More than 300 km north of Hanoi, Mu Cang Chai is one of the “must-go” destinations during the ripe rice season in Yen Bai. This northwestern highland district not only has an attractive ripe rice season but also hot mineral spring baths, markets, festivals and many delicious specialties.
When is Mu Cang Chai beautiful?
Mu Cang Chai is beautiful all year round. In spring, young rice seedlings shine on the water surface; in the warm summer months, terraced fields are green and brilliant on the hills. The most impressive season is the water pouring season (rice planting season) and the ripe rice season (winter-spring harvest season). The water pouring season falls from late May to early June, the rice fields are like “mirrors” reflecting the whole world.
From September to October is the golden season of Mu Cang Chai, attracting photographers and tourists to admire the colorful highland picture. In winter, the rice fields are like ink paintings of mountains and forests. Late December is the season when wild peach blossoms bloom.
Travel
From Hanoi to Mu Cang Chai is about 300 km – not too far but the road is more difficult than Sa Pa, Moc Chau because of the passes and slopes from one road to another.
Mu Cang Chai, Van Chan, Tram Tau, Nghia Lo town are 4 districts in the west of Yen Bai, located separately on the western slope of Hoang Lien Son – Pung Luong range. To get here, there is only one road, National Highway 32, the rest are branch roads only for backpackers and locals.
Passenger bus
First way: If traveling from Hanoi, you can catch a bus at My Dinh bus station, passenger buses to Mu Cang Chai mainly go through Nghia Lo town. A few will run along Noi Bai – Lao Cai highway to “pick up” provincial guests, but mainly follow Highway 32.
Second way: Travel by resort shuttle bus. But there is only one resort here, Mu Cang Chai Resort, which is not yet completed. Therefore, if you want to stay at a resort, you should choose Le Champ Tu Le, then rent a car to Mu Cang Chai to play.
Private car
Tourists should choose the traditional route of route 32. Suggested route: My Dinh – Nhon – Son Tay – Trung Ha Ba Vi Bridge (or Dong Quang Bridge from Son Tay, turn left towards K9) – Thanh Thuy – Thanh Son Phu Tho – Tan Son Thu Cuc – Ba Khe – Van Chan – Nghia Lo town – Tu Le – Khau Pha Pass – Kim Intersection – Mu Cang Chai Town. You should depart at 5am to arrive in time for lunch.
The route from Hanoi follows the Noi Bai – Lao Cai – QL 279 – QL 32 highway, which is convenient on the highway section, but is longer than 50km and has bad roads.
Accommodation
Mu Cang Chai mainly has budget hotels, homestays, stilt houses and not many high-end options. In particular, stilt houses and homestays of local people are the most popular types of accommodation in Mu Cang Chai. The stilt houses have dormitories for 10 to 30 people. Visitors can easily find a stilt house around famous tourist attractions such as: Ban Thai, La Pan Tan terraced fields, Tu Le… There are accommodation services and grocery stores right at the foot of the house.
Hotels are mainly concentrated in Mu Cang Chai town. Budget hotels from 1 star to 3 stars, rooms have basic amenities such as beds, bathrooms, TVs, refrigerators…
Some new locations in the style of “Ecolodge” (eco-resort) include: Hello MCC, MCC Eco lodge in La Pan Tan. Or you can go to Tu Le, Nghia Lo where there are slightly more upscale hotels.
In addition, visitors can stay at Hello Mu Cang Chai, Vu Linh Family, Thac Ba, Ngoc Thuy Homestay Mu Cang Chai… room rates are 100,000 – 700,000 VND per night.
Khau Pha Pass is where the annual paragliding activity takes place under the name of the festival Flying over the golden season. From here, pilots and visitors can both parachute and experience the thrill while admiring the panoramic view of Lim Mong valley during the ripe rice season. If you love it, you should book a tour in advance to have a parachute jump.
Scenic spots
Lim Mong and Lim Thai valleys are home to Thai villages located in the valley right below Khau Pha Pass – one of the four great mountain passes in Vietnam.
