Moc Chau Homestay is fully booked, guests flock to 'hunt' for plum blossoms

Long lines of cars belonging to tourists arriving to take photos of the plum blossoms in Moc Chau - Photo: QUANG KIEN

This year's plum blossom season in Moc Chau ( Son La ) is considered the most beautiful in recent years. Clusters of pure white blossoms bloom profusely, densely covering the valleys, creating a scene reminiscent of paradise.

Homestays in Moc Chau are fully booked until the last week of February.

As soon as videos and photos of plum blossoms in Moc Chau were posted on social media, they attracted the attention of tourists.

Right after the Lunar New Year, the number of tourists visiting Moc Chau increased sharply, and homestays in the area were fully booked. Many accommodations were fully booked until the last week of February.

On Moc Chau review groups, there were constant inquiries about booking accommodations. On February 8th, the peak was that many tourists who hadn't booked in advance couldn't find places to stay in Moc Chau because all accommodations were fully booked.

This year's flower season is considered the most beautiful in recent years - Photo: QUANG KIEN

The roads leading to the plum blossom gardens and valleys are packed with cars from Hanoi and neighboring provinces, as tourists flock there to celebrate spring and take photos amidst the vibrant scenery of the flowering season.

Speaking to Tuoi Tre Online , the owner of Mama's House homestay said that all rooms there have been fully booked until February 23rd.

The plum blossom season is also the peak season for tourism in Moc Chau, so the demand from tourists increases significantly.

Mr. Bui Van Hiep, manager of Moc Chau Hobbit homestay, said that the number of guests surged from the second day of Tet (Lunar New Year).

Previously, the cherry blossom season only attracted large crowds on weekends, but this year, during the plum blossom season, hotel bookings are fully booked regardless of whether it's a weekday or a weekend.

"Our guesthouse has 20 rooms, and all are booked until February 16th. During peak season, we still sell at the publicly listed price, ranging from 1.2 to 1.5 million VND per night, depending on whether it's a weekday or weekend," Mr. Hiep said.

Many guests were unable to book a room and received assistance.

Ms. Dinh Thi Huong, head of the Culture and Information Department of Moc Chau district, said that the number of visitors to Moc Chau this Lunar New Year has doubled compared to last year.

From January 25th to February 9th, Moc Chau welcomed over 200,000 visitors to check in during the plum blossom season. On weekdays, the number of visitors reached over 10,000 per day, and this number doubled on weekends.

"Because the number of visitors to Moc Chau this time has doubled compared to last year, the number of accommodation facilities is insufficient to meet the demand for room bookings from tourists."

"Before Tet, the Department of Culture and Information of Moc Chau district had issued a document requesting accommodation establishments to pay attention to the quality and service of rooms, especially ensuring warm blankets for tourists during the cold weather," Ms. Huong said.

The entire valley is bathed in the white blossoms of plum trees - Photo: QUANG KIEN

When Moc Chau was overcrowded, such as on the third day of Tet and February 8th, many tourists were careless and didn't book accommodations in advance. Upon arrival, they were unable to find rooms because 100% of the accommodations were fully booked.

A network of accommodations has been established to share information, and when rooms become available due to cancellations, updates are continuously provided.

At the same time, the district also encouraged households with spare rooms to provide overnight accommodation for tourists free of charge or with a small surcharge. Hundreds of tourists received assistance during this peak season.

Plum blossoms burst into vibrant bloom - Photo: QUANG KIEN

The plum blossom season is expected to last for another two weeks. Besides plum blossoms, visitors to Moc Chau during this season can also experience mustard flowers, peach blossoms, and more.

Visitors can also experience diverse local cuisine, ranging from ethnic dishes like salmon, bamboo rice, and purple sticky rice to hot pot and grilled dishes.