Tà Năng – Phan Dũng is a familiar name to those passionate about trekking and exploring long routes in the Central Highlands and Southeast regions of Vietnam. This place is known as one of the most beautiful trekking routes in Vietnam, a challenging yet attractive adventure that any trekker would want to conquer.
However, the Tà Năng – Phan Dũng trekking journey is not easy. It requires careful preparation, good physical condition, a strong spirit, and especially a steadfast will to not give up halfway. But don’t worry, with the detailed experiences and suggestions from “Du lịch khắp thế gian” (Discovery Throughout the World) below, your trip will be more complete and memorable than ever. Because the majestic beauty of the green grass hills stretching to the horizon, the pine forests whistling in the wind, and the unique, unforgettable experiences will surely not disappoint you when you set foot in this place.
Trekking Ta Nang – Phan Dung during the green grass season
1. Where is Tà Năng? Geographical Location and Terrain Characteristics
Tà Năng is a commune in Đức Trọng district, Lâm Đồng province, while Phan Dũng is a commune in Tuy Phong district, Bình Thuận province. The Tà Năng – Phan Dũng trekking route stretches through 3 provinces: Lâm Đồng, Ninh Thuận, and Bình Thuận, with a total length of about 55km, located within the Kalon Sông Mao Nature Reserve.
The terrain in the Tà Năng area is quite diverse. The beginning section at the forest edge is relatively flat with green grass hills and low shrubs. The deeper you go, the terrain becomes more challenging with consecutive hills and steep slopes. This unique terrain change creates a special attraction, making Tà Năng – Phan Dũng one of the most beautiful and challenging trekking routes in Vietnam.
Map showing the location of Ta Nang
With a long distance combined with the ruggedness of the mountains and forests, trekking Tà Năng – Phan Dũng attracts many people who love exploration and adventure. However, to ensure safety, especially for those without experience, hiring a porter (local guide) is essential. Porters not only help you navigate the route but also assist in carrying luggage, ensuring the trip runs smoothly and safely.
2. When is the Best Season to Trek Tà Năng? Green Grass Season and Golden Grass Season
Tà Năng – Phan Dũng 7-day weather forecast – source Dark Sky
Due to the terrain stretching across two provinces with two different climate types, the weather in Tà Năng and Phan Dũng also has certain differences. The area near Tà Năng has a cool climate similar to Đà Lạt, while Phan Dũng has a dry and hot climate like Phan Thiết, but slightly milder.
The special feature that creates the unique beauty of Tà Năng – Phan Dũng is the clear division into two seasons: the rainy season and the dry season. However, trekkers often refer to this place with two more familiar concepts: Green Grass Season and Golden Grass Season, to emphasize the characteristic beauty of this route at different times.
Best season to trek Ta Nang
2.1. Green Grass Season – Full of Vitality
The Green Grass Season, lasting from August to February of the following year, is loved by many trekkers for its freshness and clean air. This is considered the most beautiful time of year to trek Tà Năng – Phan Dũng.
However, the Green Grass Season also hides certain dangers due to erratic weather. It can be sunny and beautiful in the early morning, but just a few hours later, it can rain heavily. Rains help plants become greener and the air becomes fresher, but they also make the path slippery and stream water rise. Therefore, you need to be very careful when moving during this season, especially when climbing or descending slopes.
Trekking Ta Nang during the green grass season
2.2. Golden Grass Season – Romantic Beauty
The Golden Grass Season in Tà Năng brings a completely different beauty compared to the Green Grass Season. If the Green Grass Season brings freshness, the Golden Grass Season is attractive with its poetic beauty and dry, cool air. The Golden Grass Season usually starts from March to June every year.
During this season, the entire Tà Năng – Phan Dũng route seems to be wearing a new coat of golden brown. The hills and slopes all turn a brilliant golden color, especially at sunset, when the afternoon sun covers everything, further highlighting the natural beauty of this place.
Trekking Ta Nang during the golden grass season
Grass on the hill starts to turn red – Trekking Ta Nang golden grass season – photo by @btridgon (instagram)
It’s hard to give advice on which season to trek Tà Năng, because each season has its own beauty. If you love freshness and vitality, choose the Green Grass Season. And if you want to admire the romantic, poetic scenery, don’t miss the Golden Grass Season.