Crossing the poetic suspension bridge is the small roads like threads sloping up the mountain. Coming to Lim Mong in September and October, visitors will be able to travel in the golden season with ripe rice fields on both sides of the road.
Visitors can ride between the golden ripe rice fields, watch the peaceful villages in the harvest season, meet children and the elderly or play by the cool streams.
Terraced fields cover more than 2,200 hectares of land in Mu Cang Chai. Of which, 500 hectares are recognized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism as national heritages belonging to the three villages of La Pan Tan, Che Cu Nha and De Xu Phinh.
Tu Le Commune, Van Chan District, Yen Bai Province, 3 km from Khau Pha Pass, is famous for its special sticky rice variety. When the rice begins to ripen on the terraced fields, the Thai people in Tu Le are busy preparing new batches of green rice to sell everywhere. Each kilo of green rice costs 120,000 VND.
You can stay overnight in Tu Le or drive straight from Tu Le to Mu Cang Chai town. Community guesthouses and homestays in Mu Cang Chai are rented for 100,000 – 400,000 VND per person per night. If you stay in Mu Cang Chai at night, you can go to the market to enjoy Thai ethnic food and there are more restaurants to choose from.
Mam Xoi Hill is a symbolic image of the golden season in Mu Cang Chai for many years. The hill is located in La Pan Tan, more than 8 km from the town center. The road is difficult, so stop and park your vehicle and then hire a motorbike taxi from the locals to take you there. In addition, near the hill there is a buckwheat flower garden and a service to rent ethnic costumes for tourists to take photos. At the big Mam Xoi Hill, if you go up to the hut to take photos, it will cost an additional 5,000 VND per person. Going into the rice fields will cost an additional 10,000 VND per person.
Horseshoe Hill in Sang Nhu, more than 2 km from Mu Cang Chai town, has picturesque semicircular terraced fields. Every rice harvest season, this place attracts a lot of photographers to come and take pictures. Entrance fee to each of the above locations is 20,000 VND per adult, 10,000 VND per child. The price of a motorbike taxi to the place ranges from 60,000 – 100,000 VND per person, round trip.
Bamboo Forest in Na Hang Tua
The 60-year-old bamboo forest is located 20 km from the center of Mu Cang Chai town. This is also the place that provides bamboo shoots as a specialty for the region. The road to get here is very muddy and steep on rainy days. Visitors often have to walk or hire locals to take them by motorbike to the tourist destination because the dirt road is narrow, steep and slippery and cannot be used by car.
Tram Tau is about 100 km from Mu Cang Chai, but is a suitable destination if you decide to explore Yen Bai during the rice harvest season. There is a hot mineral spring from a natural underground stream that is very good for health, especially for people with aching bones and joints. This place also doubles as a homestay, so visitors who want to stay overnight need to book in advance. Not far from the hot mineral bath area, there is a hot mineral spring bath of local people that is free of charge, such as in Coi village, Hoc village…
The hot water from a natural underground stream is very good for health, especially for people with aching bones and joints. This place also doubles as a homestay, so visitors who want to stay overnight need to book in advance. Not far from the hot mineral bath area, there is a free local hot spring bath spot like in Coi village, Hoc village…
Food and drink
Mu Cang Chai, visitors should not forget the specialties such as sticky rice, wild bee pupae, stir-fried bitter bamboo shoots, grilled black pork, grilled stream fish (pa pỉnh tộp), salmon, Khau Phạ sturgeon, cat cabbage…
Snacks to bring back as gifts include Tu Le green Com. Visitors can directly watch the locals sift and pound the Com, the price during the harvest season is 90,000 VND/kg of fresh Com.
Note
Be responsible and do not litter.
Do not jostle to take photos, do not give money or cakes to children along the road.
Mu Cang Chai’s weather is unpredictable, hot during the day, but cold at night. Visitors should prepare a thin jacket to avoid catching a cold.
Source: e.vnexpress.net
