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Private tailor-made journeys of a life time
Aug 16, 2023
By Ms. Minh Thu
Mu Cang Chai Yen Bai is a remote district in Yen Bai province. Mu Cang Chai is referred to as the "heart of the Northwest" because, as can be seen on a map of Vietnam, it is located in the region's middle. Because of its virgin and magnificent landscape, Mu Cang Chai is present in the list of places to visit in Vietnam to many people. Now, let's explore this attractive destination with the blog: Best time for rice field to visit Mu Cang Chai Yen Bai by the best Vietnam Tour Operator.
Mu Cang Chai is increasingly well-known in the travel-loving community because of its pristine beauty. You still can visit Sapa to admire the wonderful scenery of rice terraces; however, if you don’t like a hotspot of tourism with crowded prospects of people, you can take Mu Cang Chai, Yen Bai into account. Moreover, the route from Hanoi to Mu Cang Chai Yen Bai is shorter than the one from Hanoi to Sapa, so if you prefer less time for moving, you may like Mu Cang Chai.
Mu Cang Chai is beautiful in all four seasons. The beautiful mountain terraces shine the best in the hot summer months. Tiny seedlings glisten on the river in the spring. The most notable seasons are the irrigation season (planting season) and the ripe rice season (winter-spring harvest season). During the pouring season, which lasts from the end of May to the beginning of June, the fields act as "mirrors" that reflect the entire globe.
From many tourists’ accounts, the extreme beauty of Mu Cang Chai falls in early autumn. The bright highland paintings of Mu Cang Chai attract tourists and photographers during its golden season, which lasts from September through October. The middle or the end of September should be the dates of your journey. At that time, Mu Cang Chai was the most beautiful ripe rice crop. All the slopes of the pass, the terraced fields are dyed a golden color. If you are lucky enough to enter the skydiving festival, you will be immersed in the wonderful festive atmosphere here.” - A person commented on Tripadvisor about Mu Cang Chai. The bright highland paintings of Mu Cang Chai attract tourists and photographers during its golden season, which lasts from September through October. The fields seem like a winter watercolor of the mountains and woodlands. End of December is the time of year when wild peaches bloom.
By coach
- If traveling by bus from Hanoi, you can catch the bus at My Dinh bus station. The bus to Mu Cang Chai mainly goes through Nghia Lo town and a few will follow Noi Bai Lao Cai highway, but mainly the car will run along route 32.
- Time:
+ Every bus to Mu Cang Chai departs at a predetermined time, typically in the evening. Buses leave from points along Highway 32C and go from Hanoi to Mu Cang Chai in around 7-8 hours. Therefore, if you stay in homestays close to the main road, it is quite convenient to relocate and catch a return bus.
Regarding price: Currently, a sleeper bus is the only type of vehicle running on the direct bus route between Hanoi and Mu Cang Chai. It costs between 200,000 and 250,000 VND each person for a single journey.
By motorbike
- You must travel to Nghia Lo in the QL32 direction because motorcyclists aren't allowed on the highway.
- Travel 180 kilometers from Hanoi to Nghia Lo town through Thanh Thuy, Thanh Son, and Tan Son. This will put you near the Trung Ha bridge. If you go play for around four to five hours, you'll be here. If you wish to explore Nghia Lo, leave early in the morning.
However, you will have to go through quite dangerous passes, steep slopes such as Khau Pha pass, Ach pass, so it requires you to have a hard enough steering wheel and be familiar with moving mountain passes to handle those difficult road conditions. Unexpected situations may occur.
By private car
Hanoi and Mu Cang Chai are separated by nearly 300 kilometers, but if you depart beginning in the morning, you can arrive there in the evening. However, very few people really travel that way; instead, they often choose between stopping in Nghia Lo.
- Travel directly from Hanoi through the Hanoi-Lao Cai road to Sapa, where you should spend the night. The following day, cross the O Quy Ho pass from Sapa to Tan Uyen, Than Uyen, and make a stop at Mu Cang Chai.
- If you head in the direction of Nghia Lo, you can start your journey in the late afternoon, travel to Nghia Lo for the evening to unwind, and then gently move to Mu Cang Chai the following day.
Muong Lo paddy field - Nghia Lo district
The entire Nghia Lo town as well as a few communes in the Van Chan district are included in the Muong Lo valley, which is located about 80 kilometers to the west of Yen Bai city. Twelve different ethnic groups are called Muong Lo, which is known for its cultural diversity, with the majority being Thai, Kinh, Mong, and Muong. Muong Lo - Nghia Lo is well-known for its wide, straight fields with storks soaring overhead and renowned excellent rice, as well as for being the origin of the traditional dances and mouth watering Thai cuisine. Coming to Muong Lo, Nghia Lo town, Yen Bai province, visitors can stay in large stilts houses, immerse themselves in the Cau Mua festival, the bustling sound of trumpets with the Chom Chieng dance, and enjoy the passionate wine yeast beside the vivacious youth of the Thai girls in their colorful attire.
Muong Lo is well-known for its white rice, pure water, and national identity-rich events, but it also lures visitors with its ardent traditional dances. If you haven't seen Thai girls perform their passionate Xoe dances, your trip to Muong Lo will seem lacking.
