Turning aging mango orchards into attractive tourist destination

More than 30 years ago, Nguyen Van Duc left Northern Vietnam to start a new life in La Nga commune, Dong Nai province. Recognizing that the local soil was well-suited to mango cultivation, he chose to grow the fruit. After more than three decades devoted to mango trees, Duc now owns around 18 hectares of specialty mango varieties, supplying export markets and generating a high, stable income.

After more than 30 years devoted to mango cultivation, Nguyen Van Duc is among the most experienced mango farmers in La Nga commune. Photo: Binh Nguyen.

Three years ago, Duc joined hands with partners to invest in LaNga Fish Hill Ecolodge, an eco-tourism site developed right within his nearly six-hectare aging mango orchard. The project now creates jobs for dozens of local workers and welcomes thousands of visitors during the holidays and the Lunar New Year (Tet). Beyond increasing the orchard owner's income, the model has also contributed to local socio-economic development.

Devoted to mango cultivation

Today, Duc is regarded as one of the most experienced mango growers in the locality. Recalling his journey of starting and building wealth through mango farming, he said that during the golden period for mangoes, export prices were extremely high, and many mango growers became well-off thanks to this crop. But like any crop, there are years of strong harvests and strong prices, and there are years of poor harvests or low prices. Still, with sound technical know-how and careful orchard management that delivers both yield and quality, farmers can keep their incomes secure even when mango prices fall.

After becoming highly skilled in cultivation and tree care, Duc began producing mangoes out of season. According to him, farmers with years of experience who diligently track the market can grasp demand patterns for the fruit and identify peak periods. Mangoes are widely used in worship and offerings, especially during major holidays and Tet. With that in mind, he proactively treats his trees so they produce four batches of fruit per season, scheduled for harvest before the Lunar New Year, in the first lunar month, at the end of March, and on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. Thanks to these off-season and staggered cropping techniques, his mango orchard often sells at higher prices, and mango yields have also increased.

Duc noted that, in addition to serving individual visitors, LaNga Fish Hill Ecolodge cooperates with several travel agencies to welcome large tour groups.

He compared past and current yields, noting that in the past, one hectare of mango trees typically produced about 20 tons a year. With techniques that stagger fruiting into multiple harvest rounds, a well-managed hectare can produce 40-50 tons of fruit. As a result, even in years when mango prices drop to low levels, his income from this crop remains strong.

From an early stage, Duc applied canopy-lowering techniques to keep tree height at 3 to 3.2 meters. This approach reduces labor and the amount of fertilizer and pesticides needed for orchard care and preventive pest and disease spraying. After each harvest, he prunes branches and reshapes the canopy to stimulate vigorous new growth, helping the next crop achieve both high yield and quality. He has also rejuvenated older orchards through grafting, using rootstocks that had endured three rainy seasons, and converting them to high-value specialty varieties such as Thai, Australian, and Cat Hoa Loc mangoes. Consequently, although some of his orchards are more than 30 years old, yields have increased over time, and the fruit quality has continued to improve. In addition, Duc has invested in automated irrigation systems and modern machinery to reduce manual labor.

Developing tourism from a clean mango orchard

Three years ago, Duc partnered with investors to develop LaNga Fish Hill Ecolodge within a nearly six-hectare aging mango orchard. An advantage was that, as his mangoes were destined for export markets, he had already applied safe production techniques, including fruit bagging, organic-oriented cultivation, and the use of approved fertilizers and plant protection products to meet export standards.

LaNga Fish Hill Ecolodge in La Nga commune, with its large scale, can serve thousands of visitors during holidays and Tet. Photo: Binh Nguyen.

The eco-tourism site has been equipped with a wide range of services, including a restaurant area, meeting rooms, and a wedding hall, as well as accommodation facilities such as guesthouses, bungalows, a bar, swimming pool, and spa.

In addition, visitors can enjoy recreational activities such as stand-up paddleboarding, kayaking, fishing, and swimming, as well as various entertainment packages. The site frequently hosts cultural exchange programs, campfires, and BBQ parties featuring specialties made with farm-raised ingredients or fresh fish and shrimp sourced from Tri An Lake.

Duc shared that integrating tourism into orchard operations has significantly improved economic efficiency compared to traditional farming alone. The mango orchard continues to deliver high yields and high-quality fruit, while visitors are delighted to take photos and check in among heavily laden trees, or to harvest fresh mangoes by hand. Therefore, visitor numbers have steadily increased each year, with many repeat guests. On average, the eco-tourism site welcomes around 1,000 visitors per month, and during major holidays and Tet, it can accommodate thousands of guests for recreation and relaxation. Moreover, tourism has created an additional distribution channel for fresh fruit at better prices than selling to traders. Linked to tourism services, the orchard has also invested in fish ponds, free-range chicken farming, and vegetable gardens to supply on-site dining and provide local specialties for visitors to take home as gifts.

By Binh Nguyen – Translated by M.Nguyet, Minho