The forest receives people very quietly. If your trip goes at the right rhythm, by the next morning the campsite has almost returned to its original shape, and that is what we like most about camping.
Most of the peace of mind lies in the preparation. Many national parks and nature reserves in Vietnam require registration in advance, and some routes need a local guide, so the first thing to do is call the area's management board. After that come the familiar tasks: send your itinerary to someone at home with the expected hour of return, check the rain forecast and the water level if the route runs beside a stream, carry enough water along with a torch, a warm layer and a small first-aid kit, and download the map in advance for use without signal.
The most convenient campsite is usually somewhere people have camped before, because the ground is already compacted and the plants around it take no further harm. The Leave No Trace principles, set out by the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics, place this among the seven basic principles, along with carrying rubbish out of the forest and keeping a distance from wild animals. We still pitch camp about sixty metres or more from a water source, to leave the drinking routes of the animals around it clear, and a tent is also safer that way in heavy rain.
Fire, the loveliest part and the part needing most care
An evening in the forest usually begins when the fire is lit. Build the fire within an existing ring of stones, use fallen wood about the thickness of a wrist, and keep the flame small, just enough for the few people sitting round. Before sleeping, put the fire out with water and turn the ash over until it is completely cool to the touch. In the dry season, a lamp and a small gas stove are the neater way to have light and to cook.
The last task is to walk a round of the campsite, picking up every small piece, including bottle caps and bits of string. Rubbish carried out, stones put back where they were, leaves laid over the ground just compacted. Trips like these are where our directions of scent take shape, and both RUNG GIA and THONG REO begin with an evening beside a fire.
A few questions you often send us
Should I take candles into the forest
In the forest a torch and a tent lamp are neater and safer. Candles are for when you are home again and want to call back the scent of the trip.
Does camping in Vietnam need permission
Many nature reserves and national parks require registration in advance; it is best to contact the management board for the rules currently in force.
How far from a water source should camp be pitched
The common recommendation is about sixty metres or more.
You can read more about us on the about page, or see the directions of scent on the scented candles page.