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Tu Le - A Fairy Gift
Located about 250 km from Hanoi, Tu Le is an unmissable stop and an impressive welcome for travelers on their journey to conquer the enchanting, majestic, and beautiful mountain roads of Northwest Vietnam. Often likened to a beautiful mountain girl, the endless rice fields of Tu Le are embraced by the Khau Pha, Khau Than, and Khau Song mountain ranges, creating shimmering golden swathes that are captivating under the gentle autumn breeze. The Thai people here call these golden rice fields a gift from the fairies, as legend says that the Tu Le rice variety was given to them by fairies who descended to earth and instructed them to find the right place with suitable soil for planting, and Tu Le was the chosen land. Remarkably, even today, although the rice has been planted in many places, nowhere else does the glutinous rice have the same aroma, roundness, and stickiness as Tu Le. That's why, every year on the rice-growing trip, the sticky rice meal from Tú Lệ served with grilled local pork is always eagerly awaited by travelers, serving as an exciting starting point to prepare for the winding, hilly, but fascinating journey ahead.
Mu Cang Chai – The Kingdom of Terraced Rice Fields
From Tú Lệ, to reach Mù Cang Chải, one must cross Khau Phạ Pass – one of the four great mountain passes in Northern Vietnam. At an altitude of over 1200 meters above sea level and stretching 40 kilometers, Khau Phạ is the longest, most treacherous, and also the most beautiful pass on National Highway 32. Seen from afar, Khau Phạ Pass resembles a smooth silk ribbon, winding around the towering mountain ranges and weaving through the pristine wilderness. After a moment of exhilaration mixed with a touch of apprehension due to the rather dangerous stretch of road, a paradise of terraced rice fields gradually unfolds before your eyes. At this point, Mù Cang Chải is like a beautifully embroidered painting, poetic, majestic, and captivating down to the smallest detail. Over 2,300 hectares of terraced rice fields, including 500 hectares in the three communes of La Pán Tẩn, Chế Cu Nha, and Dzế Xu Phình, have been recognized as one of Vietnam's most unique scenic spots and have been classified as a National Scenic Monument since 2007. Amidst the "golden sea" of ripening rice, the fragrant aroma of the highlands lingers, clinging to the sweat-soaked clothes of the H'Mông, Thái, and Hà Nhì ethnic people, then following them home, intertwining with the mill to produce delicious, chewy rice and sticky rice cakes. Only by visiting these villages can one truly appreciate the simple, peaceful, yet incredibly familiar and hospitable lives of the local people. One suddenly feels a deeper understanding of the hard work, diligence, and perseverance of generations who have created these terraced fields reaching towards the sky. Therefore, every autumn, travelers from afar eagerly set off, not simply to admire the beautiful scenery, but, more affectionately, to visit the rice paddies, like visiting a close friend. And even while still with their friends, though not yet far away, they already think about the day they will return…
Suggested tour:
Hanoi – Tu Le – Mu Cang Chai – Sa Pa (5 days), Departure dates: September 9, 28, 2020, price: 10.08 million VND
Northeast Vietnam buckwheat flower season tour (Hanoi – Ha Giang – Dong Van – Meo Vac – Tuyen Quang) 5 days, departure 23.10, price 9.9 million VND
Hanoi – Ha Giang – Lung Cu – Dong Van – Meo Vac – Tuyen Quang – Tan Trao – Ba Be Lake – Pac Po – Ban Gioc Waterfall – Lang Son – Bac Ninh (7 days), Departure 11.9, price 13.28 million VND.
Hue – Thien Duong Cave – Da Nang – Ba Na Hills – Hoi An (5 days), Departure dates: August 22nd, September 24th, price from 6.58 million VND.
Phu Quoc – Fishing trip (3 days), Departure 28.9, Price 5.28 million VND
Contact:
TST Tourist - 10 Tu Xuong, Ward 7, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City, Tel: (08) 39 328 328. Hotline: 0909 026 116/118, fax: (08) 39 321 321. Tay Do Branch: 17 Cach Mang Thang Tam, Thoi Binh Ward, Ninh Kieu District, Can Tho City, Tel: (0710) 3769 681, fax: (0710) 3769 682, website:www.tsttourist.com
