Safety tips for traveling to Ta Xua

Ta Xua Grassland

On the morning of August 10th, over 50,000 cubic meters of soil collapsed, burying 20 bungalows in Ta Xua, Bac Yen district, killing one person and injuring two others. Ms. Hoa Quynh, a tour guide specializing in providing tour packages in Ta Xua, said she has had to cancel and refund deposits for bookings made by tourists in Ta Xua until August 30th.

Ms. Hoa shared that although some homestays are outside the landslide-prone area, she still proactively canceled itineraries for tourists to ensure maximum safety and avoid causing anxiety. According to weather forecasts, Son La is expected to continue raining in the coming days, with a risk of landslides. Ms. Hoa shared some tips for tourists to proactively ensure their safety when visiting Ta Xua.

Travel to Ta Xua

Ta Xua is a mountainous commune in Bac Yen district, Son La province, located at an altitude of over 2,800 meters above sea level. With a cool climate year-round, it is a famous cloud-watching spot, attracting many tourists.

The road from Hanoi to Bac Yen town is paved and concrete, making it easy to travel. Only a section from Bac Yen to Ta Xua is a winding mountain road with a ravine on one side. This section is about 13 km long and just wide enough for two cars with fewer than 16 seats to pass. If it rains, the road becomes more difficult to navigate due to mud, soil, and gravel flowing down from the mountainside, making it slippery. Many tourists riding motorbikes have to get off and push their bikes through the muddy sections.

Visitors should avoid driving directly to Ta Xua on days with bad weather. Instead, they can park their cars in the center of Bac Yen and then rent a motorbike to continue the journey to Ta Xua.

If you're not a confident driver, you should hire a local motorbike taxi because the road is steep, narrow, and has many curves.

Ta Xua Dinosaur Backbone

Suitable tourist season

Summer coincides with the rainy season, which runs from April to September, with the heaviest rainfall concentrated in July, August, and September. The best time to visit is from October to March, when there is less rain and it's easier to capture stunning sea of ​​clouds.

Accommodation

Ta Xua lacks large hotels and luxurious resorts. The area offers homestays and guesthouses, with prices ranging from 200,000 VND to one million VND per night. Accommodation is mainly concentrated in the central area or nearby, featuring communal houses (stilt houses) and some private rooms. Some accommodations are located on high hillsides, ideal for cloud watching. Rooms are designed as bungalows (one or two stories), detached houses, or stilt houses. However, during heavy rain, it's advisable to avoid accommodations near streams or high up in the forest, as landslides are more likely.

Currently, many homestays in Ta Xua are built spontaneously and are not registered businesses. Tourists should carefully research accommodations before booking to avoid potential problems.

Given the complex situation of heavy rain, flooding, and landslides, the People's Committee of Bac Yen district has directed Ta Xua commune to erect warning signs about the dangers and has also requested homestay owners to commit to not accepting guests, staying overnight, and to move out of areas at risk of landslides.

TB (according to VnExpress)

Source: https://baohaiduong.vn/luu-y-du-lich-ta-xua-an-toan-389999.html