Dances and wine on the plateau

Pom Coong Village in early morning

The winter cold is starting to ease so spring will soon be coming in the highland village of Pom Coong on Mai Chau Plateau in the northern province of Hoa Binh.

Early in the morning, when the mist is lifting, the Thai ethnic people of the village send their kids off to school and the women in colorful brocade dresses walk to the farm with wooden papooses on their backs. When the night falls, the stilt houses are warmed by the sounds of pan-pipes, drumming by the tribal boys, girls’ singing and laughter and stories around the fire.

The simple things link people together, making them love their village and make it more beautiful. Pom Coong has become a famous cultural and tourism village on the plateau.

A Thai woman and girl on their way to the paddy field - Photos: Mong Binh

The village has nearly 70 households with more than 300 people. Traditionally, at sunset, people sit in stilt houses, which are just a bean row apart, to talk together. Stilt houses of the Thai people are higher than other ethnic group houses. The bamboo floor is about two meters above the ground, held up by wooden pillars. The roofs are often made of leaves and windows are large for more air and for bird cages to hang.

In front of the stilt houses, Thai ladies  weave on looms to make brocade products to sell to tourists. The village is full of colorful products and colorful ladies.

Visitors to Pom Coong won’t forget the bamboo dances or Thai traditional dances by Thai boys and girls in the chill of the northern highlands. Enjoying specialties of Mai Chau Plateau and ruou can (wine drunk though a bamboo pipe from a jar) while joining in the dancing with Thai people by the fire, will be an experience that you will tell your friends about back home.

Have you made a plan for Tet holidays? If not, make a plan and pack a bag for Pom Coong.

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Life’s slow rhythm in Thi Tuong Lagoon

Thi Tuong Lagoon in Ca Mau Province - Photo: Phuong Kieu

Thi Tuong Lagoon, which spans the two districts of Cai Nuoc and Tran Van Thoi in the Mekong Delta province of Ca Mau, offers a slice of quiet rural life to tourists.

The lagoon covers about 700 hectares, is about 10 kilometers long and two  kilometers wide. It is divided into three parts - Dam Trong (Inside Lagoon), Dam Giua (Middle Lagoon) and Dam Ngoai (Outside Lagoon)

Dam Giua is the biggest part of the lake. The stilted houses of many shrimp farmers sit out on the lake’s surface while the surrounding shores of the lake are lined with water coconuts.

Early mornings at the lagoon are tranquil – the rays of the sun pierce the cover of palm leaves and the sapphire water that stretches for miles is as smooth as glass. Everything is silent except for the songs of birds.

Most of the people that live around Thi Tuong Lagoon have no idea about restaurants, resorts or entertainment areas. So it’s not the place to visit if you expect four star hotel doormen and modern facilities. But it is an Eden for nature enthusiasts. When you experience a visit to a stilt house on the lagoon you will feel the pace of life slow to a crawl.

The stilt houses are linked by old wooden gangways, that don’t look too safe, but when the friendly locals make it look easy, it helps you overcome your fear. After a few teas or wines the people that live in these stilt houses can tell some funny stories too and share about local customs. Or you can join them to go fishing.

The lagoon is named after Miss Tuong, one of pioneers of the area.

At night, by the light of the flickering oil lamp, hearing the sounds of crickets and insects and sitting together enjoying a meal made from the afternoon’s catch, you might imagine for a moment what it would be like to switch places with your host.

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