Hoang Su Phi: The Untouched Beauty Every Ha Giang Traveler Should Experience

Hoang Su Phi Travel Guide: Returning to Ha Giang for the Ultimate Rice Terrace Trek

Being ever fascinated with marverlous beauty of Dong Van Geopark, especially being exposed myself to Ma Pi Leng Pass, the most imposing pass & the king of passes in Vietnam, I do really have a special love to this wonderful land of Ha Giang. I try to come this land annually in different seasons to captivate its beautiful landscapes & get the full taste of local daily life living in this far-northern mountains of our motherland.

In the past, I loved Ha Giang with her winding & steep passes to reach Dong Van Limestone Plateau (USNESCO’s Geopark), with colorful beauty of buckwheat, chrysanthemum, orange flowers blooming on mountain slopes, with old-styled palace of Vuong family, Pao’s House in Lung Cam village, traditional architectures of H’Mong houses, and with Lung Cu flag tower ( marking the important northernmost point of the country)…. However, this September, I journeyed back to Ha Giang with a brand new mission: a 3-day adventure trek to explore Hoang Su Phi, a remote and ruggedly mountainous district tucked away in the province’s western highlands.

Dong Van Geopark view from Don Cao Fortress

Hoang Su Phi is not only a kingdom of stunning rice terraces in Vietnam, but also an off-beaten-path travel destination with untouched landscapes of mountains & valleys. Most of people are local ethnic groups who have inhabited here for ages and kept their tradition & customs well.To live along with the nature, local tribes sloped the valleys to make stepped fields for rice cultivation, that is why you can expect to admire the most impressive rice terraces when doing trip to Hoang Su Phi. Please, read one of our blog about the ideal time to visit Hoang Su Phi & Ha Giang.

Travel to Hoang Su Phi in the middle of September, luckily, it was on the right time of harvesting season when the rice turns its green color to golden one.The colors of golden rice on different layers of rice terraces scaling down the valley really create a picturesque landscape, overwhelming me like a pristinely golden paradise.No photo can describe this beauty than our real sense touching to it.

Below are my travel itinerary & experiences on a 3 day adventure treks to Hoang Su Phi with my collegue from Hanoi

The view of rice terraces in Ban Luoc village

Day 1.Morning Drive Hanoi to Nam Hong Village (300k – 6 hour drive), Trek Giang Ha village. Overnight in Hoang Su Phi Bungalow

After breakfast, we drove a private car along Hanoi – Lao Cai highway, then take route to Tuyen Quang with google map to Nam Hong hamlet in Thong Nguyen commune ( 300km in 6 hour drive). Stop in Tuyen Quang for quick lunch & headed to Hoang Su Phi bungalow around 3 P.M

Check-in & be ready for a trek to Giang Ha village with a local tourguide taking us on a nice trekThe trek is about 6km on buffalo trails along mountain sides offering us the outstanding exposure to stepped rice fields and good chances to interact with locals working on the farms & their villages. Enjoy a refresh swimming at Giang Ha waterfall !

Back to Hoang Su Phi bungalow & we got a private bungalow – a good one overviewing down scenic mountains for relaxation.

Have a talk with Mr Quyen about Hoang Su Phi & sightseeing routes, he recommended us to try a special Red Dzao Herbal Bath with his offered price. It was really relaxed to dip ourselves on warm herbal water (cooked by family member for hours before), all the tiredness of long drive & hike during the day was really released with more energy for coming day.

Dinner was served in the restaurant that we together had with all family members & two other Dutch travellers.The foods are authentic & delicious. We drank some local rice wine and chatted with family & their guests till 9h30 p.m and went to bed early.

Day 2. Nam Hong Trek to Nam Khoa village, drive to Luoc Village. Homestay in Ban Luoc

Sleep well for the night, we woke up at 8h30 a.m, opened the bedroom’s window and admired far mountain peaks with white clouds flying around – really beautiful landscapes on a clear day, promising a nice day adventure for our trip.If you love to capture this moment with a Red Dzao traditional dress on, you should prepare early in advance because that scenery is quick to come and soon to disappear.

Mountain landscape from Bungalow

After a good breakfast with pancakes, banana, honey and a cup of hot coffee or tea, we met our local guide again for today’s adventure with trek to Nam Khoa village.This hike is decended down to the valley, viewing more rice terraces & local Red Dzao in Nam Khoa village.This trek is another highlight with a visit to Mam Xoi Rice terrace – a famous one in Thong Nguyen region.

Continue trekking down & reach a local Red Dzao family for a home-cooked lunch, of course, with some cup of rice wine and open talks with the host about their daily life.

