Whoever travels to Vietnam wishes to
see with their own naked eyes the natural landscape of mighty and colorful rice
terraces. It is not too hard to find vast and immense rice fields in Vietnam,
however, in order to fully admire the allure of rice terraces, then Mu Cang
Chai, Sapa, and Ha Giang, which are the best places to collect impressive and
unforgettable photos of picturesque rice terraces on a trip to Northern
Vietnam, are must-visit destinations.
Terraced rice paddies shimmering in “pour water
season” and bright in “golden season”
In Mays and Junes, on North mountains
are pour water season, tourists will find the beauty of terraced rice paddies –
looking like a natural giant mirror reflecting the shimmering sun - incredibly
beautiful.
Coming right after that, by the end of Augusts and at
the beginning of Septembers, travelers can reach to Northern Vietnam admire
charming rice terraces on the golden season. It is still the same best 3 places
for you to enjoy terraced rice paddies on the ripening of rice season, and it
seems that the 3 places are a successive arrangement of the time when rice
ripens. Sapa is the very first place to welcome the ripening of rice season (by
the end of Augusts and at the beginning of Septembers), then golden season
occurs in Mu Cang Chai (in the middle of Septembers), and finally, it ends in Ha
Giang (by the end of Septembers and at the beginning of Octobers).
Everyone should get to Yen Bai in Mays and Junes to
visit Mu Cang Chai, one of the places where there are the most attractive rice
terraces in North Vietnam. At this time, when showers supply more water to
winding rice terraces, this land, normally seen to be dry, is now fully vital
when showering in the water. The higher rice paddies keep pouring water on
lower ones, every single layer is connected to one another by the little gutter.
Nature, as well as upland residents in Mu Cang Chai, have all created a
colorful painting, including whitish water, yellow sunlight together with green
rice-seeding fields. How clear and shimmering! The coating on another hue when it
comes to golden season, sometimes intertwined with a greenish layer, golden
rice terraces spreading through hills can be seen from high above, besides, we
can also get our glimpse of people harvesting, all of them make a majestic the image which any tourist will have to give compliments as admiring every detail.
The H’Mong and Thai women have bright and happy expressions on their faces.
Terraced rice paddies in Cao Pha, La Pan Tan, Che Cu Nha, Sang Nhu … valleys
are locations where the best angle of view can be taken.
Going through Mu Cang Chai, straight to the 32 highway
and you will get to a well-known land to travel – Sapa. Rice terraces in water-filled the season is the most beautiful when you admire them in Muong Hoa valley areas
such as Lao Chai, Ta Van or a little bit farther and wilder rice areas such as
Y Ty, Muong Hum. Walking through mountain hamlets and villages, strolling along
paths at the edge of rice fields, following trails, one side of which overlooks
majestic rice terraces spreading on mountain walls and welcoming little gutter
as well as turning gold, taking part in cultivating or harvesting rice with the
Mong and Dao people… are one of the interesting experiences when mentioning
Sapa.
Unlike Mu Cang Chai or Sapa, rice terraces in Hoang Su
Phi – Ha Giang is a new destination, it is still pristine and little known to
domestic and international tourists. Lying on a higher, steeper and more
tottering position, the road to Hoang Su Phi is much more difficult and harder
due to having to make it through crooked ways, mountain passes, and slopes. It
is because Hoang Su Phi does not lie on highways like Mu Cang Chai or Sapa. But
that is the reason why this location still remains pristine, together with
primary forests next to rice terraces, which cover all the Dao people in Hoang
Su Phi. Places, where the most beautiful rice fields are grown in Hoang Phi Su,
are around Phung hamlet and Luoc hamlet… Reaching Hoang Su Phi in filling water
season and harvest season, you will easily find the Dao, Nung ethnic people
happily cropping and harvesting. By the end of Septembers and at the beginning
of Octobers, if you unexpectedly schedule late, not a time to enjoy rice season
in Sapa or Mu Cang Chai, then in Hoang Su Phi, there are still golden rice
fields waiting for you. There is a light-hearted joke, saying that coming to
Hoang Su Phi is finishing an arc of ripening rice in Northern Vietnam.
On the other hand, Hoang Su Phi is one of the
locations which still keep green primary forests, with average height and
abundant sources of water, moreover, the Dao people still keep the traditional custom,
so you can spend about 3 or 4 days experiencing and exploring this interesting
land (you can choose to walk, ride a bicycle or use a motorbike).
Do you know what is the most complete thing to admire
rice terraces in Northern Vietnam? That is days going here and there,
conquering challenging routes, moving around from Mu Cang Chai to Sapa and to Ha
Giang. It is really worth it when such a complete gift is given to you, you
will not miss any single moment to enjoy rice terraces, whether it is pouring
water season or harvesting season. Actually, the greatest thing is to be able
to see with naked eyes the beauty of terraced rice paddies which mother nature
has given to Northern Vietnam.
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You can consult some suggested schedules about
experiences and activities (such as trekking or using a motorbike) in Mu Cang
Chai, Sapa or Hoang Su Phi here:
Please send us - Zonitrip - your requests or demands,
we can give you some advice which is uniquely suitable for you.
