Smart Tips for Harvesting Ripe Rice in Northwest Vietnam

Amidst the terraced fields now entering the ripe rice season throughout the lofty Northwest, a rice hunting journey becomes a favorite choice for many autumn enthusiasts.

Smart Tips for Harvesting Ripe Rice in Northwest Vietnam

Here are the top 4 renowned spots for you to behold the season of ripe rice in Northwest Vietnam with majestic terraced fields and some advice for you.

Sa Pa

Sa Pa is located over 300 km from Hanoi, being one of the few tourist destinations attracting visitors all year round. During the ripe rice season, the hills and valleys at the foot of Hoang Lien Son mountain range are dyed with the golden color of ripe rice intermingled with the green color of the mountains and forests.

Attractions

Terraced fields spread across Sa Pa, but the beautiful spots for sightseeing and photography mainly concentrate in the Muong Hoa Valley. The villages of Ta Van, Ta Phin, Cat Cat, and Sin Chai are typical names for your excursion.

Transportation

From Hanoi, you can book a bus ticket to Sa Pa, Lao Cai, with a travel time of about 6-8 hours. There are currently many bus companies operating on this route, but you should inquire carefully whether the bus will go directly to Sa Pa town or only to Lao Cai station and then take you to Sa Pa by a small car.

If you want to travel by motorcycle, you can go through Vinh Phuc - Viet Tri - Phong Chau - Doan Hung - Yen Bai, with a total length of 360 km.

The second option is to go to Sa Pa via Lai Chau, along National Highway 32 with a total distance of over 420 km. If you choose this route, you will pass through Khau Pha Pass and O Quy Ho Pass, two of the legendary passes in the Northwest.

Accommodation Options

There are plenty of accommodation options in Sa Pa. The closer to the town center, the more choices you have, with prices starting from 300,000 VND per night. If you want to save money and experience the cultural space, seek out villages with terraced fields, rent a homestay, or ask to stay with locals in the village. Homestay prices in Sa Pa range from 100,000 VND per night and up, depending on the location.

Cuisine

Sa Pa offers a variety of delicious dishes. Notable options include salmon, sturgeon, luffa gourd, cat's ear vegetable... Salmon and sturgeon are raised by locals in ponds on the mountains. If you visit Ta Van village, you'll encounter some households raising fish.

In addition, there are many roadside stalls concentrated around the stone church area, open all day, serving grilled dishes, bamboo-cooked rice, and snacks.

Important Note

The weather in Sa Pa at this time has turned cold at night and early morning. To keep warm, bring an extra thin jacket when coming here, preferably a windbreaker.

Additionally, it's necessary to bring a face mask because the main roads in Sa Pa are dusty, with many cars. When visiting areas with terraced fields, it's advisable to prepare a pair of dark-colored boots or shoes as the risk of getting dirty is high.

Remember to bring your driver's license to rent a motorcycle, convenient for your transportation here.

Y Ty

Y Ty is a highland commune in Bat Xat district, Lao Cai province. When autumn comes to the Northwest, Y Ty puts on the yellow dress of terraced fields, carrying the fragrance of ripe rice and grass.

Sightseeing Spots

Following the route, you can stop by Y Ty at places such as: the intersection of Lung Po stream meeting Hong River, A Lu field, Den Thang field, Denny Grass fruit forest... Especially the Nhi Cu San mountain range, the number one 'cloud hunting' spot in Y Ty that backpackers often talk about.

Riding along the roads around Y Ty, you'll encounter terraced fields on both sides of the road along with typical wall houses of the Hmong people. If you want to learn more about the life of the Hmong people in the wall houses, visit villages like Lao Chai 1, Lao Chai 2... just 3 - 5 km from the commune center.

Transportation

The distance from Hanoi to Y Ty is about 400 km. There are two ways to travel: by bus or self-driving. However, regardless of which option you choose, you still have to ride a motorcycle from Bat Xat district center to Y Ty because there is no bus route to this area.

Many backpackers choose to travel to Y Ty by motorcycle from Hanoi. However, this route is quite far. If it's your first time backpacking to Y Ty, it's better to take a bus to Lao Cai and then rent a motorcycle to Y Ty, following the route: Lao Cai - Bat Xat - Trinh Tuong - Lung Po - A Mu Sung - A Lu - Y Ty.

Accommodation Options

Guesthouse and hotel services in Y Ty are not well-developed, currently only homestay options are available here. Homestays are quite comfortable with full amenities such as electricity, water, wifi, and complete bedding. Prices are also very affordable, starting from 70,000 VND per person per night. During peak season, you can even request accommodation at the Y Ty border guard station when homestays are overloaded.