3. Directions to Tà Năng and Popular Trekking Routes
To get to Tà Năng – Phan Dũng, you can travel by motorbike, car, or bus. If you go by private vehicle, you need to park your vehicle at local houses in Tà Năng commune before starting the trekking journey. If you go by bus, you can hire a motorbike taxi to get to Tà Năng commune.
From Ho Chi Minh City, follow National Highway 1A or Long Thành – Dầu Giây expressway (CT01) to Dầu Giây, then turn into National Highway 20 towards Đà Lạt. At Tà Hine junction (in Đức Trọng, about 45km from Đà Lạt), continue through Đà Loan, Tà Năng, Đa Quyn communes, and when you reach the end of the concrete road, you will arrive at the forest edge.
The Tà Năng – Phan Dũng trekking route usually starts from the Tà Năng forest gate or Ma Bó forest gate, Makir village, and ends at Phan Dũng dam, Phan Dũng commune. The total length is about 55km, passing through rolling hills and mountains. About 90% of the route is trails and has many intersections. Tà Năng – Phan Dũng peak at 1160m and the 3-province border marker at 1,701m are attractive destinations, urging trekkers to conquer.
Currently, there are two main trekking routes to explore Tà Năng – Phan Dũng:
- Đồi Lính Route (35km): This is the most popular route, suitable for many types of trekkers, especially those with limited time. This route can be completed in 2 days and 1 night, ideal for weekend trips.
- Thác Yavly Route (55km): A longer and more challenging route, with many trails, intersections, and large and small streams. This route is suitable for experienced trekkers with good physical condition, usually taking 3 days and 2 nights to complete. This is also the route that this article wants to share in detail with you.
Map of Ta Nang – Phan Dung Trekking route
Note: If you choose the 3-day 2-night trekking route, the ending point will be in Bình Thuận, far from the starting point in Lâm Đồng. Therefore, you should not travel by motorbike or car to Tà Năng, but should take a bus for convenient travel after finishing the journey.
4. Prepare a Complete and Detailed Trekking Backpack for Tà Năng – Phan Dũng
Trekking Tà Năng – Phan Dũng is a multi-day journey, so careful preparation of your backpack is extremely important to ensure a smooth and safe trip. Below is a list of essential items you need to prepare:
4.1. Specialized Trekking Clothing
Trekkers often say: “There is no bad weather, only unsuitable clothing”. Clothing plays an important role in ensuring comfort and convenience throughout the journey. You should check the weather forecast before your trip to choose appropriate clothing.
What to prepare for Ta Nang Trekking
For example, if trekking Tà Năng in the Golden Grass Season, you should wear thin, light, multi-layered clothing to easily adjust to the temperature. If going in the Green Grass Season, you should bring warm clothes and quick-drying thin clothes to cope with sudden rains.
Some suggested clothing for your Tà Năng – Phan Dũng trekking trip:
- Windbreaker: Always necessary regardless of the season, helps keep warm and block wind, especially at different altitudes.
- Quick-drying pants: Choose thin, quick-drying, stretchy pants for comfortable movement.
- Gloves: Climbing gloves and long gloves covering your arms help protect your skin and assist in gripping rocks and vines.
- Hat: A wide-brimmed hat helps shade from the sun, preventing heatstroke when moving in the hot sun.
- Sunglasses: Optional, helps protect your eyes from sunlight.
- Leg gaiters, leggings: Prevent insects and leeches from getting into your pants.
- Socks: Use thick, soft, high-cut socks instead of thin, short socks to avoid blisters and keep warm.
Summary of Essential Clothing for Trekking
4.2. Essential Mountaineering Gear
Essential mountaineering gear for Ta Nang Trekking
In addition to clothing, mountaineering gear also plays an important role in the Tà Năng – Phan Dũng trekking trip. Some necessary items:
- Mountaineering backpack: Choose a waterproof, well-fitting backpack with waist and chest straps to reduce the load on your shoulders and back. You should choose a backpack with a support frame to reduce weight on your body and keep your spine straight.
