Since early September, the terraced fields in Hoang Su Phi, 120 km from Ha Giang City, have begun to ripen. This is the first place tourists visit when the tourist season in the northern mountainous provinces becomes vibrant again. Local tour guide Giap Van Hai suggests a 48-hour itinerary to experience the experience here. He said that this year's golden season is expected to last from September 2 to October 10.

Day 1

Moving to Hoang Su Phi

Hoang Su Phi is about 300 km from Hanoi, travel time is nearly 6 hours. To save time for the weekend trip, visitors should depart on Friday evening, stay overnight in Tuyen Quang City or Ha Giang City, and continue to Hoang Su Phi early the next morning.

To make the itinerary interesting, visitors go one way and return another way, following the direction "Thuong Son - Tung San" to Vinh Quang town.

The road is a bit rough in some parts, but in return, visitors will see beautiful, wild scenery. On both sides of the road, there are many silver rice fields precariously placed on the mountainside. "But visitors should not stop to take photos for long because there are many more beautiful places," said Mr. Hai.

Drink tea and have lunch at the gate of heaven Thuong Son

At the Thuong Son Heaven Gate at an altitude of about 1,500 m, visitors stop by the roadside to take photos and visit ancient tea trees that are hundreds of years old. Don’t forget to stop by any local house here to enjoy a cup of hot tea.

Lunch at Vinh Quang. In the town center, there are many restaurants to choose from, depending on your needs. Some suggestions: Tuan Ngan restaurant, Hoang Su Phi stilt house restaurant, with dishes such as hill chicken, wild boar, stream fish. After that, visitors continue upstream along the Chay River to Phung village.

Check in homestay in Phung village

In recent years, there have been quite a lot of tourists coming to Phung village, but due to the seasonal nature of tourism, there are still not many accommodation options. The accommodation is mainly dorm-style homestays, sleeping together in stilt houses, with all the basic amenities. The rental price ranges from 100,000 VND to 120,000 VND per person. Some places have private rooms, priced from 500,000 VND to 700,000 VND per room, depending on the location. Some reference addresses: La Chi Phong homestay, Trong Phu Homestay, Chi Tai homestay.

During the golden season, visitors should book rooms early. Staying at a homestay, visitors can fully experience the natural scenery as well as the cultural life of the local people.

Eat local food and drink buffalo horn wine

Enjoy dinner with the locals and don't forget to drink wine from buffalo horns. This is a unique cultural feature of the La Chi people, passed down through many generations during festivals, New Year or worship, especially popular during the La Chi people's Khu Cu Te Festival, in the 7th lunar month.

The La Chi people's religious culture uses buffalo horns as mascots in their homes. The place where the buffalo horns are placed is the most sacred corner in the stilt house, used for worship rituals.

Day 2

Visit Phung village

Ban Phung is the main destination on your trip to Hoang Su Phi, so make the most of your time here. "If you come to Hoang Su Phi but don't go to Ban Phung, your trip is not complete," said Mr. Hai.

Wake up early, around 5am, to witness the most beautiful moment in Phung village. Ask the locals for the sunrise viewing spot, and you will be able to admire the beauty of nature, the moment the sun gradually rises. "This is the place that many tourists still call a paradise on earth," said Mr. Hai.

After watching the sunrise, return to the homestay to enjoy a bowl of noodles in a peaceful natural setting, overlooking the terraced fields that are starting to change color. "While having breakfast, visitors can watch the clouds drift by," said Mr. Hai.

Ban Phung is where tourists can explore more about the culture and lifestyle of ethnic minorities.

Ban Phung terraced fields change with each time of the year. Each season has its own unique features. The fields are located in 6 communes: Ban Luoc, San Sa Ho, Ban Phung, Ho Thau, Nam Ty and Thong Nguyen. This is a place that photographers, travel enthusiasts, nature and culture consider to be one of the places with the "highest and most beautiful terraced fields in Vietnam" and is recognized as a National Monument of scenic beauty.

Check out homestay, move to Ban Luoc

Ban Luoc is one of the three most beautiful terraced fields in Hoang Su Phi after Ban Phung. Here, visitors can order lunch at a restaurant with a panoramic view of the terraced fields. One of the dishes that cannot be missed is terraced carp.

At the end of the journey, visitors move to the main road DT177 back to Ha Giang City, around 18 hours. Visitors traveling by motorbike can choose to return the motorbike at Bac Quang and add a transfer fee to save time and health if they do not continue the journey to other places such as Meo Vac or Dong Van Stone Plateau.

Notes

- Be in good health because the journey to Vinh Quang is quite arduous.

- Please book services in advance to ensure a complete trip.

- When you come to Phung village, the places with buffalo horns on the ground are the ancestral graves of the La Chi people, so you should avoid them and not be curious about them.

- All motorbike rental locations in Ha Giang City provide accommodation for tourists in the early morning and personal hygiene.