Although I have known about Y Ty for a long time, this trip was a very different experience of exploring Y Ty with activities that I had never known before, from light hiking to strenuous trekking. During the two days and two nights of the weekend, I felt like I was entering a picture of the Northwest highlands, where people live peacefully amidst the clouds, the green and cool mountains and wind.
Y Ty is the land where the Ha Nhi people live in harmony with nature.
The journey began on Friday evening. From Hanoi, Tuyen boarded a bus and traveled a distance of more than 300 km. Of which, 30 km from Muong Hum to Y Ty made him "refreshed" because the road was very bad, taking 1.5 hours to overcome. It was after 1 am that he was able to lie down on the bed at a homestay located at the foot of Lao Than, surrounded by mountains, 13 km from the center of Choan Thoen.
Early morning in Lao Than welcomed Tuyen with breakfast by the clear stream, the sound of water trickling through the rocks seemed to heal the fatigue of the trip last night. This time he went on a tour, each person was provided with necessary items such as trekking poles, backpacks, gloves, hats, mineral water... to prepare for the first day of hiking across streams and forests.
Gentle first day hiking with forest and stream
Passing through the fragrant cardamom forest, gliding through the lush green vegetation amidst the clear chirping of birds, the cool sound of the stream and listening to the heavy but clear breathing echoing through the mountains and forests, Tuyên felt like he was returning to the true embrace of nature. The hiking process was relatively gentle. After 2 hours of moving, Tuyên arrived at the foot of the waterfall, soaked in the cool water and had lunch in the fresh mountain air. Taking advantage of an hour of rest, he lay down on a large rock, feeling the rough cold spreading throughout his body, “a cold that no air conditioner in Hanoi can do,” he said.
On the green grass, buffaloes leisurely grazed. In the sky, white clouds floated, reflecting on the calm lake. The scene exceeded his expectations, making him shout with excitement as if he wanted to mark his presence before the peaceful scenery of Y Ty.
A peaceful scene appears in the Northwest sky
After enjoying the cool breeze from the forest, at 4 pm, Tuyen and the group returned to the homestay to rest. He walked around the village to see the scenery and daily life of the people on the terraced fields, the rammed earth houses in the twilight and had dinner with his new companions by the flickering fire.
Dinner in the cold below 20 degrees Celsius at night in Y Ty
The next morning it rained heavily, the group's schedule to go to Choan Then park was postponed. Sitting and watching the rain fall on the forest until 10am, Tuyen and the group went to Muong Hum market to have lunch with a hot pot of sturgeon hotpot.
At 1 p.m., the group set off for Dragon Waterfall. “The road here is really cool,” he said. Partly because the scenery along the road is like a painting with mountains, forests, streams, dams, and terraced fields painted by the brush of nature, soft but also very sharp. Another part is because the bumpy road is even more terrifying when he sits behind the wheel of a local motorbike taxi.
Fresh natural picture on the way to Dragon Waterfall
Because the previous night it had rained so heavily, the water from the waterfall poured down in a rush, flowing rapidly, making a ruckus in a corner of the forest. Although he could only visit and check in from the outside, he could still feel the cool breeze blowing in his face. "Just looking from afar, you can feel the majesty and ferocity of Dragon Waterfall, just like its name," he shared. This was also the end of the journey. At 4 p.m., the whole group moved out, got on the bus and returned to the hot summer of Hanoi.
With the fast flowing water, the scenery of Dragon Waterfall becomes more majestic and fierce.
When recalling the entire trip, for Tuyen, every scene left a certain impression, from the peaceful streams, majestic waterfalls, long terraced fields or the rustic Ha Nhi people. Looking back at the photos he took while walking around the village at the foot of Lao Than mountain, Tuyen felt that the Ha Nhi people were not only indigenous residents, but also the "living soul" of this highland land. "Amidst the clouds and mist, the Ha Nhi people still maintained a peaceful lifestyle, making Y Ty a separate world, both wild and warm. Meeting them is touching a part of the soul of the mountains and forests - simple, profound and fascinating", he shared.
Simple life of the Ha Nhi people at the foot of Lao Than mountain
Having set foot in almost all the provinces of the Northeast and Northwest of Vietnam, each place has left Tuyen with its own impression. But with this trip, Y Ty gave him the opportunity to completely relax his body and mind. Tuyen said: "Although hiking is a bit tiring, I think it is a way to put aside all the hustle and bustle of the city and truly enjoy this journey."
To have a smooth trip, Tuyen prepared his luggage with necessary items such as long pants for hiking in the forest, good-grip sports shoes, especially socks because he had to wade through streams continuously, and sunscreen to combat the scorching sun on the high mountains.
Y Ty offers the opportunity to relax body and mind in the midst of nature.
At the end of the journey, what Tuyen received were tired legs and a sore back with a memory full of beautiful photos and a mind full of the natural scenery of the Northwest. During the trip to Y Ty, the weather was always cool at 20 degrees, at night it could drop to 15-16 degrees. “A very different summer from the lowlands”, Tuyen said.
