Lying in the middle of the West and Northeast region of Northern Vietnam, Yen Bai province is a unique travel destination, attracting visitors from across the country and different world corners thanks to its wild and majestic beauty.
Being an agriculturally based province though, Yen Bai has promising tourism potentials. The province is still new to tourists, as a result, everything is mostly kept unspoiled. Pristine nature and diverse cultures of local ethnic minority groups will enchant your eyes when visiting Yen Bai. Below are the three must-visit destinations in the province.
Thac Ba Lake
Thac Ba Lake, known as “Ha Long Bay of the mountain”, around 150km from Hanoi, is a favorite stop of many travel lovers. The lake is well-known for being one of the three biggest artificial lakes in Vietnam and is home to over 1,300 green islands of various sizes as well as a beautiful cave system hidden deep inside the limestone mountains. It is, therefore, a paradise for adventurous visitors, according to Hoa Nhap.
(Photo courtesy of Hoang Do/ via Hoa Nhap)
The lake covers an area of nearly 23,500 ha and is the main water supply for Thac Ba hydroelectric plant, in Yen Bai.
There are many ethnic groups living along Thac Ba lake with culture-rich festivals held year-round, giving visitors a sense of wilderness and an opportunity to experience the cultural identity and mingle with ethnic minority people.
Thac Ba Lake is also a famous historical vestige that was recognized as a national cultural and historical monument in1996.
(Photo courtesy of Hoang Do/ via Hoa Nhap)
(Photo courtesy of Hoang Do/ via Hoa Nhap)
Mu Cang Chai
Mu Cang Chai is a mountainous district of Yen Baiprovince which is extremely famous for its beautiful terraced fields. The whole area colores itself with yellow each ripe rice season, creating a vivid, poetic and brilliant picture of the Northwest.
(Photo courtesy of Hoang Do/ via Hoa Nhap)
(Photo courtesy of Hoang Do/ via Hoa Nhap)
The wet season on the terraced fields is, moreover, another much-awaited time of the year in Mu Cang Chai. The rains wash away the heat of summery days, and soften the arid fields, preparing for the coming crop.
The image of the terraced rice fields filled with water in the sun, silhouetted in the sky has become unforgettable memories in the minds of many visitors.
Mu Cang Chai held the annual terraced fields festival every September to celebrate their farming activities and attract more tourists to the land which is materially poor but rich in natural beauty.
(Photo courtesy of Hoang Do/ via Hoa Nhap)
(Photo courtesy of Hoang Do/ via Hoa Nhap)
Ethnic people in Mu Cang Chai (Photo courtesy of Hoang Do/ via Hoa Nhap)
(Photo courtesy of Hoang Do/ via Hoa Nhap)
Ta Xua
Ta Xua, the cloudy mountain where “anyone can touch and feel the clouds”, is hailed the haven for cloud hunters.
Situated in Bac Yen District of Son La Province to the Northwest of Vietnam, just about 240 km from Hanoi, Ta Xua is an adventurous destination for cloud-hunters. At the height of 2865 meter, this mountain ranging naturally in a border between the two provinces Son La and Yen Baiis among “top tenth highest mountain in Vietnam”, Gala Tourist Asia reported.
The mountain offers a cool, fresh air that is bound to help visitors escape from the daily hustle. Along the way up to the mountain top, Ta Xua could easily captivate visitors by the immense carpets of wildflowers, primeval forests, old trees covered with moss, the smell of wood and seas of clouds floating nearby. However, be careful as you drive, as the roads to Ta Xua are considered the to 10 most dangerous roads in Vietnam.
(Photo courtesy of Hoang Do/ via Hoa Nhap)
(Photo courtesy of Hoang Do/ via Hoa Nhap)
(Photo courtesy of Hoang Do/ via Hoa Nhap)
Climbing Ta Xua and enjoy the fresh here will surely be an unforgettable challenge with dangerously winding routes. It has become more and more popular among Vietnamese and international trekker, especially those willing to hunt the Clouds here in recent years. This area is also said to be the heaven of clouds thanks to its rugged terrain and the vast of steppe with thousands of wildflowers. Breathtaking close-ups of blankets of clouds and valleys are the best reward for those who dare take up the challenge.
October to April is considered the most ideal time to go “cloud hunt”. There are many places one can stop for a cloud hunting experience like a Xua town, Suoi Vang, however, Xuong Song Khung Long is the most impressive and worth-conquering one in the area.
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