Mu Cang Chai is located to the northwestern corner of Yen Bai Province, in the far Northwest of Vietnam. The land is famous for amazing rice terraces on high mountains slopes most of which are on 1,000m above sea level.
The best times to visit the rice terraces at Mu Cang Chai are when the terraces are filled up with water ready for a new crop (May – early June) and when the rice ripens ready for harvest (late September and earl October). During the busy times, accommodations at Mu Cang Chai are always in the lack: booking the services far in advance is advised.
A visit of Mu Cang Chai takes from 1 day to a week depending on your purpose. If you just want to get there to know the place and feel the grandeur of the rice terraces, one day should be good. Normally people would have two full days here. If you are a photographer who look for great photography; you can spend several days here taking your photos in different lighting and weather conditions.
Breathtaking rice terraces at Mu Cang Chai
Below you can find some highlights of Mu Cang Chai and try not to miss any of them during your trip here.
Tourist Highlights in Mu Cang Chai
1/ Rice terraces at La Pan Tan, Che Cu Nha and Ze Su Phinh
The rice terraces at La Pan Tan and Che Cu Nha are the best and it requires you to hike for at least half a day each to get some feel of it. At least three full days are required if you would like to take them all in your photographs. It is a must to have a guide who knows all the trails which offer nice angles of the rice terraces.
2/ Raspberry Pie (Mam Xoi)
This is a patch of round-shape rice terraces near the Ba Nha Bridge which is the most popular spot at Mu Cang Chai. There are nice angles for shooting your photos of the surroundings from here also. Mam Xoi can be reached by hiking uphill from the Ba Nha Bridge or via trails through rice terraces at La Pan Tan.
3/ The Khau Pha Pass
One of the most breathtaking mountain passes in Vietnam with amazing views of the mountains, valleys and ethnic villages. The Khau Pha Pass is between Mu Cang Chai Township and Tu Le Valley via Route 32. Try to be on the pass at different times of the day and you’ll get great photos with different lighting conditions.
4/ Ethnic Villages
Mu Cang Chai is home to mostly Black Thai and Hmong communities. The Thai lives in valleys and the Hmong upon high mountain slopes. Nice villages are found near Mu Cang Chai Township and amid rice terraces. It is required to hike to visit these villages.
5/ Trekking in the Lung Cung Mountain (2,908m)
The mountain is in Nam Co Commune, Mu Cang Chai District, Yen Bai Province. There are a few trails to the summit. A convenient one is from Che Cu Nha (Thao Thua Chai Village) which takes a full day to reach the summit, stay one night there and another day to trek back.
