Mang Den town is a plateau in the Truong Son range, with a cool climate all year round.

Tourist paradise

I have been to Da Lat (Lam Dong) many times but it was not until last March that I set foot in Mang Den for the first time.

Mang Den town is located at an altitude of over 1,200 m, between Mang Den pass and Violak pass on Highway 24, 50 km from Kon Tum city. Like Da Lat, Mang Den town has a cool climate all year round. In my opinion, Mang Den is wild, quiet, and less populated than Da Lat.

The gate of Mang Den town led me to a road with two rows of tall pine trees on both sides. At the foot of the two rows of pine trees, sim and mua flowers were in full bloom, giving off a gentle fragrance, giving me a strange feeling of relaxation and comfort.

The center of Mang Den town is not noisy and bustling but still retains its inherent peace, with almost no high-rise buildings. The houses and shops of the local people are all nestled under the cool shade of green trees.

Tourists visiting Mang Den Art Garden

I encountered dozens of tourist groups visiting Mang Den Art Garden located in the center of town. This is one of the highlights of Mang Den tourism with about 3,000 wooden statues, market, food court, flower garden... bearing the traditional artistic values ​​of the ethnic groups in the Central Highlands.

Ms. Nguyen Thanh Huong from Bac Ninh, who came to Mang Den for the first time, said that this place deserves to be a paradise for experiential tourism with streams, waterfalls, villages, and ideal cultural experiences. "When arriving here, all the worries and fatigue of the body and soul seem to disappear to make room for relaxation. That is also the reason why my family and I decided to stay in Mang Den for another day and night instead of just spending a few hours visiting," Ms. Huong shared.

Wild natural scenery in Mang Den

I met Mr. A Lieng, a service driver in Mang Den town. Mr. Lieng is a member of the Mo Nam ethnic group - one of the ethnic minorities with the largest population in this area. Born and raised in Mang Den, Mr. Lieng remembers everything about his homeland.

"Mang Den town comes from the name T'mang Deeng of the Mo Nam people, which means a flat, vast land and is a plateau in the Truong Son range," Mr. Lieng explained.

In the summer, the lands a few dozen kilometers away from this place are hot. Mang Den's climate is cool, humid and foggy all year round. This explains why more than a century ago, the French chose Mang Den as a second Da Lat for civil servants and soldiers to rest and escape the heat when they invaded and occupied our country.

Mang Den has flowers blooming every season.

The weather is mild, so the nature in Mang Den is also very beautiful, flowers bloom all year round. Visitors coming here from January to March will be captivated by the apricot, cherry, mimosa, and ban flowers... blooming, showing off their colors throughout the mountains and forests, creating a beautiful picture.

From May to June is the most interesting time to feel the cool weather. From June to July is the time when the rice fields are golden ripe, the people here start harvesting rice, creating a prosperous picture. At this time, wild sunflowers bloom brilliantly yellow, spreading across the mountains and forests...

Pa Sy waterfall is beautiful and attracts tourists

Mang Den is the land of beautiful waterfalls. Pa Sy waterfall is located in a forest under a row of shady trees. To reach the waterfall, visitors have to move through bumpy stone steps. When approaching, the waterfall appears like a fairy door. The waterfall is like a pure white silk strip against the green backdrop of the vast mountains and forests. At the foot of Pa Sy waterfall is a clear blue lake, all year round emitting a pleasant scent of the mountains and forests.

"Mang Den also has two waterfalls, Dak Ke and Lo Ba, which retain their pristine beauty. The streams originate from the pristine forests and flow over the rocky slopes before falling into the lake below. The white foam blends with the rustling of the forest trees and the chirping of birds, creating a peaceful and poetic picture of nature," Mr. A Lieng introduced.

Lo Ba Waterfall

There are many attractive tourist destinations in Mang Den. These are Dak Ke Lake, Toong Da Lake, Dam Bri Lake, and Cay Do Waterfall. Not far from the town center are the reed hills, Khanh Lam Pagoda, and the statue of Our Lady of Mang Den... Around these locations, there are many farms for experience and relaxation, which are ideal places for soul-healing trips, bringing people back to nature and feeling the pace of life slowly, without noise or bustle.

Special cuisine

Grilled chicken is one of the specialties in Mang Den.

Mang Den becomes an attractive destination for tourists not only because of its year-round cool climate and beautiful scenery but also because of its delicious and unique dishes.

I visited Mang Do restaurant - one of the famous restaurants in Mang Den town with many dishes bearing the flavor of the Central Highlands mountains and forests. The menu in the restaurant is rich with dishes I have never enjoyed before.

An employee at the restaurant said that the restaurant has many delicious dishes made from local products such as chicken, deer, pork, stream fish, vegetables and wild bamboo shoots. These dishes have a very unique flavor because they are made from many spices exploited from the mountains and forests. "When coming to Mang Den, you must definitely try the grilled chicken specialty because this is the most delicious and typical dish," said the employee.

Many specialties with the flavor of the Central Highlands mountains and forests are available at stalls in Mang Den town.

A hot plate of grilled chicken was placed before me, smelling so good. The chicken plate was accompanied by sticky rice, salt and dipping sauce with perilla leaves. Grilled chicken from Mang Den had crispy skin, soft and chewy meat, and an indescribable delicious taste.

In addition to grilled chicken, many diners when coming to Mang Den choose the "village rice" tray to enjoy. A village rice portion includes 1 skewer of grilled pork, bamboo rice served with salted figs, boiled fern leaves, and stir-fried bamboo shoots. The dishes in the "village rice" tray are carefully prepared, beautifully decorated, and attractive.

Mang Den night market

Locals revealed that Mang Den market opens every Saturday and Sunday (including evenings) at the pine hill in the center of town, which is a place that contains a unique cultural and culinary space. There are dozens of stalls selling and introducing many local specialties made from fresh meat, dried meat, cakes, fruits, etc. Also at this place, visitors can enjoy the art of gongs of the Central Highlands. The market space is airy and beautifully shimmering with colorful lights.

* The article uses some images provided by colleagues at Kon Tum Newspaper.
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Source: https://baohaiduong.vn/mang-den-da-lat-thu-2-giua-dai-ngan-tay-nguyen-409839.html