Ban Ang Pine Forest

Vietnamese travelers often describe this place in one plain phrase: a pine forest around a lake.

The Bản Áng pine forest lies about 3 kilometers from the center of Mộc Châu. According to the Sơn La provincial portal, the whole tourist area covers more than 50 hectares. At its heart is a natural lake of 5 hectares, ringed by old pines. Since 2018 a company has developed the site as a place for rest and play. It is the Phoenix Mộc Châu International Tourism Development Company. People now call the place Phoenix Bản Áng Pine Forest, or Phoenix Mộc Châu Resort.

The pines here are Pinus kwangtungensis, known in Vietnamese as thông pà cò. It is a pine typical of the subtropical mixed forest found in the high mountains, and it grows at about 1,200 to 1,500 meters. The Center for People and Nature confirms the species in its technical study of the pines of the Mai Châu and Mộc Châu highlands. This is not a forest planted for a season as scenery. It is a real ecological pine forest, with old trees that stand tall and straight.

Deeper in, there are several stopping places that many visitors mention. One is a pine-covered hill with a view over the whole lake. Another is a lovers' path that winds under the trees. The third is a piano standing in the middle of the water, an image so strange and poetic that it is hard to believe until a visitor sees it with their own eyes.

Phoenix Farm is one of the more curious corners of the site. It is a farm of greenhouses and hydroponics. It grows vegetables and fruit with modern technology, including strawberries, melons, cherry tomatoes and leafy greens. Watching greens grow in a solution instead of soil is far more memorable than looking at ordinary flowers.

The restaurant and the stilt houses are designed in the style of Thái culture. Together they make a place to eat, with a little of the flavor of northwestern cooking. The provincial portal names lợn cắp nách and gà đồi among the dishes. It also lists xôi nếp nương, mountain vegetables, salmon and a sturgeon hotpot.

Phoenix Park is the play area inside the forest. Children's laughter rings out among the green rows of pines.

The place suits a gentle day out. There is walking in cool green space, a meal by the lake, and a look at what a real pine forest is like. It asks for no mountain climb and no dark cave. There is only a quiet morning in the cold air of the Mộc Châu plateau.