Located in the North of the country, Moc Chau is a large plateau in Son La province. The temperate climate here is extremely cool, an ideal place to visit in early summer.
Getting to Moc Chau is not difficult, the roads are nice, there are many bus routes from Hanoi straight to the district center. The 300 km journey takes about 6 hours by car. If you leave at 8am, you will arrive at around 2pm.
This is the right time to check in the booked room, when you arrive you can put your belongings away and rest immediately. Currently in Moc Chau there are many homestays with unique architecture, open space, close to nature and very reasonable prices. 6 hours of driving is not short, take a break to regain strength, forget the rush and worries of city life, you come here to relax, slow down.
In the afternoon, the sun is gentler, take some time to explore the homestay where you are staying, take a few photos, and enjoy the cool air of the highlands. In the evening, we will enjoy a pot of salmon hotpot. Fresh salmon caught from the stream has a different taste from the frozen salmon we usually buy at the supermarket. Next to the steaming hotpot, we will eat and chat, telling each other stories about life, the hustle and bustle of the office or budding love affairs. After eating, go home to rest and go to bed early so that the next day we can start our journey to explore the highlands at dawn.
After breakfast at the homestay, we can visit Moc Chau Happyland to have fun. Built on a campus of about 5 hectares, Moc Chau Happyland is a resort and entertainment complex that looks quite attractive. We can take pictures with the flower garden, participate in entertainment games such as rolling the ball on the grass, quite fun.
The next destination is Dai Yem waterfall. According to the locals, the waterfall is called Dai Yem because, according to legend, the waterfall is the strip of the girl's bra that saved the boy from the flood. Having come here, why don't we take off our shoes and step down to feel the cool stream water, cup our hands to scoop up the stream water and drink to feel the fresh sweetness of nature.
At the tourist area, many local people have opened lunch stalls with traditional dishes marinated and prepared according to family recipes. Grilled meat, grilled eggs and bamboo rice are dishes not to be missed. The meat has a sweet, fragrant taste thanks to the mountain spices, the bamboo rice is sticky and fragrant, the hot grilled eggs dipped in salt are really delicious, eating one makes you want to eat another. While eating, chat with the restaurant owner, listen to the owner tell about life in the mountains, listen to stories about interesting guests who come to them, the "silly" memories of city people coming to the mountains for the first time.
In the afternoon, we can visit Ban Ang pine forest. The cool air and relaxing scenery are perfect for a walk. And don’t miss the chance to watch the sunset on Ban Ang lake. The poetic and romantic scenery may give birth to a beautiful love story.
Grilled chicken in a clay pot is a great suggestion for dinner in the highlands. The hill chicken is chewy and delicious but just soft enough, the crispy chicken skin is well marinated, the flavor lingers on the tip of the tongue, extremely enjoyable.
Early morning is the best time to visit the tea garden. The vast green expanse makes you feel refreshed. It would be a waste not to take out your phone/camera and take a few photos.
Next to the tea hill is a garden of white mustard flowers. The blooming carpet of flowers brings a pure beauty that soothes the heart, all the worries of life disappear. Take a breath to feel the fresh air of Moc Chau morning and then let your soul be immersed in the gentle sunshine of the early morning.
Before returning to Hanoi, visit the Dairy Farm to play with the friendly sheep, try fresh cow's milk and eat some cool yogurt. Just that alone is enough to make Moc Chau deeply imprinted in our hearts. Returning to the hot and bustling Hanoi, we think and dream of returning to the cool green plateau.
