This 4-day adventure to Mu Cang Chai, located 350km from Hanoi, takes you to visit the most beautiful rice terrace valleys in north-western Vietnam. This tour is the best bang for your buck if you wish to visit Mu Cang Chai, and if you choose to go in late September and early October then you will get to witness the rice-harvest, which presents some excellent opportunities for amazing photos.
Highlights
Visit Duong Lam ancient village which has been recognized as a cultural and historical site in need of protection by UNESCO since 2006
Visit Nam Co Village where you will get to see the Flower H’mong ethnic minority wearing their colorful traditional costumes
A trek from Kim Noi to Che Cu Nha on a 15 km long trail
You will leave Hanoi from the Old Quarter and travel for about 2 hours to Duong Lam, an ancient village which has been recognized as a cultural and historical site in need of protection by UNESCO since 2006. The houses here date back 100-400 years and are surrounded by temples and gardens that were built in honour of two kings who became renowned national heroes by repelling a Chinese invasion roughly 1200 years ago. Here you will spend 2-4 hours exploring the village and taking in the sights before being served lunch at a local restaurant.
Continuing with your tour, you will be driven through the rural countryside, slowly moving from flat landscapes littered with rice paddies to giant karst formations surrounded by tea and maize plantations as you gain altitude. Eventually you will reach the village of Nghia Lo, where you will stay the night in a traditional White Thai homestay built on stilts.
Duong Lam Ancient village
Meal: Lunch, Dinner Accommodation: Traditional Thai stilt house
You will rise early and go on a bicycle ride amongst the paddy fields, basking in the peaceful morning ambience. The mornings begin early for the villagers who can be seen quietly working in the fields surrounded by ducks, chickens, pigs and buffalos.
Breakfast will then be served in the open air overlooking the fields before you check out and set off over the dramatic Khau Pha Mountain Pass. The rice fields of Tu Le along the way are spectacular and will fill you with wonder.
After lunch in a local restaurant, you will continue your drive to Nam Co Village where you will get to see the Flower H’mong ethnic minority wearing their colourful traditional costumes. If your trip falls on the correct day, we will also take you for a visit to the fascinating local market.
Finally, we will drive you to La Pan Tan and Mam Soi where you can enjoy a short walk (roughly 3km each way) up the hill and be rewarded with beautiful views of the surrounding rice fields before heading back down to Kim Noi village and overnighting at Ecobungalow.
Mu Cang Chai from above
Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Accommodation: Ecobungalow in Mu Cang Chai
You Breakfast will be served outside and overlooking the fields before moving on to the tkrekking point. Our trek will start on the dragon spine from Kim Noi to Che Cu Nha on a 15 km long trails. This route will definitely give us a good chance to see the main points and admire the beauty of the wonderful rice terraces that Mu Cang Chai has to offer. You can also visit a few villages of the Hmong hill tribes scattered throughout the area. Picnic lunch on the terraced.
Driver will picked upend route for tranfering back to Ecolodge, where you spend the night.
Trekking in Mu Cang Chai terraced fields
Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Accommodation: Ecolodge in Mu Cang Chai
After breakfast at the ecologe you are free to spend the rest of the morning at your leisure, enjoying the beautiful scenery of the valley or just relaxing with the family at the homestay. Once you’ve had lunch we will drive you back to Hanoi where it will be time to say our farewells.
Leave a reply