Hello camping lovers,
How long has it been since your last camping trip? Me and my friends just had a great camping trip last weekend. Most of us are working people, so the weekend is the best time for all of us. After a busy working week in the crowded city, we all decided to have a camping trip in a remote and natural place. And the place that we chose is a hidden spot in the mountains of Hoa Bac - Da Nang.
The camping site that we chose was a small ground on the bank of Song Bac stream in Hoa Bac mountain region. This ideal location is surrounded by mountains, forests and a beautiful stream. In particular, this is a hidden spot, not many people know about it and it is far from residential areas. I was fortunate to have discovered it during my previous exploration of Hoa Bac mountains. I even named it on the map so I don't forget it. The campsite is located about 35km from Da Nang city center, it took us about 1h to drive there by motorbike. We together prepared food, drinks and camping equipment on Saturday morning, and set off from the city center around 2pm. However, we weren't able to drive our motorbikes all the way to the campsite but had to park our motorbikes nearby and walk and wade across streams to reach the campsite. In this season, the water level of the stream is quite high, some members of us had difficulty wading through it. However, with the help of other members, we all made it to the campsite.
We reached the campsite around 3:30pm, rested a bit, prepared the ground and set up the camps. Then we went around to explore nature and went swimming. There is a lake near the campsite which is created by the flow of a stream. And it became our wonderful natural swimming pool. The water there was very clear, clean and cool, so we all enjoyed it very much. While everyone looked very relaxed in the water, I went around to discover the beauty of the surrounding nature.
Located in the middle of a large forested area, the location is completely quiet. We didn't hear anything but running water, wind and birdsong. Because it is located next to the stream, the flora there is also very green and rich. There are plants that grow on land, in water and even on rocks. The rocks there are also very beautiful thanks to the erosion of the water after a long time. We easily found some small, flat rocks to serve as a table for dinner. Different from the crowded city with houses, vehicles and people, we only saw trees, mountains, clouds and sky over there. We enjoyed the nature there so much that we only returned to the campsite and started preparing for dinner when it got dark.
And when it got dark, we went back to the campsite to make a fire to prepare for dinner. In the vast dark space of the mountains and forests, our camping area was the only bright spot. At night, it was quite cold there, and we all sat around the campfire and eagerly prepared for dinner. Speaking of dinner, we didn't have anything special but just the usual dishes like grilled chicken and pork, pancakes, vegetables, some fruit and beer. However, camping dinners are always the best meals. There is nothing more wonderful than sitting by the fire, under the chilly air, eating warm food, drinking beer and chatting with friends.
After dinner, we continued drinking beer and playing poker. And you know, the losers had their faces painted with charcoal by the winners. Although the result of the game was that all of our faces were covered in coals, we all had a lot of fun and laughed a lot during the game. It wasn't until midnight, when some of us were sleepy, that we went to the stream to wash our faces and go to bed. It was so quiet at night over there, I didn't hear anything except the sound of running water and insects. Looking through the net of the tent, I could see a sky full of stars. We joked that we were sleeping in a "thousand-star" hotel 😁. It was a wonderful show of sound and light.
After a good night's sleep in our "thousand-star" hotel, I was the first to get up at 5am. I am always eager to get up early on camping trips to enjoy the sunrise, fresh air and natural beauty in the early morning. When I woke up, the sky wasn't quite clear yet. Although it was still dark around, I could see a bright red area at the end of the horizon. It was very interesting to see the sun rise and things slowly lighten up. The sound of insects was gradually replaced by birdsong, but the sound of running water was still there. The morning there was wonderful, the air was fresh, the atmosphere was quiet, the mists made the view even more beautiful. My friends also got up later to welcome and warm up under the first rays of sunlight.
After that we were around the fire again to warm up and prepare breakfast and coffee. Thankfully, we all slept well and everyone looked energized. Our breakfast was just grilled sweet potatoes and corn, but we were all happy. And like any other camping trip, I was the coffee maker for everyone, the coffee was from my family's coffee plantation. I used a moka pot to make coffee and we used beer cans as coffee cups. I was very happy that everyone enjoyed the coffee. We continued to sit around the fire, chat and enjoy the cool morning in the fresh nature until the sun was high, and then we packed the tents and cleaned up the campsite before heading back to the city.
Thank you for taking the time to read my post. We had a great camping trip in a beautiful place over the weekend. We were all very happy with it and ready for a new working week. I hope you enjoy it too and have a great week.