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Around September, the golden terraced rice fields shimmering in the autumn sun are the perfect time to visit. In early autumn, Mu Cang Chai becomes more stunning than at any other time of year. Furthermore, the weather is usually dry and pleasant during this period, making travel easier.
Means of transportation
If you prefer a more rustic or "adventure" style trip, you can travel by motorbike. The route would be: Hanoi - Nghia Lo - Tu Le - Mu Cang Chai. If you go by car, there are daily buses from My Dinh bus station to Mu Cang Chai.
You can also join a tour, departing from Hanoi to Nghia Lo via National Highway 32. In the afternoon of the same day, you can visit the Suoi Giang ecological area, enjoy the taste of Suoi Giang San Tuyet tea, or immerse yourself in the clear blue waters of the hot springs in Bon village.
On the second day, you will travel from Nghia Lo to Mu Cang Chai, a captivating and breathtakingly beautiful route unique to this region. The winding mountain passes embrace the endless terraced rice fields. As night falls, the sounds of singing, dancing, and revelry fill the air around the flickering bonfires, a testament to the hard work of the Thai ethnic people.
Beautiful places to admire the ripening rice fields.
The Tú Lệ terraced rice fields resemble a cloak of mountains and forests, adorned with breathtaking shades of green and yellow. In Tú Lệ, you can visit the Lìm Thái and Lìm Mông villages, located 3 km from Tú Lệ. You can admire the stilt houses of the ethnic minorities scattered along the roadside.
Khau Pha Pass is one of the four great mountain passes in Northern Vietnam. It is the longest, most treacherous, and most beautiful pass on National Highway 32, stretching over 40 km. Located at an altitude of over 1200 meters above sea level, Khau Pha Pass is often shrouded in fog, hence the Thai people's name, "Horn of Heaven" (Khau Pha means a horn rising to the sky). The pass winds and twists around towering mountain ranges, nestled amidst pristine forests.
The most famous terraced rice fields are in Mu Cang Chai, with 700 hectares concentrated in three communes: Che Cu Nha, La Pan Tan, and De Su Phinh. La Pan Tan is a highland commune inhabited by the H'Mong people, located 15 km from Mu Cang Chai town. The terraced rice fields are layered and spread across the hills. After traversing the steep roads to Che Cu Nha, these "golden rice mounds" gradually appear amidst the lush green mountains, each terrace cascading down like a ladder inviting tourists.
Accommodation
On the way to Mu Cang Chai, you can choose to stay in Nghia Lo or Tu Le. Once in Mu Cang Chai, you can choose guesthouses or stay in traditional Thai stilt houses.
Dish
When visiting Mu Cang Chai, you shouldn't miss the local specialties. Besides the Meo apple, upland sticky rice, free-range chicken, and stir-fried wild birds with bamboo shoots, the area is also famous for dishes made from ground bee larvae, which the locals gather from deep in the forest. These plump, white bee larvae, still in their nests, are steamed and have a rich, creamy taste with a subtle forest flower aroma, making them a unique and delicious combination with the spicy local Meo apple wine.
