No, this is not the Hobbiton in New Zealand. The “Lord of the Rings” franchise is not its particular inspiration, but Bach Ma’s Hobbit houses look like them. It’s located in the south of Hue in Central Vietnam.
The Bach Ma Village, more popularly known as the Hobbit Village, has just opened this year. Though new to the industry, the resort has already caught the attention of wanderlust travelers. It’s the perfect location if you want to see the natural wonders of Hue and spend quality time with your family and friends.
Bach Ma Village – Resort Overview
As if the entire resort’s landscape came out of a fairy tale book, the Bach Ma Village brings mysticism and theatrical fun to your Vietnamese vacation. The extensive resort sits in a valley surrounded by hills and mountains. The entire tourist area spans about 3 ha., not including the edge of the national park.
The “Hobbit Village” features mushroom houses (hobbit houses) for display. There’s an upward hill that has a series of these. Though they call them hobbit houses, these are full-scaled structures that are about 7 m high. During mornings, you can take a stroll around these houses and bask in the fantastic views of the surrounding forests.
The core of the resort is its waterfall slide and man-made swimming lake. This location is vivacious during the day and travelers of all shapes and sizes are encouraged to take a dip. Safety precautions must be observed when going down the stone slide since they’re extra slippery.
After your swim, you can relax in the nearby tents and unwind. The expansion for the Bach Ma Village is still underway, but soon, you’ll also be able to access larger guest houses and a local zoo. In the meantime, you can revel in the pool, the villas, and the campsites spread throughout the resort.
Campsites and Rooms
As much as we’d all love to stay in the Hobbit Houses, it’s not open for accommodation. However, you can enjoy an authentic camping experience in the resort’s campsites. At night, the resort hosts a campfire in the nearby open space, and guests can take part in the fire dancing and singing that frequently happen around the fire. There’s a designated space for camping tents.
The resort is one of the more renowned locations for providing a professional camping service that allows you to sit back while someone else gets your tent set up. The entire camping area sits near the forest border, which creates a cooler temperature than the center of the resort. Remember that the nights can be cool here, so bring a jacket with you.
The tents have their own safe night lighting system, which allows you to see the pathway in case you need to go out in the middle of the night. There are also ample spaces in between the tents to give you some privacy. The best thing about camping in the Hobbit Village is the fact that you’re actually inside a protected biodiversity park.
If camping isn’t your thing, check out the recently opened rooms that face either the broke or mountains. Guest security is also a priority for the resort, so there is no need to worry about kids wandering around and getting lost. The resort has available guards and rescuers present at all times.
Food
The Bach Ma Village Resort is a private area that’s separate from Bach Ma National Park. From the entrance, they do not allow guests to bring food in. Though it could be a downer, there’s a strong reason for this.
With high standards in preserving the endless panorama of natural wonders in the resort, they aim to have no unnecessary plastics or containers in the vicinity. But the good news is Ma Village’s kitchen team is one of the best in Hue. The kitchen serves an all-day vegetable buffet that has a farm-to-table serving process.
The organic ingredients are sourced locally and there are hundreds of colorful Vietnamese dishes that are rooted in the recipes from Hue’s ancient traditions. Check out meals like the crispy Banh Khai (pan-friend crepe), Bun Bo Hue (Hue’s version of pho), Ban Loc Goi (typical Hue snack), Banh Ram It (crunchy deep-fried rice paste), and the Com Hen (clam rice).
The kitchen also features a lot of staple Vietnam’s national dish. If you want to have a taste of an organic Vietnamese brew, visit the Water Village, a special coffee bar. They have a pour-over, drip coffee, and other coffee-based drinks on their menu. They also offer other refreshments and snacks to partner with your drinks. You can try their dried beef, dried squid, or other grilled items.
The restaurant is open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. and can accommodate up to 500 guests. For the coffee bar, it has the capacity to sit up to 150 guests simultaneously. And the bonus is, you can probably splurge more on food because the prices are affordable.
Other Destinations You Can Visit
Since you’re already in the middle of Bach Ma National Park, there are a lot of other locations you can visit, too. Especially if you’re booking multiple nights, you may want to explore attractions other than the resort itself.
If that’s the case, here are suggestions on other impeccable destinations you can visit in Hue.
- Truc Lam Bach Ma Zen Monastery. Take your relaxation to the next level by learning more about the Buddhist culture in Hue. Located in Bach Ma National Park, the Truc Lam Zen Monastery is a historic structure that’s still used for worship. The Zen Monastery has 172 soaring steps that pilgrims take as they reach the top of the temple. You can also learn more about their practice at the Truc Lam School located in one of the ancestral worshipping areas for Zen Master Dat Ma.
- Thien Mu Pagoda. Go to the nearby Chan May Port where day cruises are available. On arrival, you can take a boat trip on the Perfume River that’ll lead you to the Thien Mu Pagoda. Here you’ll learn more about Buddhism and the local community’s way of life.
- Thai Hoa Palace. Just a couple of minutes from the Thien Mu Pagoda, you can also visit the Thai Hoa Palace. It used to be the emperor’s official palace hall for receptions and important ceremonies. It was erected in 1803 and has an ornate timber roof. Be amazed at the craftsmanship of the architecture and take note of its iconic lacquered columns.
- Truot Waterfall. Going back to the Bach Ma Village, you can visit the popular Truot Fall. It’s located at the foot of the 1,500 meter-high mountain range and it serves as the buffer section of the park and the Khe Su Village. From the Hobbit Village, you can trek towards the waterfall. It’s highly recommended to have a local guide when trekking since there are no established roads towards the waterfall. There will be bushes and low-hanging trees along the way. Though the trek can be challenging, reaching Truot Fall is worth it.
- Lang Co Beach. For a sandy beach adventure, check out Lang Co. The miles-long shoreline is one of the best features of this beach. It’s clean and during low season (June onwards), there are fewer people on the beach. On the other side of the beach, there’s a turquoise lagoon where you can do boating.
Bach Ma Village, or the Hobbit Village in Hue, is a rising star in Hue’s tourism. If you want a unique nature-filled adventure in the middle of the forest, this is the best place to go. Watch out for more amazing additions to the Hobbit Village’s resort facilities in 2020!
Details
Address: Bach Ma National Park | Loc Tri, Phu Loc, Thua Thien Hue, Vietnam
Season: Year-round
Cost: Admission ticket | Overnight accommodation | Rentals
Website: bachmavillage.com
Address: Bach Ma National Park, Lộc Trì, Phú Lộc, Thừa Thiên Huế, Vietnam
Understanding Vietnamese Street Food
