[Reading level: B2 – Upper Intermediate]
Moc Chau district in Son La Province is on best form this time of year with the graceful blooming of pristinely white plum blossoms.
Below is a two-day tour itinerary for Moc Chau, one of the most popular tourist attractions in northern Vietnam.
Transportation – Giao thông
The route from Hanoi to Moc Chau is not too challenging for beginner backpackers, though some parts are shrouded in fog this time of year. National Highway 6 connecting Hoa Binh Province to Moc Chau District is especially grey and misty.
Be careful when traveling along Thung Khe Pass to Van Ho District. It’s better to avoid traveling early in the morning or late in the evening when the smog is most rampant.
Depending on the route and vehicle, travel time from Hanoi to Moc Chau ranges from four to five hours.
Via motorbike, it is a 200-kilometer-long trip. It is recommended that you take a coach if you have no prior experience in driving through mountainous terrain. A coach ticket costs VND160,000-200,000 ($6.9 – 8.7) per person. Once you reach Moc Chau, you can rent a motorbike to sightsee.
Accommodation – Chỗ ở
There are many beautiful rustic homestays to choose from like Bo House, Nha Ta, The November, Hillside House, and Mama’s House. A communal room costs VND100,000 ($4.3) per night whilst a private room ranges anywhere from VND450,000 to VND900,000.
Food and Drinks – Đồ ăn và thức uống
Relish in local specialties like pan-seared veal, fresh fish from streams, local kale, and rice cooked in bamboo tubes.
For dinner, request ahead for barbecue or hotpot at your homestay. These are typically priced at VND150,000 per person. Additionally, there is an extensive range of eateries and restaurants to choose from in the town center.
Day 1: Moc Chau Farm Town – Pa Phach Village – grass fields
Ngày 1: Thị trấn Nông trường Mộc Châu – Bản Pa Phách – cánh đồng cỏ
If you reach Moc Chau Farm Town around noon, check-in, refuel with a hearty homestay lunch and begin your journey.
A must-visit destination is Pa Phach ethnic village, situated on a prairie along Highway 6, roughly five kilometers from the town intersection.
Here, enjoy the endless rows of flowers that stretch until the horizon and fresh air. As the saying goes, the harder the climb, the more beautiful the view, the way leading up to Pa Phach is quite thrilling with sharp bends and steep slants.
This time of the year, cauliflower and plum blossoms begin to pepper the fields in Pa Phach. Run along the small, off-road paths to admire the peaceful sea of floral white.
In Pa Phach, there is a mountain referred to as “the secret roof of Moc Chau”, an ideal spot from which to catch the sunset. Consult locals for directions to its peak since it is not on Google Maps.
On the way from Pa Phach into town, you will pass by many vast and green pastures that make for a great photo backdrop or scenic pit stop.
Day 2: Tea plantation – Heart Tea Hill – Na Ka Plum Valley
Ngày 2: Đồi chè – Đồi chè trái tim – Thung lũng mận Nà Ka
Start off your morning by heading to one of the green tea farms scattered across Moc Chau Plateau.
This is a lesser-known destination that most travelers miss. Instead, most tourists visit the famous heart-shaped tea hill. Tea plantations are located opposite Moc Chau Tea Company, two kilometers from Moc Chau Farm Town.
Unlike touristic sites like Ban Ang Pine Forest, Dai Yem Waterfall, and the “glass bridge of love” that charge entry fees, a plantation tour is completely free.
At the end of your exploration, stop by the cafe at the entrance to enjoy some high-quality tea and buy local souvenirs like dried plums, varieties of tea like O Long, and Indian prickly ash seeds.
Na Ka Valley is on the way to Tan Lap Commune, about seven kilometers from Heart Tea Hill. Na Ka is one of Moc Chau’s most breathtaking plum valleys. The road leading here is especially convenient and can accommodate both car and motorbike.
Mu Nau Plum Valley is another of Moc Chau’s attractions. Currently, the valley is also teeming with plum blossoms, located deep inside the forest and not accessible by car.
To get here, you need to hire a local motorbike taxi to drive you around. The total cost is VND140,000 ($6) including VND120,000 for the motorbike taxi and VND20,000 for entry.
