Tin du lịch Check-in with the lonely mác cọt tree in Bảo Lạc, Cao Bằng.

Mác cọt (or mắc cọp) is a fruit tree species commonly found in the northern mountainous provinces of Vietnam, especially in Nguyên Bình and Bảo Lạc (Cao Bằng).
The mác cọt flowers usually bloom in spring, white like pear flowers. The flowers bloom in clusters of 3-5, covering the mountainside beautifully. In Bảo Lạc (Cao Bằng), mác cọt flowers bloom profusely at the end of February and early March, attracting many locals and tourists to visit and take photos. Mr. Nguyễn Anh Chiêm (41 years old, Hanoi) along with his wife and 2 college friends took a trip to Bảo Lạc to 'hunt' for blooming mác cọt flowers on February 25-26. The group traveled by private car from Hanoi - Bắc Kạn - Nguyên Bình - Bảo Lạc (Cao Bằng) from 4 PM on February 25 to 10:30 PM. Mr. Chiêm shared: 'The road from Hanoi to Bảo Lạc is quite far, taking about 7 hours of driving. The section from Nguyên Bình to Bảo Lạc has very bad roads, many curves, and some parts under construction only allow one vehicle to pass at a time, which is very difficult for low-ground vehicles. This is also the first time I’ve traveled a difficult road like this.' The car stopped at a homestay in Xuân Trường commune, located in Bảo Lạc district. The group checked in, rested, and prepared to get up early the next morning to admire the scenery and take photos with mác cọt flowers. Mr. Chiêm informed that the mác cọt tree is located right next to the national highway going through Xuân Trường (Bảo Lạc), only about 150m away. From afar, tourists can see the tall tree standing proud with its branches covered in beautiful white flowers. Since they had breakfast and arrived early, the group decided to take a ride around the nearby village, waiting for the sun to rise for photos. Around 8:00 AM, when the sun rose, the group returned to the spot of the lonely mác cọt tree to capture beautiful photos. 'Although I have known about this location for 3 years and have seen quite a few images of the solitary tree, it was not until I saw it with my own eyes that I realized the true beauty of the mác cọt tree. Observing the all-white mác cọt tree, with flowers but no leaves made me feel indescribably light-headed,' Mr. Chiêm expressed. Mr. Chiêm stated that since it was a weekend, there were quite a few customers coming here to check-in. Groups of 5-7 people lined up waiting to take pictures with the white mác cọt tree. By 9:00 AM, after taking photographs, the group set off along the mountain pass 3 km away to check-in and then went back to the homestay for lunch and rest before checking out and returning to Hanoi. The short trip, just 2 days, left Mr. Chiêm and his friends with many emotions: 'The scenery here is truly peaceful, pristine, and especially has not been touched by human hands. I asked the elders in the village, and they said it has been this way for many years. Additionally, the people here are very friendly; when I asked for directions, an elder insisted on guiding our group there, which really touched me.' After the trip, Mr. Chiêm felt excited and satisfied to have realized his plan to visit Cao Bằng to see the solitary mác cọt tree that he had cherished for 3 years. At the end of the journey, he advised tourists not to drive here at night as the roads are very dangerous. For the return, visitors can also choose a different, easier route to ensure their safety and avoid mistakes.

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