There's Moc Chau! I used to come here to escape the sweltering heat of summer. I used to hide from the freezing winter night mist. I used to get lost in the lovely flower fields in the spring. On the Hmong New Year, I used to walk in the footsteps of ethnic people. Whatever time I visited Moc Chau, the highland land left me with unforgettable emotions.

When the spring sun shines on Moc Chau Mountain, the typical flowers of the Northwest mountains race to show off. The majestic mountain and forest photos are adorned with plum, plum, and apricot blossoms. The colors of spring paint the poetic scene: pure white apricot flowers, plum blossoms, bright pink peach blossoms, brilliant yellow cabbage beds, and green young buds.

Every degree of spring flower blooming on National Highway 6 from Hanoi to Moc Chau is always crowded with tourists. Simply walk along the main route to see the flower hills. And backpackers who seek pristine beauty frequently visit flower forests in remote villages or regions. There are only mountains and flowers, which are as lovely as a fairy tale!

Nothing beats escaping the sweltering summer sun in a green and refreshing environment like Moc Chau. Wander among the grasslands and green tea hills of Moc Chau Farm Town, or relax and immerse yourself in the cool water of Dai Yem (Dải Yếm) waterfall, or explore famous caves such as The Five Caves (Ngũ Động) of Ban Yen (Bản Yến), Son Moc Huong (Sơn Mộc Hương) cave, and Bat (Dơi) Cave. Ang (Áng) village pine forest is a poetic destination as well, where many tourists appear to be in Da Lat with a peaceful pine forest shining down on the calm lake. Moc Chau now has an ecotourism type to visit peach orchards and plum gardens in the early summer. Visitors can learn about indigenous people's lives by picking fruits with them...

It is still that calm, clear space, but with a chill that makes the scenery of Moc Chau mountain deeper and gentler. The winding tea hills retain their rustic green hue. Many tourists, especially couples taking wedding photos, stop at hills after hills, green after green, terraced tea hills and heart-shaped tea hills. This is also the season for golden ripe rice, which is grown in the villages. Choose an elevated vantage point to spread your eyes over the most beautiful terraced fields. If you plan to visit Moc Chau in the autumn, don't miss the opportunity to celebrate Independence Day 2/9 with the Mong people. If the Hmong people's traditional Tet is only celebrated within the family, family line, or neighboring villages, the Independence Tet has the connection of the Hmong community in many different localities, and they come to Moc Chau town to meet and celebrate Tet. Visitors can not only admire the beauty of traditional costumes, but also participate in and immerse themselves in the Mong people's unique folk activities.

Despite being a cold country, winter in Moc Chau has its own charms. Moc Chau welcomes delegations of visitors to the clam, relaxing in that flowery place while waiting for the fields of white mustard blossoms to bloom. The red dirt road leading to the field's entrance is more vibrant than ever, with flaps of yellow wildflowers, red poinsettia flowers, or simply delicate wildflowers. Visitors will be enticed to forget about time and indulge in flowers or take photographs in areas densely packed with white cabbage, such as Ba Phach (Ba Phách) village, Hammer (Búa) village, and Ang village.

Source: Lê Anh

"Cloud hunting" in Ta Xùa

Few people are not captivated by Vietnam's majestic scenery, but it is even more magical when heaven and earth give precious moments when mountains blend with clouds. Mountains in the clouds, clouds, or a sea of clouds floating around the eye have become popular destinations for people seeking "moving" pleasures.

Is there such a thing as "cloud season"? Yes, because the clouds were stunning that time of year. The most beautiful "cloudy" times in the northern mountains are late autumn and early winter or spring. With the terrain of intertwined forests, mountains, rivers, and valleys, the day rises with the sun when the clouds come, even when the night temperature is low. Clouds spread indifferently over the mountains or form a vast sea of clouds in beautiful valleys like fairies. Go from east to west through the northern mountainous provinces; where there are high mountains, there are clouds. If you only have a few days, Tam Dao (Vinh Phuc) or Lung Van - the roof of Muong Hoa Binh country - are good places to "hunt clouds." You can be proud of finding white clouds while driving less than 100 kilometers from Hanoi.