If you find yourself on a time crunch, Na Ka Valley is preferred over Mu Nau for plum blossoms. Entry to the garden also costs VND20,000.
Typically, plum blossoms enter bloom toward the end of January until the beginning of February to welcome spring but this year they started flowering in the middle of December.
During blooming season, Na Ka and other valleys are completely covered in a beautiful, pristinely white blanket of plum blossoms.
Aside from sightseeing and taking pictures of plum gardens, tourists are suggested to enjoy freshly picked fruits like oranges and mandarins, along with black sticky rice yogurt.
A mere kilometer from the plum valley lie expansive orange and mandarin gardens. Entry to the gardens is VND20,000.
Source: https://e.vnexpress.net/news/travel/places/moc-chau-erupts-with-plum-blossoms-4212975.html?fbclid=IwAR1mk0krI9u73f1vz6UjEAJzACceK0omefnlAm_T1L8dRan-LTYhWyRbqVU
WORD BANK:
graceful /ˈɡreɪs.fəl/ [C1] (adj): đẹp duyên dáng, thanh nhã
pristine /ˈprɪs.tiːn/ (adj): hoang sơ
plum blossom /plʌm ˈblɒs.əm/ (n): hoa mận
itinerary /aɪˈtɪn.ər.ər.i/ [C1] (n): hành trình chi tiết
backpacker /ˈbæk.pæk.ər/ [B1] (n): tây ba lô, khách du lịch tự do với hành lý gọn nhẹ
shroud /ʃraʊd/ (v): bao phủ, che khuất
misty /ˈmɪs.ti/ [B2] (adj): đầy sương
rampant /ˈræm.pənt/ (adj): hung hang, hùng hổ, dày đặc
coach /kəʊtʃ/ (n): xe khách
terrain /təˈreɪn/ (n): địa hình
rustic /ˈrʌs.tɪk/ (adj): mộc mạc
communal room /ˈkɒm.jə.nəl ruːm/ (n): phòng ngủ chung
whilst /waɪlst/ (conjunction): trong khi
relish /ˈrel.ɪʃ/ [C2] (v): thưởng thức
pan-seared /pæn.sɪərd/ (adj): áp chảo
veal /viːl/ (n): thịt bê
kale /keɪl/ (n): cải xoăn
eatery /ˈiː.tər.i/ (n – informal): quán ăn
hearty /ˈhɑː.ti/ (adj): thịnh soạn
must-visit (adj – informal): (địa điểm) nhất định phải đến
ethnic /ˈeθ.nɪk/ [C1] (adj): thuộc về sắc tộc
situate /ˈsɪtʃ.u.eɪt/ (v): đặt ở vị trí nào
prairie /ˈpreə.ri/ (n): thảo nguyên
roughly /ˈrʌf.li/ [B2] (adv): khoảng
stretch /stretʃ/ [B2] (v): trải dài
horizon /həˈraɪ.zən/ [C2] (n): đường chân trời
thrilling /ˈθrɪl.ɪŋ/ [B2] (adj): gay cấn, đáng sợ
sharp bend /ʃɑːp bend/ (n): khúc cua gấp
steep slant /stiːp slɑːnt/ (n): dốc đứng
pepper /ˈpep·ər/ (v): rải khắp nơi
consult /kənˈsʌlt/ [C1] (v): hỏi
pasture /ˈpɑːs.tʃər/ (n): cánh đồng cỏ
pit stop /ˈpɪt ˌstɒp/ (n): điểm dừng chân
scatter /ˈskæt.ər/ (v): nằm rải rác
plateau /ˈplæt.əʊ/ (n): cao nguyên
lesser-known /ˌles.əˈnəʊn/ (adj): ít được biết đến
plantation /plænˈteɪ.ʃən/ (n): đồn điền
valley /ˈvæl.i/ [B1] (n): thung lũng
teem with sth /tim/ (v): ngập tràn cái gì, có rất nhiều cái gì
be on a time crunch (adj): không có đủ thời gian
mandarin /ˈmæn.dər.ɪn/ (n): quýt
expansive /ɪkˈspæn.sɪv/ (adj): rộng lớn
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