Tour to discover ethnic Ruc village opens in Quang Binh

The central province licensed Oxalis Holiday Co. Ltd. to pilot the tour for a year starting March this year. Oxalis is a renowned adventure company, operating exclusive tours to the world’s largest cave, Son Doong.

The village tour will last for one day. In the morning, visitors will be taken to On Village in Minh Hoa District by bicycle to experience the local Ruc life.

Tourists will have the additional opportunity to visit rice fields, where border guards had instructed villagers on how to cultivate crops after persuading them to leave their cave dwellings and embrace modern life about 60 years ago.

During the rainy season (May-August), On Village is only accessible via kayak or paddleboard, with salt-dipped mountain snails a favored specialty at this time.

A tourist (R) experiences the life of Ruc people in caves in Quang Binh Province, central Vietnam. Photo courtesy of Oxalis Holiday.

The Ruc was one of the 10 most mysterious tribes in the world, according to Vietnam's Committee for Ethnic Minority Affairs.

In the past, during daytime, they ventured from their caves to forage for edibles, hunting forest animals or catching fish or snail in nearby streams.

Nowadays, the ethnic minority still retains many of its traditions, including a sojourn in their former cave dwellings post-harvest season.

Along with On Village, the tour will also take visitors to the settlements of Mo O O O Village and Yen Hop Village, located near the Vietnam-Laos border in Thuong Hoa Commune, Minh Hoa District.

These villages are home to many ethnic minorities in the west of Quang Binh, including the Sach and Bru.

The nature scene in the Ruc ethnic people discovery tour. Photo courtesy of Oxalis Holiday.