2 days 1 night slow living in the middle of the ripe rice paradise in Sa Pa

Lao Cai - Visiting Sa Pa during the ripe rice season, visitors will experience the life of the Red Dao people and enjoy the beauty of the Northwest mountains and forests.

Sa Pa in the ripe rice season always has a beauty that touches people's hearts, but instead of choosing crowded destinations, many tourists go to places like Nam Cang, Nam Than, Nam Nhiu...

Move

Nam Cang is about 50km from the center of Sa Pa, visitors can completely travel by motorbike or private car. However, this road is quite winding, curving and has many continuous steep slopes.

Scenery in Nam Cang valley. Photo: Linh Boo

The terraced fields create a beautiful landscape painting. Photo: Linh Boo

From Ta Van, visitors will pass through Su Pan, Ho village and then to Nam Cang. On the way, there will be many roads surrounded by only mountains, trees and waterfalls, giving a feeling of complete separation from the city.

Ms. Huyen Thuong (2003, tourist from Hanoi ), was invited by a local friend to visit Nam Cang.

She shared her experience of going to Nam Cang from Sa Pa: "I started from Thao Hong Den village, Muong Hoa valley by motorbike. Traveling by motorbike is both flexible and has no limited visibility.

For Sa Pa terrain, manual transmission motorbikes are more suitable and safer than automatic transmission motorbikes because there are many continuous steep slopes. The distance traveled is about 25km but it took me 2 hours because the road is winding."

Layers of rice fields gently curve on the hillside, dyeing the sky yellow. Photo: Linh Boo

"You should fill up gas in the area from town to Muong Hoa, because from there on it will be less populated, there are long stretches of road without houses or gas stations," Ms. Thuong added.

Experience the local culture

Upon arriving in Nam Cang, in the spirit of being invited to visit the home and experience the life of the indigenous people, Ms. Huyen Thuong and her group of friends went to the fields to pick corn. At noon, the whole group had lunch with everyone in the Red Dao family, experiencing a simple and cozy lifestyle.

Red Dao people's meal. Photo: Linh Boo

The next day, the group decided to visit salmon and sturgeon farms - a famous farming industry in Nam Cang. Tourists can visit fish farms deep in the forest, where people built them to ensure clean water for the fish.

On the way back, the group stopped by a stream to enjoy the cool, clear water. In the evening, the group also visited Ban Co. This is a beautiful place but few people know about it.

Visitors can ask locals for directions because there are no signs. There are only terraced fields, mountains and a few huts. The scenery is quiet and breathtakingly beautiful.

Check in during the ripe rice season. Photo: Linh Boo

Small, simple wooden huts, located in the middle of vast terraced fields. Photo: Linh Boo

An experience not to be missed when coming to Nam Cang is wearing the Red Dao people's costumes which are completely handmade.

Ms. Thuong said: "The Red Dao people's costumes are very elaborate, with hand-embroidered patterns and silver embellishments... After that, we moved to take photos at the huts people built along the road. Looking down, we could see the golden ripe rice fields, streams, and mountains in the distance."

In addition to admiring the rice fields, Ms. Thuong suggests some experiences to try such as visiting villages, bathing in medicinal herbs and getting a massage.

Experience hunting for ripe rice season

Ms. Thuong summed up the cost of her 2-day trip as less than 2 million VND. The female tourist said that this amount of money was completely worth it for a journey with many interesting experiences.

Female tourist wearing Red Dao costume takes check-in photo with ripe rice field. Photo: Linh Boo

Visitors should bring a flycam to record panoramic views from above during the rice harvest season.

As for clothing, you can choose red or white to stand out among the golden rice fields.

The best time to take photos is early morning or late afternoon, when the sun is not too harsh, helping you get the best quality photos.

The rice harvest season in Sa Pa usually begins in late August and lasts until the first half of September. This time can vary depending on the crop, but usually does not differ too much, only about 10 days earlier or later.

Nam Cang (usually the rice season ripens earliest compared to other places), in late July, early August.

Ta Van, Ta Xua, Nghia Do, Ban Lien, Ta Cu Ty, Hong Thai, Suoi Thau Grassland, Nam Hong, Trung Khanh, Y Ty, Ha Thanh Village in late August and early September.

If departing later than mid-September, visitors can consider changing direction to Tu Le - Mu Cang Chai ( Lao Cai ) or Ban Phung - Nam Ty (Tuyen Quang).

Laodong.vn

Source: https://laodong.vn/du-lich/hanh-trinh/2-ngay-1-dem-song-cham-giua-thien-duong-lua-chin-o-sa-pa-1558151.html