This Year’s ripening rice season in Northwest Vietnam

For many travelers, the landscapes in the northern Vietnamese mountains are more majestic than ever at this time of the year when the Autumn says hi. The Spring, with its iconic peach blossom flowers and intense colors everywhere, is also well-known as another great season to visit the highlands. However, the warmer Nature’s color palette in Autumn makes impossible not to be touched by the beauty of the yellow terraced fields, the celestial light of the afternoons or the wide range of browns and oranges dominating the scene in the countryside. For some people Autumn is also synonym of mysticism, of introspection; for others, like our countrymen living in the mountains, Autumn is time to celebrate, to harvest the rice crops that they have been laboriously growing for months.

Mysticism apart, we’d like to share with you some useful information.

In case you are interested in catching these yellow fields in North Vietnam, as well as witnessing the bustling atmosphere among the villagers during the harvest, the best timing is generally from early September till late October. However, depending on the region, on how intense or long the rainy season has been and on other diverse topics, this timing may vary a bit.

Below we have summarized the best times when you can appreciate this year the rice fields at their peaks in some Northwestern mountain regions widely known by their paddies:

 

PU LUONG

Best time to see the rice terraces: 25 Sep to 15 Oct

Pu Luong is a mountainous region surrounded by primary forests and with a pleasant climate all year round. Two rice crops take place in Pu Luong, one from February to June, another from June to October. September and October are the two most beautiful months for ripen rice, attracting a lot of photographers. This year, in mid-October, terraced fields in Pu Luong will be gradually ripen from Ban Cong commune to Don, Hieu and Kho Muong villages. The most spectacular field stretches from Ban Hang along Highway 15 to Eo Ken and Kho Muong village. Although the paddy fields in Pu Luong are small, they have a special beauty due to the surrounding green mountains.

SAPA

Best time to see the rice terraces 25 Aug to 15 Sep

Sapa’s terraced fields used to be voted as one of the seven most beautiful terrace fields in Asia and the World by a famous America travel magazine.

The most picturesque terraced fields in the region can be found along Muong Hoa Valley, Cat Cat village, Thanh Kim, Thanh Phu, Ta Van, Lao Chai and Ta Phin.

From Hanoi, visitors can take a coach or train to Sapa, which takes about 5-8 hours.

The climate in Sapa during Fall is very pleasant, a bit chilly in the early morning, warm in the afternoon and gradually cooler from the evening.

In addition to the golden rice fields, visitors can visit many other famous landmarks such as Fansipan peak, stone church, Cau May old town, Love waterfall and some hidden corners that still remain unknown for most part of travelers.

Y TY

Best time to see the rice terraces: 1 Sep to 20 Sep

Y Ty is located in Bat Xat district, Lao Cai province. The road to Y Ty is more difficult, comparing to that in Sa Pa and Mu Cang Chai. The famous spots for ripe rice here are Den Sang, Den Thang, A Lu, Lao Chai, Khu Chu Lin, Thien Sinh valley, etc.

Lying at an altitude of nearly 2,000 meters above sea level, Y Ty is covered with fog all year round. Its terraced fields are as magnificent as waves falling from the top of the mountain and flowing down the valleys. When the ripen rice season in Y Ty comes, everywhere is filled with the smell of the new rice, what creates a very special atmosphere.

Occasionally, visitors can come across clouds floating on the field. Like many other regions in the Northwest, the scenery in Y Ty remains untouched with wooden houses nestled on the hillside.

This year, the season of ripen rice in Y Ty will last about 3 weeks from the beginning of September. Visitors can take a bus or train to Lao Cai, after that, rent a motorbike, follow Muong Hum or Bat Xat palace.

MU CANG CHAI

Best time to see the rice terraces 10 Sep to 5 Oct

Mu Cang Chai is a highland district of Yen Bai Province, 280 kilometers from Hanoi. To come here, visitors have to pass across Khau Pha Pass, one of the most beautiful and rugged passes in Vietnam.

Mu Cang Chai is famous with teraced fields along mountainsides. La Pan Tan, Che Cu Nha and De Xu Phinh are some villages where most of visitors come to see golden rice fileds. In reality, Mu Cang Chai this year has two rice crops, which are spring crop (April- May) and main crop (September- November). For the spring crops, people cultivate rice on the lowlands as there is not enough water for the highland field. During the main crop, it’s around September to October, when the rice fields begin to mature, turning golden color, stretching out to the eyes.

The interesting thing in Mu Cang Chai is that people here still preserve their traditional beliefs and farming methods.

HOANG SU PHI

Best time to see the rice terraces 20 Sep to 20 Oct

Hoang Su Phi belong to Ha Giang province, a favorite destination for photographers and tourists. The two most beautiful seasons here are the plowing season (March - May) and the ripe rice season (September - October). The road to Hoang Su Phi is very dangerous. There are two ways to Hoang Su Phi, which are along the Highway 2 Tuyen Quang to Ha Giang or from Bac Ha (Lao Cai) to Sin Man, 300 kilometers from Hanoi.

Hoang Su Phi has over 3,600 ha of terraced fields, among them, 1,380 ha of terraced fields spread across 11 communes have been recognized as national monuments. This year, the ripe rice season will last for about a month, until the end of October.

The unique feature of Hoang Su Phi in the ripe rice season is the stacking terraced fields. Standing on the top of Tay Con Linh mountain, looking at Cao Son valley, you can enjoy all the majestic beauty of Northwestern mountains.

In addition to the golden rice fields and dramatic peaks, if you go to Ha Giang this season -and ever - you can’t then miss the breathtaking Dong Van Geopark... If you decide to get there, then you may also would like to link your trip to the fascinating Northeast Vietnamese mountains, which may be not as well-known as the northwestern edge, but trust us, places like Ba Be, Cao Bang or the valleys around Bac Son really deserve the trip - so much, that we will also be sharing with useful information with you in this regard soon!