Article and photos: Lam Linh
Y Ty commune is located in the west of Bat Xat district, Lao Cai province, about 100 km from Lao Cai city. The place is known as the "land of fog" with beautiful terraced fields and the most beautiful rammed earth houses in Lao Cai province.
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| The scenery of Y Ty - one of the rugged lands of the remote Northwest. |
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| Go to Y Ty, don't rush, go slowly to see the life in the highlands of the Fatherland. |
Travel
Spend 2.5 days or even a week depending on your wanderlust to ride a motorbike from Hanoi to Y Ty. With 2 million VND in your pocket, you can rest assured.
Or from Hanoi, take the night train to Lao Cai to arrive at the station at 7am. You can also choose to travel by night by car to Lao Cai, departing from My Dinh station.
The road to Y Ty is divided into two branches, each of which requires a distance of more than 100km to reach. Follow the Lao Cai route to Trinh Tuong, around Lung Po, where the Red River flows into Vietnam, around A Mu Sung and then to Y Ty. The road passes through old forests, runs through sparsely populated cardamom forests, and villages nestled on the mountainside. The road is challenging and not easy for motorbike drivers with steady hands.
The road from Lao Cai - Sapa to Muong Hum, Den Thang, Den Sang, A Lu to Y Ty is more beautiful and easier to travel. You can ride a motorbike or car on this road, but be careful because the road has many hairpin bends and is slippery and challenging.
From Sapa and Lao Cai, you can rent a motorbike to go to Y Ty. Choose a motorbike with good brakes and a repair kit to be ready for any unexpected situations that may arise along the way.
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| Children on their way to school. |
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| Daily chores. |
Beauty scene
The land of Y Ty lies deep in the mountains, surrounded by high mountains, covered in clouds all year round. At an altitude of 2,000 meters, leaning against the Nhiu Co San mountain range with a peak of 2,660 meters, it is rare to see the sunlight all day long. The town is nestled next to the mountains, on winding dirt roads. A peaceful valley, Y Ty is beautiful because of the clouds, the mountains, the colors of the old forests, the golden terraced fields or the most beautiful rammed earth houses in Lao Cai of the Ha Nhi ethnic people in the two villages of Lao Chai 1 and Lao Chai 2.
Coming to Y Ty, you will be very interested in the Saturday market, a colorful place with Ha Nhi women wearing three-leafed hats and braided woolen wigs around the top of their heads, Mong people wearing flared skirts or colorful peacock scarves on the heads of Dao women. The products brought on their baskets to the market are home-grown agricultural products and hand-made brocade pieces.
More specifically, come to explore the beautiful rammed earth houses considered the most beautiful in Lao Cai in Lao Chai 1 and Lao Chai 2 villages.
Rest
In Y Ty, there are not many options for you because the motels are all stilt houses of the locals opened to serve guests. The motels are just simple rooms with limited electricity and water. You should contact in advance to have a place to sleep if you go with a large group with the two motels of Ms. Hau Thu My and Ms. Si.
Cuisine
The remote highlands still have many difficulties in life so there are not many specialties for you to enjoy, but in return with a trip like this, you will have the opportunity to show off your talent with simple items brought along. At the market on Saturday, do not forget to taste the famous thang co dish made from horse meat.
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| Discover the most beautiful rammed earth houses in Lao Cai province. |
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| The land of beautiful clouds with floating valleys. |
Hand-woven brocades at the fair are a must-have gift. When passing through Muong Hum, don’t forget to buy some Nam Pung wine to taste.
Other notes:
The road to Y Ty is quite bad with many slippery sections, so when you go, you should prepare gloves and knee pads to avoid the cold and to ensure your hands and knees are not scratched in case of danger.
The weather in the mountains is different between day and night, so bring enough scarves, woolen hats, gloves, warm coats, sleeping bags, and thin blankets.
You should bring spare gasoline, food, instant noodles and if possible bring a set of dry alcohol, a small pot to cook along the way. A cup of hot coffee along the way is always an unforgettable experience.
Bring full identification.
