Lychees, the main crop of the former Bac Giang province, now Bac Ninh, are in full season. In Luc Ngan district, visitors are greeted by rolling hills of lychee trees. From a distance, the red of the ripening fruit is hard to spot, but up close, red dots appear amidst the green foliage. The lychee trees, reaching heights of 10-15 meters, boast a wide, umbrella-like canopy.

Nguyen Thi Yen (Yen Vi Vu), a 26-year-old travel content creator based in Hanoi, returned home at the end of June, just in time for lychee season. "This year's harvest is bountiful, so I took the opportunity to come home. Standing atop a hill, lychees are everywhere you look. The orchards are picturesque and captivating," Yen said.

Luc Ngan doesn't yet offer formal check-in services for lychee orchards like the plum-picking spots in Moc Chau. Visitors typically ask orchard owners for permission to take photos, purchase, and eat lychees, or rely on local acquaintances for guided tours. Larger groups should contact tour operators.

Yen, along with two friends, checked out two lychee orchards in Luc Ngan district and were warmly welcomed by the owners. For them, experiencing a lychee orchard firsthand was a delightful first.

"I've never seen a lychee orchard so vast and laden with fruit. What's special is that we were also shown how to distinguish between the different varieties," Quang Kien said.

Kien added that the experience fostered a deeper appreciation for each variety. In Luc Ngan, the three main types are Thanh Ha, U Hong, and Thieu, each distinct in size and color. Thanh Ha lychees are large, round, and ripen to a deep red. U Hong lychees are also large, slightly pointed, and have a light pink or pale green hue. Thieu lychees are smaller than the other two.

After their orchard visit, tourists can buy lychees to take home. Prices at the orchard range from 15,000 to 40,000 VND per kilogram depending on the time of the season (early season, larger, and better-looking lychees command higher prices). Photo: Quang Cuong

Ms. Tuyet, a lychee orchard owner in Luc Ngan, shared, "This year, I'm happy with the abundant harvest, but also saddened by the low prices. The effort and expense of tending to a lychee orchard are quite substantial."

Yen recommends a weekend trip for lychee picking, easily doable as a day trip. For visitors from Hanoi, the travel time is 2.5 to 3 hours, depending on traffic and mode of transportation. Yen hopes more tourists will visit her hometown to experience the seasonal bounty of the orchards (lychees, pomelos, oranges, apples, watermelons, canary melons, and grapes), contributing to the local economy.

Tam Anh

Photos: Quang Kien, Yen Vi Vu