Visiting Dong Nai to explore orchards, enjoy fresh fruit

These days, orchards across wards and communes such as Binh Loc, Long Khanh, Xuan Bac and Hang Gon are bustling as the peak fruit harvest season gets underway. Large numbers of visitors are flocking to local orchards to enjoy fresh fruit picked straight from the trees.

Tourists explore Ut Tieu Fruit Garden in Binh Loc Ward. Photo: Ngoc Lien

For many tourists, this is an ideal opportunity for families and friends to spend meaningful summer days attending fruit festivals, exploring orchards laden with ripe fruit, capturing memorable photos and savoring specialties such as rambutan, mangosteen, pomelo and guava right in the gardens.

Fruit festivals attract thousands of visitors

From mid-June to early July, the wards of Binh Loc, Bao Vinh and Long Khanh have successively organized fruit festivals to coincide with the peak harvest season, helping stimulate local tourism. The events have attracted dozens of thousands of visitors from across Dong Nai as well as neighboring localities, including Ho Chi Minh City and Lam Dong Province, contributing to the promotion of the region’s people, culture and agricultural products.

While visiting the Long Khanh Fruit Festival, Nguyen Thi Cam from Vung Tau Ward, Ho Chi Minh City, said she had attended previous editions of the festival and returned because of the abundance and excellent quality of Long Khanh’s fruit. "I've visited several times, but I still haven't had the chance to explore all of the orchards here" she said. "Some of my relatives will soon be returning from the United States, so I plan to bring the whole family to Long Khanh to visit the orchards and enjoy the fresh fruit".

Many tourist groups visit fruit display booths and take photos at the Long Khanh Fruit Festival (Long Khanh Ward). Photo: Ngoc Lien

Tran Thi My Thanh from Tan Thoi Hiep Ward, Ho Chi Minh City, who traveled to Long Khanh with a group of friends, said this was her second visit to the Long Khanh Fruit Festival. "My friends and I really enjoy taking photos at the beautifully decorated fruit displays" she said. "The most impressive thing at this year's Long Khanh Fruit Festival is the golden-skinned durian, which looks stunning. However, it is a pity that this new variety is only on display and not available for sale to visitors. I hope to taste this new durian specialty soon to feel how it differs from other durian varieties” Thanh expressed.

In addition to the colorful fruit displays, many visitors were also delighted to find a 'rambutan oasis' set up right in the middle of the entrance gate by the festival organizing board, serving free rambutans to guests. Offering free rambutan has become a signature feature of the event over the years and remains one of its most popular attractions.

Discovering Dong Nai’s abundant fruit-growing region

Beyond sampling local specialties at the Long Khanh Fruit Festival booths, visitors can tour orchards during the harvest season or join experiential tours that offer a deeper look into the area's orchard culture and rural lifestyle.

Tran Thanh Tuyen, Director of Kintech Tourism Services Co., Ltd. (Kintech Travel), a Long Khanh-based travel company specializing in fruit orchard tours during the summer travel season, said the company is always present at the festival to introduce and organize fruit orchard tours for visitors. The tours usually last one day, with each destination being a different ward or commune. At each stop, visitors can enjoy local signature fruits, creating a sense of novelty and avoiding repetition. According to Tuyen, Kintech Travel began offering its fruit orchard tours in 2025 and has received positive feedback from visitors.

Visitors are fascinated by the golden-skinned durian product at the Long Khanh Fruit Festival (Long Khanh Ward). Photo: Ngoc Lien

Arriving in Long Khanh ward early with family to both visit the festival and explore fruit orchards, Nguyen Bao An, a tourist from Phan Thiet ward, Lam Dong province, said this year his family and younger sister combined their trip to visit fruit orchards in Long Khanh ward. Impressed by the beautifully displayed fruit stalls, his family took many photos here. After visiting the festival, his family went to Binh Loc ward to explore specialty fruit orchards.

Sharing his impressions, An noted that although he had visited orchards throughout Vietnam, from the Mekong Delta to the northern provinces, those in Dong Nai had left the deepest impression. "The orchards here are spacious, and the farmers are incredibly welcoming" he said. "You quickly realize that these orchards are not developed solely for tourism—they are the primary source of income for local families. That makes the experience feel authentic. Visitors can immerse themselves in rural life, gain a better understanding of farmers' daily work and even join them in harvesting fruit directly from the tree".

Dong Nai's fruit season runs from May to July each year. During this period, orchard owners open their farms to visitors eager to enjoy freshly harvested fruit at its source. Orchard ecotourism has become one of Dong Nai City's signature tourism products.

By Ngoc Lien – Translated by Mai Nga, Minho