As one of the eco-tourism areas in the southern province of Dong Nai that are creating a great attraction for tourists, Tan Trieu pomelo village not only brings visitors fresh air and scenic landscapes but also an unforgettable experience with relatives.

Located in Tan Binh Commune, Vinh Cuu District, Dong Nai Province, the village is about 40 kilometres from HCM City.

From HCM City along Ha Noi Highway heading to Bien Hoa City, tourists can reach the village by waterway or by National Road 24 for about four kilometres. The village lies on the Tan Trieu Island, embraced by the canals that receive water from the Dong Nai River. As the ground is flooded, locals cannot grow rice or vegetables, but the island is fertile, and the climate is relatively cool and suitable for growing pomelo.

Right at the entrance to the village, we could smell the scent of grapefruit in the breeze, and admire the large gardens with pomelo trees laden with fruit.

The province currently has more than 1,500ha of pomelo trees, supplying thousands of fruit to the market each year. The fruit is planted mainly in Vinh Cuu District, with nearly 1,000ha in which Tan Binh Commune has the largest pomelo area.

Recently, with many people coming to the village, residents have turned their pomelo gardens into eco-tourism areas, of which the most notable is Nam Hue Pomelo Garden, an eco-tourism site owned by Huynh Duc Hue, where visitors can experience food and drinks made from pomelo as well as other countryside dishes.

Tan Trieu pomelo comes in many kinds, each with its own aroma and taste, but all of them are delicious thanks to the alluvial soil along the river.

Hue chooses green-skinned pomelo to make salad. It is a combination of pomelo flesh, steamed shrimp, chilli, onion, coriander and roasted peanut.

In particular, pomelo wine is Hue's unique product. He learned how to make pomelo wine from grape and strawberry wine. Each batch of brewing took about seven months, and then he had guests and friends to taste and give comments.

After many failures, it was until 2004 that he got the good batch of wine he wanted. After that, he registered the trademark of Nam Hue Pomelo Wine in a pomelo-shaped ceramic vase. At the end of the year, he produces thousands of vases of pomelo wine every month to meet the market's demand.

Thanks to the village's tourism development, Hue has often joined the provincial delegations to promote trade throughout the provinces and cities at home and abroad to promote the Tan Trieu pomelo brand.

At those times, he met many partners who wanted to sign a long-term business deal in the supply of pomelos and wine, but he was selective and did not accept them all. Explaining this, he said that pomelo areas are limited. Therefore, if he receives these contracts, he will have to import pomelos from other places to have enough supply. However, doing so contradicts his principle of using home-grown pomelo to ensure quality.

"I used to work as a farmer and was forced down prices, so after many ups and downs, I decided to grow pomelos to provide tourists, not to get pomelos from other gardens to sell. Business is not my No 1 goal. I consider running this eco-tourism site as a hobby, a place to gather my friends and children," Hue said.

Each week, Hue's pomelo garden welcomes about 3,500 visitors. On holidays, visitors to the garden are much more crowded.

Some pomelo specialties that can't be missed include wine, spring rolls, sweet soup, salad and steamed chicken. We also enjoyed famous dishes such as grilled chicken, fried rice with salted fish, fish soup and coffee.

Tan Trieu pomelo village is a place worth visiting. It gives us a fresh, natural atmosphere, a peaceful feeling of a luxuriant orchard, and friendly smiles of the locals, and a sense of relieve from work and life pressure. 

Source: Vietnam News