Strawberry farm in Da Lat – fresh tour tickled pink

It was almost midday in early August, but a group of tourists adamantly showed up at a garden in Da Lat city, Central Highlands Lam Dong province – all enthusiastic about having a hot date with strawberries.
There was an air of excitement. Ngoc Bich, from the group that hailed from central coastal Nha Trang city, was thrilled as this was the first time she had herself picked up the fruit grown on hanging baskets and eaten them fresh. The group was the fourth that Vuong Dinh Phi, the garden owner, hosted in that morning alone.
In some peak days of the season, his 3,000m2 garden was often full of visitors and sometimes could not provide enough strawberries for them to pick, he said. Phi, however, has several notices, including visit time, for visitors exploring his farm, where he uses no chemicals at all so that his strawberries are edible right away.
Recently, strawberry farm tour – a new exciting tourism product has helped Da Lat, which is known as a city of four seasons in one day, lure more domestic and foreign tourists. Phi’s garden is only one of many strawberry farms developed in Thanh Mau region in district 8 – one of Da Lat’s largest strawberry farming areas. Some of other popular names there are “Japanese strawberry farm” and “Le Phuong’s strawberry farm”.
To live up to their fame as “super clean” strawberry farms, the growers use new eco-friendly technology and no pesticides for the plants that are grown on hanging baskets one meter above the ground.
Those who visit the farms are introduced to the farming process and techniques, as well as how to take care of the plants, such as pulling out the stubs when harvesting and avoid touching the body of the strawberries.
To renew their image, some of Da Lat’s resorts have started adapting to this new tourism model as well. Lying within the precinct of Than Tho lake, a new ecological strawberry garden by Biofresh company is becoming a new exciting destination. The farm is grown to European standard, with French seedlings and Dutch fertilizer, all within small-scaled greenhouses.
According to the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, strawberry farm tour is rising as a new draw fascinating both domestic and foreign tourists.
Nguyen Thi Bich Ngoc, the Department’s Deputy Director said more support will be provided to local farmers to help them solve current problems, including a lack of tourism profession skills, thus expanding the promising agro-tourism model.
When the Nha Trang tourists left, Phi welcomed a dozen of others, who said coming from Ho Chi Minh City. They were not lucky enough to taste fresh strawberries, but found new joy in taking selfies.