Giang Ha waterfall

Saying a goodbye with the family, we hiked back to Hoang Su Phi bungalow,  journeyed to Ban Luoc village in 1,5 hour drive up & down the pass.

Enough with the trekking, we drove directly to Mr Canh homestay with many stops between for good pictures and admiration of beautiful rice fields in Ban Luoc commune.

Check in the homestay at 18h00, have a shower and relax at leisure.

The homestay is set up following the standard of CBT ( Community Based Tourism) to serve tourists. All berths with soft sleepers, pillows, mosquito net & curtains, which are laid on the second floor of the house on stilts – really clean & cosy.The bathroom & toilet are separated from the main house and shared among travellers & family.The meals are served with home-cooked dishes on the first floor.

We chose this night homestaying & dinning with a local family so we could partly contribute our small support to the community and get to know more about their cultures.And surely it was another memorable experiences we had in Mr Canh’s homestay.

Day 3 : Ban Luoc village trekking tour – back to Hanoi.

After a good night, we were wakened by the sounds of rousters & nearby waterfalls running day & night.We walked for morning exercises passing by local kindergarden & primary school and caught a number of good shots of Ban Luoc village at dawn. Down is the stunning valleys of yellow rice stepped fields and streams, far to the other sides are high mountains with white clouds flying around- so peaceful & beautiful landscapes.

By the way, we started hiking deep into Ban Luoc village with adventure trek up to the top of mountains – more impressive captivation of multi-layered rice terraces, viewing more daily life of local Black Dzao and contemplating a really nice waterfall in the region.

Trek back to the car park area, then drove Vinh Quang town for a late lunch & then travelled back to Hanoi ( reaching Hanoi around 20:00)

Travel notes when doing trips to Hoang Su Phi.

1.There are different routes to reach Hoang Su Phi :

Route 1. You can do a trip to Sapa, Bac Ha market, then approach Xin Man & Hoang Su Phi ( Ha Giang). When you follow this route, there is no public transport connecting between Bac Ha region & Hoang Su Phi, the road is in a very bad condition

Route 2: Following NR2 till Tan Quang T-junction, then approach Hoang Su Phi. There are many buses Hanoi to Ha Giang, you can choose the time & transports that suit your travel schedule or just order a private 3-6 day hiking tour to explore Hoang Su Phi

2.Hoang Su Phi rice terraces where to visit?

In Hoang Su Phi district, there are 6 different communes of breathtaking rice terraces recognized as the national heritage in 2012 such as Ban Luoc commune, San Sa Ho commune, Ban Phung commune, Ho Thau commune, Nam Ty commune & Thong Nguyen commune.Those are typically beautiful rice terraces of hundreds of years created for farming by the hard work of La Chi, Dzao, Nung, H’Mong… in Ha Giang, Vietnam.

3.Authentic cultures of local ethnic groups you can experience in Hoang Su Phi.

Beside admiring the beauty of rice terraces, travellers can explore the authentic cultures of local ethnics living in remote villages.You can join in beautiful treks to visit local villages, homestaying in their simple houses, tasting their local dishes & corn wine or taking part in weekly local markets in Hoang Su Phi or Xin Man areas ( smaller in scale but more local authentic than Bac Ha market in Lao Cai)

4.Conqueration of highest peaks in Hoang Su Phi.

You love adventure and would love to conquer the mountain’s summits?There are two of them in Hoang Su Phi region and we suggest to do it with a local tourguide :Tay Con Linh peak (at 2,427m) or Chieu Lau Thi mount (at 2,402m).

6.When is the ideal time to explore the best of Hoang Su Phi?

The ideal time of the year to visit the rice terraces is between late May & early June ( falling-water time for starting a new crop), June to September ( pristine green rice fields) and between late September & early October ( the time when the rice turn from green to yellow).

About the weather :the months of October till May, the weather is cooler & cold and not big rainfalls (but no ricefield in this time) so it is safer than the months of June till October when it is constantly with big rains resulted in landslides blocking the roads & dangers.

Hoang Su Phi Adventure with Golden Holiday Travel

As a licensed local tour operator in Vietnam, Golden Holiday Travel regularly explores new destinations to craft trips tailored to your interests. We recently had the pleasure of experiencing the stunning golden rice terraces of Hoang Su Phi, and we’re excited to share our insights with you.

With our travel notes and tips, you can plan a memorable adventure to Hoang Su Phi – Ha Giang on your upcoming trip to Vietnam. For expert travel advice, Hoang Su Phi trekking tours, or private car hire with a driver from Hanoi, feel free to email us at [email protected] or WhatsApp +84 988 451 530.

Wishing you an unforgettable journey in Hoang Su Phi, Ha Giang!