was still early morning, but some people were already paddling their SUPs back. When I asked Truong, the team leader of NowTrip, he said, "He paddled out to the middle of the lake to sleep, and then came back to shore in the morning!!!"

At 5:30 a.m., the sun, like a ball of fire, glowed red and slowly reflected onto the lake's surface, resembling a giant canvas. The water was calm and peaceful. People left the camp to immerse themselves in the moment of the new day.

Amidst that peaceful atmosphere, people didn't forget to do gentle things for each other. A young couple walked hand in hand to the swing and asked me to take some beautiful photos of them. Another group sat on the paddleboards, gazing out at the lake. Still others climbed onto paddleboards and moved out into the middle of the lake. The scene was incredibly romantic and poetic.

Take a deep breath and welcome the new day. The air here is so pleasant. I returned to the camp and, along with my comrades, took out some noodles and coffee to enjoy. The coffee smelled wonderful, and the noodles were delicious. Well, youth is fleeting, so let's enjoy it while we can, because we'll soon have to return to the bustling city.

SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Buy a tour:A 2-day, 1-night tour exploring Tri An Lake is priced at 950,000 VND for groups of 10 or more. These tours are offered by various professional camping and trekking tour operators in Southern Vietnam.

Rent a campsite:If you're not going on a tour, you can invite your friends to go camping at Tri An Lake. It's necessary to rent a campsite and cooking equipment in advance because it gets very crowded on weekends. Contact Camping Mặt Trời Sunrise located right at Tri An Lake to rent a campsite and camping gear.

Clothes:The moments of sunrise and sunset at Tri An Lake are breathtakingly beautiful. Remember to bring nice clothes and even a bikini to capture some romantic and picturesque photos.

Xu Kien