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Story: Lam Anh
Photos: Heritage – Land Rover 2025 Photo Tour
In April 2025, Heritage and Land Rover co-organized the Return to the Great Highlands Photo Tour through Vietnam’s Central Highlands. This journey over sun-drenched red roads touched the soul of the Central Highlands – a region full of heritage, beauty, and poetic charm.
The Central Highlands – a land of unspoiled grandeur – has long been a dream destination for adventurers and nature-lovers. With towering mountains, deep-rooted indigenous cultures, and warm, sincere people, the Tay Nguyen Highlands touch the hearts of all who visit.
The Return to the Great Highlands journey lasted only four short days, yet left our group with countless unforgettable memories. We began at Bidoup National Park, serene under the soft glow of sunset. A light mist drifted through the sky, bringing a gentle chill that made everyone exclaim with delight. We rolled down the car’s windows and filled our lungs with crisp, pine-scented air.
The next morning, the forest was transformed, immersed in a sea of white clouds that shimmered and danced in the dawn light as the sun slowly rose. We traveled along winding mountain passes toward Lak Lake, where layer upon layer of mountains, rivers, and rice fields in bloom spread before us, merging seamlessly with the endless sky. We stood at the lake’s edge, enjoying the fresh breeze and listening to the rhythmic beat of M’Nong people’s gongs and the sounds of rice being pounded.
The final stop on our journey was Yok Don National Park, where the deciduous dipterocarp forests were in the midst of their leaf-shedding season. We had read and heard about the Central Highlands’ dry season, but it wasn’t until we saw the forest with our own eyes, cloaked in vibrant yellows, that we truly felt its haunting yet powerful beauty. It felt as though nature had stopped to gather strength, quietly preparing for its next season of renewal.
Throughout the journey, we were fortunate to encounter several rare bird species: the Blue-rumped Pitta, the Laced Woodpecker (Picus vittatus), the Stork-billed Kingfisher (Pelargopsis capensis), the Chestnut-vented Nuthatch (Sitta nagaensis), and the Rufous-bellied Woodpecker (Dendrocopos hyperythrus), among others. Behind each fleeting moment that our team members managed to capture lay a quiet, meticulous process of studying and tracking – or even days patiently spent “camping out” deep in the forest.
The photographers carried the spirit of true field researchers: silently observing, carefully noting the behaviors of each species, and patiently waiting. Only when the mind is truly still can we hear the pure, clear birdcalls, melodies rarely heard in the city. These are the sounds of life itself, bringing quiet joy in the knowledge that the forests of the Central Highlands, with their rich and diverse flora, remain a safe and nurturing home for wildlife.
The Photo Tour not only unveiled the vast, mystical landscapes of the Central Highlands, but brought adventure and inspiration, thanks to our trusted Defender vehicles – an enduring icon of resilience that has conquered every kind of terrain for nearly eight decades. A steadfast companion, the Defender’s ability to auto-adjust its suspension and seamlessly shift between eight different driving modes allowed us to navigate forest trails and steep slopes with ease, enjoying the most majestic regions of the Central Highlands. In the comfort and safety of our vehicle’s cabin, each moment outside the windows unfolded like a living canvas, turning the entire journey into an immersive art exhibition in the wilderness.
Though the Return to the Great Highlands Photo Tour has come to an end, its echoes remain with us. For us, and likely for anyone who has set foot in this region, the Central Highlands is more than a destination; it is a bond. It ties us to awe-inspiring nature, the echo of gongs, misty mornings and sun-drenched afternoons. This trip left us with a longing to return to the wild, untamed freedom of the great forest.