- Mountaineering shoes: Specialized trekking shoes are extremely important items. Choose shoes with good grip, high ankles, and waterproof to ensure safety and comfort when moving on complex terrain.
- Trekking poles: Trekking poles help reduce pressure on your legs, especially when walking long distances and on steep terrain, while providing a firm support point.
- Backpack cover: A waterproof backpack cover helps protect belongings inside from rain, especially necessary when trekking in the rainy season or erratic weather.
- Sleeping bag: Keeps your body warm at night when temperatures in the forest and mountains drop low.
- Tent: A tent is a place to rest and shelter overnight in the forest. There are many types of tents, you can choose a personal tent or a group tent depending on the number of participants.
- In addition, you need to prepare ropes, carabiners, flashlights, headlamps, etc.
Complete Set of Mountaineering – Trekking Gear at Wetrek – Free We – Gift 50k
4.3. Food and Drinks
Prepare some dry food for trekking
If you join a Tà Năng trekking tour, food is usually prepared in advance. However, you should still bring some dry food and backup drinking water. If you go independently, you need to prepare enough food for meals on the trekking route and when camping.
Note: Whether you go on a tour or independently, you should also prepare 3-5 liters of backup water and a few cans of energy drinks to replenish energy when walking long distances.
4.4. Compass, GPS (if available)
Compass and GPS can be lifesavers in case you get lost, especially in areas with many intersections and trails like Tà Năng – Phan Dũng.
4.5. First Aid Kit
A first aid kit is an indispensable item on any trekking trip. It helps you promptly treat minor injuries or health problems that arise during the journey. In addition, you should bring some basic medicines such as diarrhea medicine, fever reducer, heatstroke medicine, etc.
4.6. Other Essential Personal Items
Bring a camera for Ta Nang Trekking
Some other personal items needed for the trip:
- Toothbrush and toothpaste
- Hand sanitizer
- Mosquito and leech repellent
- Sunscreen
- Dry towels, wet wipes
- Sanitary napkins for shoulder pads (backpack) and insoles
- Sunglasses
- Phone, power bank, small speaker for music (optional)
- Action camera, camera, personal papers
In addition to the above items, you should also equip yourself with a survival whistle to signal for help in case of an accident or getting lost.
5. 3-Day 2-Night Trekking Itinerary Tà Năng – Phan Dũng in Green Grass Season (Reference Itinerary)
Below is a 3-day 2-night Tà Năng – Phan Dũng trekking itinerary in the Green Grass Season shared from the actual experience of a group of trekkers, you can refer to it to plan your trip:
We departed from Saigon by bus at 10 pm, arriving in Di Linh around 3 am. Then, we hired a pre-booked 7-seater car to take the whole group to Đài Loan market to buy more water, chicken, and necessary items before reaching the trekking starting point at 9 am.
Because the trekking route is quite long and there are no eateries along the way, we had to prepare enough food and drinks. Each person carried a backpack of about 12kg, mainly water.
Don't forget to buy necessities at Dai Loan market
Day 1: Conquering Tà Năng – Phan Dũng Peak and the First Night Camping
We started our journey by tractor, enjoying the cool morning air before reaching the edge of Tà Năng forest.
Take a tractor to the edge of Ta Nang forest
Arriving at the forest edge, we were extremely excited by the green pine forest and rolling grass hills. However, after only about 3km, the group realized they had taken the wrong path. To save time, we decided to go back to the old path instead of risking wading through streams.
Lost in the first few kilometers
Getting lost while trekking Ta Nang
We always put safety first. Trekking in the Green Grass Season, stream water is often high and flows swiftly, returning to the old path is a safe and reasonable choice. By noon, the hot sun made the whole group tired and had to rest often.
Whatever your purpose for Trekking Ta Nang – Phan Dung, always put your safety and the safety of the group first.
Feeling exhausted after having to go back
After passing through the pine forest, we started climbing the Tà Năng hills. Suddenly, it rained heavily, soaking the whole group. Luckily, the rain didn’t last long. We continued walking and reached Tà Năng – Phan Dũng peak at 1160m in the afternoon.
