Buzz
Lào Cai isn't just about Sapa, it still has countless captivating destinations waiting for us to explore such as Fairy Falls, Thượng Temple, Bạch Mộc Lương Tử Peak… or Y Tý. The journey of cloud hunting in Y Tý is drawing the attention of many adventurers due to the serene scenery contrasting with the terraced fields of ripe golden rice.
Where is Y Tý located?
Y Tý is situated at an altitude of over 2,000 meters above sea level and is a highland commune in Bát Xát district. The climate in Y Tý is cool all year round, but the winter is extremely harsh. Sometimes the temperature drops to below zero Celsius, attracting many young people to come here for snow and cloud hunting.
This is also the only place where the Hà Nhì ethnic group lives, bringing a unique and distinctive cultural identity. Y Tý boasts the pristine forest area of Dền Sáng, likened to a 'hanging forest' on high mountains, particularly attracting domestic and international tourists, especially adventurous young people, to explore and conquer challenging and adventurous roads and passes.
Y Tý is considered an attractive tourist destination in Lào Cai with majestic scenery, towering mountains, and misty clouds that enchant visitors. However, the road to cloud hunting in Y Tý is not easy, especially for those experiencing it for the first time. To facilitate your visit, follow Mytour's valuable experiences shared below.
Best Time for Cloud Hunting in Y Tý
Each season in Y Tý brings a different beauty. Depending on your purpose of visit, you can choose the suitable time to explore according to your preferences.
- From September to April: This is the ideal time if you want to go cloud hunting in Y Tý, as the scenery during this period is magnificent, like standing on the 9th layer of clouds. Lào Cai travel experience recommends that travelers should prepare sufficient warm clothing if they intend to go cloud hunting in Y Tý because the weather can be very cold.
- From August to mid-September: Y Tý will put on a new yellow coat when the rice fields are entering the harvest season. Especially during the main rice season, Y Tý is also classified as one of the most beautiful Northwest destinations for hunting ripe rice.
- From May to June: During this time, Y Tý is in the flood season, and travelers will admire the unique scenery in the highland villages.
Cloud Hunting Journey in Y Tý
Means of Transportation
Currently, travelers can get to Y Tý by car, motorbike, or sleeper bus. For travelers coming from afar, you can purchase flight tickets to Hanoi and then travel from Hanoi to Lào Cai – Y Tý. To ensure the safest and most convenient travel, it is recommended to travel to Lào Cai by train or sleeper bus and then rent a motorbike to freely explore Y Tý.
Route from Sapa to Y Tý
When traveling from Sapa to Y Tý, you should choose a semi-automatic motorcycle. Make sure to check the brakes, tire pressure, good traction, fuel availability, and have contingency plans if you want to go cloud hunting in Y Tý without encountering many obstacles. Currently, there are two commonly chosen routes by travelers, regardless of which route you take, you still have to travel over 100km to reach the destination:
- Route 1: Lào Cai – Bát Xát – Trình Tường – Lũng Pô – A Mú Sung – A Lù – Ngải Thầu – Y Tý is a beautiful route and travelers can easily move along. This route passes through deserted old-growth forests or small villages nestled on the mountainside.
- Route 2: Lào Cai – Sapa – Mường Hum – Dền Sáng – Y Tý is more challenging. Inexperienced drivers will struggle to pass due to dangerous and slippery curves along the route.
Overall, most travelers choose Route 1 because it is more convenient and safer. They often say they're going cloud hunting in Y Tý, but for travelers, perhaps the journey to Y Tý is the most wonderful experience. Along that route, you will experience various emotions.
On the way, you'll notice the characteristic trình tường houses of the Hà Nhì people hidden in the clouds. The walls of these houses are made of compacted earth, creating a warm space in winter and a cool one in summer. From a distance, they resemble mushrooms sprouting amidst the hills of Bát Xát.
Cloud hunting in Y Tý: Where to stay
Currently, tourism in Y Tý is not as developed as in other provinces, but there are still a sufficient number of guesthouses and homestays built by local residents to meet the needs of tourists. If it's crowded and there's no place to stay, you can ask the border guard for assistance or bring a tent/sleeping bag for temporary accommodation. However, remember to equip yourself with enough warm clothing because the temperature in Y Tý drops quite low at night.