Tu Le district
Ice on Highway 32 winding between the mountains "Thanh Son, Bich Thuy", seeing the road suddenly fall into the middle of a flat field with waves of rice, that is when we have arrived in the rich valley with the graceful beauty of Tu Le.
Sheltered by three mountains Khau Pha, Khau Than, Khau Song, Tu Le field’s gorgeousness from the end of August has been intensified by the smell of ripe glutinous rice and then blooming golden, beautiful like the fingerprints of the sky in September. If the terraced fields of Mu Cang Chai are majestic masterpieces, Tu Le reminds of the peaceful beauty, as if raising your hand is to touch, bringing your nose is to inhale the full flavor of heaven and earth.
Favored by nature, Tu Le also treats people with cozy springs all year round. The Chao village, located in the middle of the commune in Tu Le, has been working hard to make color for the mountain girls who have bathed here for many generations, becoming an experience not to be missed, inviting visitors from far and near.
If the natural scenery pulls tourists back to Tu Le, the culture and charming people here will hold their feet. Tu Le belongs to the western cultural region of Yen Bai spreading from Van Chan, Tram Tau, Nghia Lo to Mu Cang Chai - the place where the Thai, Mong and Dao people have lived for thousands of years, and is also an ideal destination of the colorful and rich culture.
Mam Xoi Hill
The Mam Xoi hill in La Pan Tan is one of the most well-known attractions during the golden season of Mu Cang Chai and is regarded as the most beautiful hill in the Northwest Midlands. Mu Cang Chai (Yen Bai) entered the most beautiful golden rice season of the year in early October, enticing plenty of visitors to visit and thoroughly enjoy the change in aroma of mature rice.
Because of the unique design of the terraced field itself, Mam Xoi hill at La Pan Tan is well-known as a captivating tourist destination in the Mu Cang Chai district of Yen Bai. Observing the renowned, stunning Mam Xoi hill during Mu Cang Chai golden season here, according to hikers, is the Northwest's most exciting activity to do.
To get to the hill, visitors need to buy a ticket to visit 20,000 VND/person and walk 1.17km or rent a motorbike for a ride from 40-50 thousand VND/round trip. Tourists should also come early to catch the sunrise as well as the empty space to explore the beauty of the terraced fields here.
Khau Pha Pass
The winding roads between the old forests are still wild, looming in the clouds, making Khau Pha more spectacular and poetic. In the spring, Khau Pha is adorned with the splendor of lily-of-the-valley flowers, mountain peach blossoms and the pure white of the Northwest banyan branches. The clear sound of thousands of streams, waterfalls and the sound of trumpets create a symphony where heaven and earth meet, full of attractiveness and invitation.
Khau Pha is most beautiful in the ripe rice season - September and October, when the rice on the terraced fields is as golden as honey. This is also the festival season, honoring the uniqueness of Mong culture and the beauty of terraced fields on the Mu Cang Chai plateau.
Located at an altitude of over 1,500 m above sea level, Khau Pha Pass has cool weather all year round like Da Lat with the appearance of four seasons of the day. Khau Pha often flickers in the mountain mist. There are days when a beautiful floating cloud valley appears like a sea of clouds in Sa Pa. There are years, in winter, the temperature drops to minus degrees, the top of the pass appears icy.
Cao Pha – Lim Mong Village
Clouds have been engulfing Lim Mong village in the Cao Pha commune for some time. People who have moved before still talk about the Northwest's significant risk due to the challenging journey. Due to the fact that Lim Mong is one of them, bursting with attractiveness and difficulty, and due to the fact that it also acts as the destination.
H'Mongs reside in the settlement of Lim Mong. It will take longer than 10 minutes to post all of the signs due to the steep terrain heading to Lim Mong. The red dirt road, which will be dusty from the dry heat, will be a terrible fight for the drivers on a rainy day. The tight and steep curves seem to be causing the car to slide back to the bottom of the slope. You'll see, though, that trying to roll in here was worthwhile once you do.
Some of the dishes described here include black chicken, Ban pig, highland sticky rice, Ca Suoi, Khau Pha sturgeon fish, bamboo shoots, and cat cabbage. Don't pursue anything else with greed.
It would be hard to list snacks without mentioning Tu Le Green Com, which is safer to eat than all of Hanoi's nuggets because you can observe people physically sifting and pounding the nuggets rather than buying clumps at the Hanoi market. In season, fresh nuggets are 90k/kg.
- Like the northern mountainous provinces of our country, due to the high terrain, the weather in Mu Cang Chai changes continuously during the day. Sometimes when it is sunny, there will be sudden showers passing by, that's why raincoats , rain boots are indispensable items in your luggage.
- In addition, it is still cloudy in the highlands, especially it will be cold at night, so please prepare warm clothes.
Mu Cang Chai Yen Bai is no longer strange to people who love traveling and diving into the unspoiled nature and rich culture. If you and your friends are planning for a trip to North Vietnam, why don’t you consider Mu Cang Chai Yen Bai, because of its wonderful beauty will not let you down. You will absolutely have the best time visiting here. Vietnam Escape Tours thank you for reading!