Encountering heavy rain while trekking Ta Nang
Climbing to the peak of Ta Nang – Phan Dung
Taking a break and checking in at the peak of Ta Nang – Phan Dung
We took a break on the mountaintop to admire the scenery and take photos, then continued moving to the campsite near the stream to bathe, grill food, and rest.
Quickly heading to the campsite for the evening
At the campsite, we set up tents, prepared food, grilled chicken, skewers, grilled ribs, and bathed in the stream. Dinner was made special with grilled stream fish. After dinner, we chatted, stargazed, and went to bed early to recharge for the second day.
Grilling food on the first camping night
We also prepared to bring 2 fishing rods, so when we saw fish in the stream, we knew the whole group would have a change of menu
Day 2: Exploring Yavly Waterfall and a Memorable Bonfire Night
On the morning of the second day, after personal hygiene and breakfast with instant noodles, grilled chicken, and egg bread, we packed up and continued our journey.
Simple breakfast for the 2nd day
On the second day, we went towards Yavly waterfall. The scenery is mainly green bamboo forests and groves. The experience of the second day was completely different from the first day walking among the windy grass hills.
Day 2 of Trekking Ta Nang – Phan Dung is walking into bamboo forest
The second day’s journey was mainly in the forest, crossing many streams and reaching Yavly waterfall by noon. We stopped at Yavly waterfall to play, swim, and have lunch.
Arriving at Yavly Waterfall
Stacking stones by Yavly Waterfall
Having lunch at Yavly Waterfall
In the afternoon, we continued wading through streams to reach the campsite at the end of the day. From Yavly waterfall, we had to cross about 7 more streams. The scenery in the afternoon also changed, no longer bamboo forest but instead tall and spacious dipterocarp forest.
Walking through clear streams
Along the 4th stream
The 5th stream in Ta Nang – Phan Dung
Improvising by the stream
Stream crossing during Ta Nang – Phan Dung Trekking
After crossing 7 streams, we arrived at the campsite. On the second night, we organized a BBQ party and bonfire, sharing stories and memorable memories together.
Preparing BBQ for the 2nd day dinner. Unfortunately, no more fish today
Delicious grilled chicken
Resting to recharge for day 3
Day 3: End of the Journey and Return
On the last day, the way back was not far, so the group slept in and started later. In the early afternoon, we reached the Phan Dũng forest road. This section is mainly downhill, but still needs to be careful because the trail is not clear due to grass and trees covering it.
Fresh air in the early morning
In the late afternoon, we finished the Tà Năng – Phan Dũng trekking journey at the People’s Committee of Phan Dũng commune, Tuy Phong district, Bình Thuận. From here, you can take a bus to Liên Hương town (about 20km) to rest, shower, and take a bus back home.
Completing the Ta Nang – Phan Dung route
Be careful of getting lost in Phan Dung forest
6. Important Notes to Remember When Trekking Tà Năng – Phan Dũng
- Always follow the porter to avoid getting lost from the group.
- Do not arbitrarily swim in streams or waterfalls without experience or when the water is rising.
- Equip yourself with basic survival skills.
- Do not camp near streams to avoid danger during floods, choose a campsite in the forest or on high hills.
- Conserve drinking water even though there are many streams along the way.
- Support each other when crossing streams, slopes, and slippery terrain.
- In case of an accident, blow a survival whistle to signal the whole group.
- Clean up trash after stopping and camping. Organic waste can be buried, inorganic waste needs to be collected and taken away for disposal.
- Bring a raincoat because the weather in Tà Năng – Phan Dũng is quite erratic.
Our Tà Năng – Phan Dũng trekking journey in the Green Grass Season went like that. Real experiences always bring more genuine and vivid emotions than any story. What are you waiting for? Pack your backpack and experience this beautiful trekking route right away!
This trip, we prepared everything from A to Z, so trekking Tà Năng – Phan Dũng is not “torture” but an interesting experience journey. However, to have a complete trip, you need to prepare carefully in terms of skills, health, and complete equipment.
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Wishing you a happy and emotional Tà Năng – Phan Dũng trekking trip!