When you see images of terraced rice fields in Vietnam, most likely it is an image from Mu Cang Chai. Lots of lovely Hmong homestays to add some local life to your images. The best time to visit is harvest time when the summer rains have ended and the rice is a golden yellow. Mid-September to early October is the typical harvest period but can vary year to year.
The main rice fields extend along about a 20km stretch of Rt. 32. From south to north they include:
The largest community of Hmong families and homestays are in the hills of La Pan Tan. This is also the home of the most iconic terraced rice field, “Mam Xoi”. You also have Mam Xoi Be or baby Mam Xoi and a number of smaller fields. You can spend days wandering the small roads in the hills on your motorcycle finding vista after vista. These are very steep, winding, narrow mountain roads. Not a lot of traffic though the local young people fly around the corners at times on their motorcycles.
Between La Pan Tam and the Lao Chai part of Mu Cang Chai there are a number of rice fields directly on the highway or just off of it. T.hese are some of the better known areas so it can be convenient to stay at one of the homestays on Rt. 32.
Mu Cang Chai has a small downtown area between La Lap Tan and Lao Chai along a river. There are plenty of small hotels, stores, and local dining spots — mostly simple Pho shops. Kim Noi is accessed from just across the river near the center and the famous Mong Ngua horseshoe shaped fields are on the other side of the road along with the bamboo forest.
A number of locations in Mu Cang Chai are serviced by motorcycle taxis from Rt. 32. These include Mam Xoi, Mong Ngua, and the bamboo forest. The access to all three of these sites is very steep and beginners or those without powerful motorcycles should use these inexpensive services.
Getting to Mu Cang Chai is not difficult but can be time consuming. There are bus options but these are typically over 8 hours. A private car is a much better option and you can easily get there in just over 6 hours. If you not traveling alone and can share a fare this is the best option. Prices average around $150 each way. Of course I think the best way is by motorcycle. It is 290km so a bit over my daily limit of 250km. I tend to stop in Tu Le which is a lovely rice growing area just on the other side of the Khau Pha mountain pass before Mu Cang Chai. But if you get a really early start, take a couple of nice breaks the ride is manageable in one day.
