When imagining orchards laden with fruit, people often picture lush grapevines, golden mango trees, or rich durian groves. However, in Dong Hai Ward, Khanh Hoa Province, a truly unique orchard has been drawing crowds of eager visitors: a date palm garden in full harvest season. Getting the chance to admire and hand-pick fresh date clusters directly from the trees offers travelers a refreshingly novel and memorable experience.
This date palm garden was established in 2021 by Mr. Nguyen Tung Minh Tan. Initially, the owner only intended to import date palm varieties to grow as ornamental plants around the property. Yet, after more than five years of dedicated care, the results exceeded all expectations. Today, all 85 date palms in the garden flower and bear fruit simultaneously, creating a vibrant and breathtaking landscape.
Spanning an area of 2,000 square meters, the garden features eight different date palm varieties. Each variety has its own growth cycle, flowering schedule, fruiting period, and distinct economic value. Thanks to the prolonged sunshine and warm climate characteristic of the region, the trees have adapted remarkably well and continue to thrive. The garden is now in its third harvesting season, yielding highly impressive production results.
To ensure the fruit meets clean, organic standards, Mr. Tan carefully protects each cluster with a dual-layer cover. The top layer shields the dates from salt frost and heavy rainwater, while the bottom layer acts as a barrier against harmful insects. The trees produce one crop per year, taking about six months from the initial blossoming stage until the fruit reaches full maturity.
As the dates ripen, the clusters gradually transform from bright green to deep yellow, vibrant red, and rich crimson. Visitors stepping into the garden can escape the summer heat under the green canopy while enjoying fresh dates right from the branch. They even get to select their preferred level of sweetness on the spot, rather than relying on imported or dried dates.
Opening the garden to visitors for hands-on experiences alongside selling fresh dates on site has not only boosted the owner's family income but also created a brand-new eco-tourism highlight for the region.