Cuisine

During festivals or market days, the typical dishes of Y Ty will be more diverse. On regular days, budget eateries only serve common dishes like instant noodles for breakfast and rice for lunch. The local specialties here are similar to other highland tourist spots, featuring dishes like free-range pig, running chicken, wild vegetables...

Important Note

A pair of hiking boots or specialized shoes will be useful here, especially as the Hmong people still openly drain livestock waste onto the village roads.

Food options in Y Ty are quite limited. Furthermore, Y Ty is still a poor commune in the highlands, so there are no restaurants regularly serving specialty dishes. It's best to bring your favorite snacks when visiting Y Ty to avoid hunger.

The road from Bat Xat to Y Ty is very convenient, fully paved and with few cars, so you just need to maintain a moderate speed to ensure safety for yourself and your travel companions.

Hoang Su Phi

Hoang Su Phi is a highland border district of Ha Giang province with some of the most beautiful terraced fields in Vietnam. The terraced fields here were recognized as a National Heritage Site in 2012, located in 6 communes: Ban Luoc, San Sa Ho, Ban Phung, Ho Thau, Nam Ty, and Thong Nguyen. The entire Hoang Su Phi district has about 3,000 hectares of terraced fields spread across the hills.

Sightseeing Spots

Although there are over 3,000 hectares of terraced fields, the most beautiful spots to visit are in the communes of San Sa Ho, Ban Phung, and Ho Thau.

Transportation

If you choose to travel by bus, you can catch a Hanoi - Ha Giang route, which has many departures from My Dinh bus station with prices ranging from 260,000 to 300,000 VND per person. After reaching the Bac Quang intersection, you transfer to a bus heading to Vinh Quang - Hoang Su Phi, which takes about 58 km.

If you opt for a motorcycle trip, the route is: Hanoi - Ha Giang City - Bac Quang - Tan Quang - Hoang Su Phi, with a distance of about 400 km.

Accommodation Options

Tourism in Hoang Su Phi is still underdeveloped. Here, you can only find budget accommodations in Vinh Quang town, the center of Hoang Su Phi district, with prices ranging from 250,000 to 550,000 VND.

Cuisine

The cuisine in Hoang Su Phi is quite diverse. Rat meat is an indispensable dish in the life of the La Chi people in Ha Giang, prepared in various ways such as grilling, stir-frying, or hanging over the fireplace... Additionally, there is also fried fish, raised in the terraced fields.

Important Note

The weather in Hoang Su Phi has also turned cold by early morning, so make sure to bring a jacket to keep warm.

The road from Ha Giang city to Hoang Su Phi district and surrounding communes is very narrow, winding, and crowded with trucks. You need to be extremely careful when driving here to ensure your safety.

Mu Cang Chai

Mu Cang Chai District, Yen Bai Province has an area of 2,200 hectares of terraced fields. Among them, the total area of terraced fields in the three communes of La Pan Tan, Che Cu Nha, and De Xu Phinh is 500 hectares. This is the heritage of the Hmong people recognized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism on October 18, 2007, as Vietnam's top unique and special scenic spot. Within a 20 km radius, the terraced fields are situated between the mountainsides, gradually sloping down to the river below.

Sightseeing Spots

There are plenty of destinations for you to admire the scenic terraced fields of Mu Cang Chai, with the most prominent being Tu Le Valley, La Pan Tan, and Khau Pha Pass – one of the four great mountain passes in the Northwest.

Transportation

The distance from Hanoi to Mu Cang Chai is about 300 km. You can travel independently by private vehicle or choose a direct bus to Mu Cang Chai town from My Dinh bus station. Depending on the time frame, there will be seating or sleeper buses available.

Accommodation Options

During the Northwest rice harvest season, tourist arrivals in Mu Cang Chai are high, so it's advisable to book accommodation in advance if you plan to stay overnight here. Tu Le commune and Nghia Lo town offer a variety of accommodations, ranging from budget to upscale, with prices starting from 300,000 VND per night. This area is also convenient in terms of roads and geographical location for your golden season exploration.

If you want to reduce costs, you can opt for homestays in Mu Cang Chai with prices around 100,000 VND per person per night. Make sure to call and confirm in advance to secure a place to stay during this tourist season.

Cuisine

There are many delicious dishes for you to enjoy in Mu Cang Chai. Among the most unique are grilled black pork, salmon salad, green rice flakes, Tule sticky rice, and forest bee larvae.

Important Note

The road to Mu Cang Chai is quite convenient, but you still need to remain calm and handle situations on steep mountain passes. Avoid coming here on rainy days as the risk of landslides could pose a danger to you.

According to Kieu Duong/Vnexpress

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Reference: Travel Guide by Mytour