Vi Ro Ngheo Village: A Healing Escape in Mang Den

Setting Off for a Land of Healing

From the centre of Kon Plông District (Kon Tum), the road up to Mang Den winds through deep green pine forests, with a cool breeze and the faint scent of grass and leaves. The further you go, the more poetic the scenery becomes: mist drifting, clouds hanging low, clusters of stilt houses half-hidden in the vast mountains like an ink-wash painting.

Vi Ro Ngheo Village sits at over 1,200 metres above sea level and is affectionately called the “paradise of orchids”. Nestled beside Thuong Kon Tum Lake and the Dak Snghe stream, it feels like a green oasis amid endless hills and forest.

The first impression on arrival is how incredibly clean the village is. No litter, no blaring noise – only the smell of damp earth and pinewood, and the clear laughter of children. The villagers, young and old, welcome visitors with gentle smiles, bright eyes and voices as soft as the morning mist.

Staying in a Homestay – Slowing Down with the Forest

I chose a small homestay on a hillside, built from pine wood with a thatched roof. The windows open onto a cool green forest; in the early morning, mist spills into the room, and in the afternoon sunlight shimmers through the leaves.

All around the yard and on the veranda are pots of Mang Den orchids – pure and elegant yet somehow familiar, cared for by the locals as if they were treasures. Perhaps it is these orchids that earned the village its name as an “orchid paradise”.

In the evening, I sat by the fire with the hosts – a Xo Dang couple. They talked about their lives, the forest, the orchids, and how the people here protect the forest out of love, not just because of rules. The fire crackled, distant gongs echoed across the hills, and I felt as if I had slowed down completely, living in a different world.

Morning Clouds and Purple Dusk on Ngoc Ruong Peak

At dawn I woke very early and rode up to Ngoc Ruong Peak to take in the view of the whole village. Clouds flowed through the valley, drifting lazily; Vi Ro Ngheo seemed to be sleeping under a thin white blanket.

In the afternoon I wandered around the village, listening to the murmur of the Dak Snghe stream, birdsong and the whisper of pine needles – all blending into a wordless symphony. As the sun dipped behind the hills, golden light washed over the orchid gardens, turning the scene both magical and tenderly warm.

Local Cuisine – Fiery Flavours of the Mountain Forest

Meals in Vi Ro Ngheo are simple but rich in flavour and warmth. Fragrant grilled bamboo-tube rice, frog roasted in bamboo, crispy fried stream fish and boiled wild greens with sesame salt – everything retains the pure taste of nature.

I was especially impressed by the “xuyen tieu” hotpot – mildly spicy, with the heady aroma of wild pepper. Eating it in Mang Den’s 15-degree chill feels both warming and pleasantly intoxicating.

And of course there is rice wine drunk through long bamboo straws – sweet and strong, accompanied by the sound of gongs, making the night-time stories around the fire seem to go on forever.

Ethnic Identity in Mang Den – The Soul of the Great Forest

Vi Ro Ngheo is home to the Xo Dang people, one of the long-standing indigenous groups of the northern Central Highlands. They live in harmony with nature, seeing the forest as mother, water as life itself, and the land as spiritual support.

Every house has an ancestral altar placed in a respectful spot. Rituals such as the new rice celebration, the water worship ceremony and the orchid festival are still held every year, with the sound of gongs and dancing echoing across the mountains.

Traditional clothing is handwoven brocade, with patterns of mountains, rivers and orchids – symbols of fertility and good fortune. Women still weave cloth; men still weave baskets, forge knives, and children learn how to walk the forest paths, gather vegetables and find streams just as their ancestors did.

Most precious of all is the sense of community. People here live in solidarity and warmth, always ready to help a stranger. A trip to Vi Ro Ngheo is not only a restful break, but also a vivid cultural experience, where travellers can join in local life – tending orchids, learning to weave, listening to stories of the forest and feeling genuine “healing” from both people and nature.

 A Promise to Return

I have visited Vi Ro Ngheo three times, and each time it has felt different – yet one thing never changes: the sense of peace, clarity and authenticity.

Amid the hustle of city life, Vi Ro Ngheo is like a small dream – a place where people, nature and culture breathe in unison. I know I will come back again, not only to see the orchids in bloom, but to listen to more forest stories that have yet to be told…

Phong Việt