About 200 kilometers from the west of Hanoi, Moc Chau is an idyllic plateau located in Son La Province which is notable for the majestic beauty of Ban Ang pine forest, Pa Luong mountain peak and the poetic charm of the plum, mustard blossom interwove next to the rustic ethnic houses made of bamboo.
The best time to visit Moc Chau
With the typical highland terrain, the climate in Moc Chau is almost cool and pleasant all year round. However, in order to capture the best of nature there, you should bear in mind these periods:
Plum blossoming season
From the end of January to the middle of February (Lunar New Year), Moc Chau marks the most beautiful season of white plum blossom. The massive carpet of plum blossom on the sidewalks, within the thin mist and crystal clear blue sky, would be a romantic settle for any couples, a perfect background for any amateur photographers and a peaceful scenery for a family outing.
Plan your Moc Chau tours with Indochina travel and tours
Villages of Ban Ang, Ba Khe, Tan Lap, Long Luong and Thong Cuong are considered to be the “kingdom” of the white plum flower.
However, the beautiful flower blossom only lingers just in two or three weeks before the birth of the red young plum.
Bauhinia variegata season
Bauhinia is the symbol of the northwest region of Vietnam.The flower conquers a strong vitality that it can rise up strikingly even on barren hills or cling to a craggy cliff. Therefore, people normally compare the beauty and vitality of the flower to the “upland girl”, just pure, simple and bold. The flower starts blooming from March and lasts until May. You can go along the highway 6 from Moc Chau to Son La for many great photographs.
“Het Cha” festival
Apart from the Bauhinia variegata season, March is also the time to celebrate “Het Cha” festival, which is held annually from 23rd to 26th by Thai ethnic people. People participate in the festival to strengthen the solidarity of residents and to express their respect to the doctors who cured them of sickness.
From November to December will be the blossom of the cauliflower and yellow tithonia flower.
How to get to Moc Chau
By motorbike
Travelling Moc Chau by motorbike is the most popular vehicle among the young people. Taking this kind of transport, you can take the initiative to stop anywhere upon your interest not only for relaxation but also for photo hunting.
From the central of Hanoi to Moc Chau, there are two roads running to Highway 6:
- Go straight to Nguyen Trai street, Thanh Xuan district (direction to Ha Dong)
- Or running through Lang Hoa Lac street, then along the highway 6 -> to Xuan Mai – Hoa Binh you run along the highway 6, pass Cao Phong and Mai Chau -> Crossing Moc Chau.
At the end of the steep pass, you will pass the “flagpole”, reach the center of Mai Chau district. Stand on the flagpole, you can look down Mai Chau valley – Hoa Binh.
By car
If you do not want to use a motorbike, you can consider going there by car. Nowadays, there are a lot of bus lines running straight from Hanoi to Moc Chau from bus station, I don’t recommend this kind of transfer due to the fact that the conditions of these buses are really bad, and the driver will always try to put as many people as they can to carry the largest number of guests. If you would like to avoid being crammed in a tinny bus like this, you can take the option traveling by high-quality bus from 7 to 16 seater cars or 7 seater limousine.
This price for the high-quality bus would range from 10-12 USD/seat/pax. You can try to contact the supplier – Limocar JSC, the one I have used and very surprised by their quality. They pick up and drop off in time, the car provides enough room and comfort during a long drive. Especially, they don’t stop in the middle of the street to pick more guest. The road trip will take you approximately 5-6 hours depending on the road conditions.
-> To get more information about this supplier bus, you can contact with Travel Consultant at Indochina Voyages
In order to make your travel easier, you can rent a motorbike with the average price from 5 – 7 USD/per day. Almost all guesthouses or hotels there provide this kind of service. However, you also can take a look at these addresses below for rental motorbike:
- Hoa Ban Moc Chau Guesthouse – Tel: 0982 577092 – 0943 899092
- Xuan Cuong Guesthouse – Tel: 022 3766997 – 0913 088676
- Binh Anh Guesthouse – Tel: 0945 129599
What to bring
- Clothing: The weather in Moc Chau is quite special, daytime is quite warm but the temperature will decrease significantly at night, so remember to bring along light jackets and scarfs.
- Shoes: a sport or hiking shoe would be an ideal choice for 2-3 days staying in Moc Chau due to the hilly terrain.
- Tents, tarpaulins, sleeping bags If you plan to camp in Moc Chau.
- Apart from this, personal items, medicines, cameras, socks, hats sunglasses, and money would be inevitable items.
Stay tuned for the next episode, I would come back to you soon with the detailed information about lovely accommodations and hot spots for travelers in Moc Chau.
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