Some guesthouses in Y Tý you can choose to stay at:
1. Y Tý Homestay: Located in Ngải Chồ, Y Tý, Bát Xát, and 43km away from Duc Huy Plaza.
2. Cô Si House: Situated in the heart of the village, making it easy for tourists to visit nearby attractions or the weekly market. The house also offers beautiful surrounding views for you to admire and capture.
3. Thảo Nguyên Xanh Y Tý Homestay: Built entirely of wood with spacious and comfortable space. From the second floor, you can observe the majestic mountain scenery in the distance.
4. A Hờ Homestay: Located in Ngải Trồ village, from here you can easily reach Ngải Thầu - A Mú Sung, Lũng Pô Flagpole, Dền Sáng... or the stunning terraced fields.
If travelers only intend to go
The Most Beautiful Cloud Hunting Spots in Y Tý
1. Milestone 92 – Lũng Pô Intersection
Lũng Pô Intersection is where the Nguyen Giang River (China) merges into the Lũng Pô River and flows into Vietnam. Here, there are milestone 92, consisting of 3 milestones marked as 92(1), 92(2), 92(3) marking the border between China and Vietnam. Travelers can encounter images of beautiful villages alongside lush green terraced fields nestled together in this area.
2. A Lù
In Bát Xát, people often whisper the phrase “The A Lù slope - the mist of Y Tý” to describe the hardship of crossing A Lù. This is a commune located along the Vietnam-China border and follows the Lũng Pô River. Like many other highland communes, A Lù has a rugged terrain dissected by high and low mountain ranges, gradually descending from the southeast to the northwest, making transportation quite challenging.
However, it is precisely because of this that A Lù possesses magnificent and prosperous scenery with terraced fields stretching like countless golden waves crashing into each other to the horizon, dotted with the simple houses and the earth-colored skirts of the ethnic people. In the late afternoon, as the sun sets over the A Lù fields, it takes on a hauntingly eerie appearance, mesmerizing many travelers. If you're lucky, you can go cloud hunting in Y Tý on these terraced fields with an indescribably sweet and wild scenery.
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3. Ngải Thầu
The floating white clouds under the early morning sun when traveling to Ngải Thầu are a major attraction for visitors here in the springtime. Ngải Thầu is a highland commune in Bát Xát district, boasting a perpetually misty scenery that is incredibly enchanting. One of the beautiful Y Tý cloud hunting spots is Upper Ngải Thầu. To reach here, you have to traverse steep dirt roads.
When spring arrives, the plum trees on either side of the road bloom pure white, making the scene even more mystical. But when you arrive, you will be immersed in moments of relaxation amidst layers of clouds under the morning sun. Although the cloud hunting period may last long, the cloud sea changes every moment, every day, so those who have not been here crave to come, and those who have been here yearn to return.
4. Thề Pả Valley
Thề Pả Valley is a recognized national scenic spot, a prominent Northwest tourism destination with terraced fields stretching from this hillside to seemingly endless mountainous areas. Regardless of the season, Thề Pả Valley is always beautiful, with the green of young rice plants, golden ripe rice, and the stunning beauty of the flooding season. This terraced field complex not only serves as an attractive destination but also holds significant cultural, historical, social, and scientific values of the H'Mong and Ha Nhi ethnic groups, closely linked to the formation and development of the villages here.
5. Y Tý Market
Y Tý Market is often held on Saturdays with a wide range of vegetables, household items, textiles, and more, all handmade by local residents. It's not just a place for trading goods; the market is also where young men and women dress in vibrant traditional costumes, embodying the essence of the highland region.
6. Lao Chải 1, 2
These are all typical Hà Nhì villages in Y Tý, not far from the town center. Travelers can trek here to explore the distinctive trình tường houses of the Hà Nhì people, which are also not far from the town center. The trình tường houses are made of durable earth materials, with some houses being over a hundred years old without any signs of decay.
7. Y Tý Park
This is the affectionate name given by locals and tourists alike to this location. Y Tý Park used to be just an empty space located at the end of the road through Choản Thèn village. On sunny days, visitors can experience incredible Y Tý cloud hunting with breathtaking scenery. Local children also enjoy coming here to play, and tourists can join in the fun, chatting with them or engaging in local activities for a day.