Cloud Valley at Ta Xùa (Son La)

In the future, there will be so many options that each destination will have its own set of emotions, and then the intention to continue the journey of discovering beauty in the midst of nature. Sa Pa or Y Ty (Lao Cai), Ta Xùa (Son La), Sin Ho (Lai Chau), or the four great passes are Khau San (Yen Bai), Ma Pi Leng (Ha Giang), O Quy Ho (Lao Cai), and Pha Din are the most popular on the "cloud hunting" map (Son La – Dien Bien). Sapa is known as the "city in the mist," so I came here to take in the scenery of mountains and ethnic minorities painted in mist and clouds. Clouds rushed into the window of the house overlooking Muong Hoa valley in the distance, over the Hoang Lien Son range. Everyday concerns were sometimes washed away by the clouds. When thinking about mountains and rivers, the name Y Ty (Bat Xat district - Lao Cai province) - "where the Red River flows into Vietnam" must have enough sacred meaning, but if you can immerse yourself in the cloud gardens here, everyone will want to return. However, Rat has been dubbed the "white cloud paradise," despite the fact that getting there is not easy. It is approximately 450 kilometers from Hanoi to Y Ty, with an arduous final distance and heart-wrenching sleeve bends, but in exchange, you will enjoy the majestic, overwhelming mountain landscape and the specialty "white clouds." The Ha Nhi village was surrounded by clouds, with houses that looked like mushrooms. Clouds floated up the mountain slopes in front of them like a sea of clouds. In that cloudy realm, in that quiet space, which was suddenly filled with colorful brocade on dresses fluttering to the rhythm of the Hmong girls... Ta Xùa (in Bac Yen district - Son La province), more than 200 kilometers from Hanoi, is also a place with beautiful white clouds. Because of the year-round cloud cover, the people of Ta Xùa refer to this location as the "gateway to Heaven." Standing on a high point on "beautiful cloudy" days, looking down is a magical sea of porous white clouds. Although it only lasts a few minutes, the sea of clouds is the most magical moment on the "cloud hunting" journey.

Catch the sunrise on the sea of Ta Xùa clouds

There are so many "cloud hunting" points in the backpacker world that the road to the destination cannot be called a road, only a trail. They were the first to discover pristine "cloud hunting" locations that drew tourists. There are only white clouds with adventurous souls clouds in that location.

Source: Le Anh, Hong Ha, Ba Ngoc, Viet Khanh

Tran Thuong (Hanoi) is an information technology professional with a passion for photography and tourism. He stated that autumn is the most beautiful season, as well as the harvest season for the year's crops. In the autumn, visit Nậm Nghiệp village (Ngoc Chien, Muong La, Son La) to see the táo mèo (also known as medlar fruit) ripen.

Táo mèo has long been known as a distinctive flavor of the Northwest mountains and forests, and it has long been cultivated by indigenous people. The flowers bloom hilly white in the spring, and the fruit is harvested from May 8 to the end of October. Mr. Tran Thuong's journey from Hanoi to Son La is more than 310 kilometers long, with an additional 10 kilometers to Nậm Nghiệp village. He stated that the only way to move Nậm Nghiệp village is by pickup truck or two-bridge vehicle. Alternatively, visitors must hire motorbike taxis from locals.

Ngoc Chien commune has the largest táo mèo growing area in Muong La district, with nearly 2,300 hectares, of which Nậm Nghiệp village grows nearly 1,300 hectares, providing a significant source of income to the people.

"The road from Ngoc Chien to Nậm Nghiệp village has many bad parts," he said. "I went on a rainy day, so the experience was more difficult, but the scenery of the apple season after the rain has its own beauty."

Apple trees are planted throughout the Hmong hillsides and gardens in Son La, with the greatest concentration in the highland communes of Muong La, Thuan Chau, and Bac Yen districts.

During the ripe apple season, people often pick and gather at the village's entrance, with traders coming to buy.

In the season of ripe táo mèo, the rhythm of life is full of joy. Ripens táo mèo unevenly and is as small as our apple; typically, the apple will be pink, with the surface of the fruit that is exposed to sunlight blushing and the rest remaining green. Apples purchased in the version 4,000-5,000 VND / kg are sold by traders transported to Hanoi for 20,000-25,000 VND / kg.

The kids sat under the tree eating táo mèo, looking shyly at the camera.

Nậm Nghiệp village currently has a homestay, which includes a stilt house for people to live in and three private bungalows, making it a convenient place for visitors to stay overnight and experience daily life with people. He claimed that he bought up to 20 kilograms of apples to take home because he drank fresh apples soaked in good wine. Visitors who want to relax in hot mineral springs after enjoying the ripe fruit season can return to the central area of Ngoc Chien commune.

According to Mr. Khanh A Nha, an indigenous Hmong tour guide, táo mèo has a sour, acrid, and sweet flavor and is primarily harvested for soaking wine. "Fresh táo mèo soaked in wine are far superior to dried táo mèo," Mr. A Nha continued.

In addition to being the main economic tree, Nậm Nghiệp is a popular destination for visitors to experience and visit during the ripe fruit season. This is also the season when many tourists visit Ngoc Chien to photograph the special apple season.

Source: Huynh Phuong- Tran Thuong