8. Choản Thèn Village
Venturing out to hunt for clouds in Y Tý during late winter or early spring, you might encounter the entire village shrouded in mist. This is one of the ancient villages of Y Tý, over 300 years old, nestled near the old-growth forest of Y Tý, Lao Chải village, Lảo Thẩn mountain, and Y Tý market. Currently, there are over 50 households of black Hà Nhì people living here, just a 30-minute drive from the center of Y Tý.
9. Ky Quan San
On the journey to hunt for clouds in Y Tý, travelers can explore the Ky Quan San or Bạch Mộc Lương Tử mountain range, home to the 4th highest peak in Vietnam, to admire the stunning mountainous scenery enveloped in clouds. According to Northwest travel experience, you can choose to start from Lai Châu or Lào Cai, but the most common route starts from Sàng Ma Sáo commune, Bát Xát district, Lào Cai.
The road to conquer Ky Quan San may be challenging, but it's a chance to test your limits. Moreover, it's an opportunity to immerse yourself in the unique nature of the Northwest mountains with their rich and diverse ecosystem. The ethereal sea of clouds will satisfy any adventure seeker when reaching the summit.
10. Nhìu Cồ San
Also known as Buffalo Horn Mountain, it boasts a lush vegetation with trails winding through dense and deserted forests. But if you're into cloud hunting in Y Tý, this spot is a must-visit as you'll trek through misty landscapes, step on thick layers of moist soil, and admire distant mountains hidden behind the morning fog.
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What delicious specialties does Y Tý offer?
Specialties in Y Tý are similar to those in Sapa, featuring a variety of dishes with a strong local mountainous flavor. You can enjoy some of the following dishes on the spot or buy them as gifts for your loved ones, which would be very meaningful:
1. Y Tý mushrooms
From April to May, there are usually forest mushrooms, occasionally including morel mushrooms, pine mushrooms, or other types of mushrooms. If you happen to be cloud hunting in Y Tý at the right time, pay attention to the roadside stalls of the locals, as you can buy some delicious forest mushrooms there.
2. Hà Nhì Beer
The Hà Nhì people are famous for their extremely unique traditional handmade beer. When you visit Y Tý, you will see that every household knows how to brew or ferment beer to serve guests during festivals and holidays. Hà Nhì beer is made from glutinous rice, and the fermentation process is also very unique. To make delicious beer, you need to choose glutinous rice from the field dried under the sun, with even grains and a fragrant aroma. Then, it is steamed, soaked in water, and mixed with yeast to ferment. After the rice cools down, yeast is sprinkled over it, mixed well, and left to ferment until the beer turns from white to yellow, becoming even more delicious.
3. Hà Sin Cô Tubers
Hà Sin Cô Tubers, also known locally as Hoàng Sin Cô, resemble sweet potatoes on the outside but have a pale yellow color, a lot of water, and a crispy, sweet, light, and refreshing taste on the inside. After peeling, you can eat the tubers raw.
4. Pig in the Armpit
Pig in the Armpit is a famous specialty of the highland ethnic people. It can be prepared in various ways: boiled, fried, stir-fried with wild vegetables, boiled with cat apples, or skewered and grilled. Regardless of the method, pig in the armpit impresses with its delicious, sweet, and crispy taste in the mouth.
5. Cat's Ear Vegetable
Cat's Ear Vegetable has long, curly-edged leaves and a dark green color. Because it grows naturally, it ensures cleanliness and freshness. After buying cat's ear vegetable, you can stir-fry, cook, boil, or use it for hotpot.
Some Notes When Hunting for Clouds in Y Tý
- Ensure to complete temporary residence declaration procedures for 2-3 days when visiting Y Ty as it is located along the border and has border control checkpoints. Remember to bring personal identification documents for declaration purposes.
- Y Ty, situated over 2000m above sea level, often experiences cold weather. Therefore, regardless of the season, bring warm clothing, gloves, lightweight footwear, and snacks for the journey.
Now, armed with essential tips for hunting clouds in Y Ty, embark on an adventure filled with serene mountain life, majestic landscapes, and the aroma of ripe rice fields. Contact us for exciting trips to this destination, including budget tours, flight and hotel bookings, and affordable Sapa travel packages. Call our hotline Mytour for detailed advice on current promotions.
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