Traveling in Southeast Asia

Rýžové terasy v Hoang Su Phi (Ha Giang)

Hoang Su Phi je odlehlá oblast v severním Vietnamu, provincie Ha Giang. Oblast je pokrytá krásnými rýžovými terasami, příroda, hornaté oblasti jsou hlavní dominantou této krásné oblasti. Hoang Su Phi se nachází cca 80 km od města Ha Giang.

Vietnamská kuchyně

Řeka v provincii Cao Bang - Severní Vietnam

CAO BANG je jedna z nejméně osídlených oblastí severního Vietnamu. Tato oblast je méně navštěvovaná turisty, ale vcelku snadno dostupná i z Hanoje a také z oblasti Ha Giang. Krasové scenérie, příroda, řeky, a Ban Gioc vodopády. Cao Bang oblast je vhodná pro cestování na motorce.

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VIETNAM - NINH BINH

The Karst scenery and historic first capital of Vietnam – Hoa Lu. Ninh Binh is the capital of the province of Ninh Binh. The city lies 100 km south of Hanoi in the Red River Delta, near the famous karst scenery Tam Coc. You can take the bus from Hanoi, the trip takes about 2.5 hours. Buses depart from the Giap Bat station and the fare is to 3-4 USD. Another option is to use the train from Hanoi. The population in the province of Ninh Binh forms typical of Viet residents.

Rent a bicycle and ride in the lowlands in the area around Tam Coc.

There are about 30 000 years old archaeological remains found in the caves. Part of that heritage is Hoa Lu, ancient capital of Vietnam. Ninh Binh is more touristic place, many tourists come here just to visit the area around the village of Tam Coc and Hoa Lu ancient city. There is not much to see in Ninh Binh city, so most of the historical sites and enchanting hilly landscape you will find on these places. And you’ll be amazed. There are a lot of accommodation facilities in the city with very reasonable price range, ranging from 5-20 USD / night. There also very good options of accommodation on Airbnb.

Vietnam - Hoa Binh

It is very easy to come in Hoa Binh city or province when you are in Hanoi. You can take a direct bus or rent a motorbike. Foreign tourists do not come here, almost all tourists go in Mai Chau. So when you stay in Mai Chau, I recommend to rent a motorbike and make a roundtrip to Hoa Binh lake. It is an area of many villages with Thai ethnic people.

Thai is the biggest ethnic group in this area.

What to see in Hoa Binh province: There is a Hoa Binh dam, lake, Black river, Pu Luong nature reserve, ethnic villages or you can buy a boat trip in Thung Nai. Mai Chau town and Thung khe pass are 50 km from the Hoa Binh town.

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Vietnam - Mai Chau

Mai Chau town and its surroundings is located in Hoa Binh province, about 150 kilometers west of Hanoi. It lies only 150 m above sea level. Mai Chau attracts many visitors each year. Mai Chau district has about 50 000 inhabitants, including seven ethnic minority groups – the White Thai, Hmong, Zao, Muong, Tay, Hoa a Viet.

Almost all local people offer wooden stilt houses for accommodation.

Whites and Black Thai people are the biggest ethnic groups of this region, they have the ancestors from Thailand. These people are building big houses with their specific architecture, houses are on stilts and provide protection against the water and dangerous animals. And these houses will be your accommodation at this place. You can also watch local farmers how they work in the rice fields. These photos are from January.

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Vietnam - Son La town and Mong village

Son La town, it could be a transport hub  for you, when you are traveling in northwest Vietnam. For example when you are going from Hanoi, Mai Chau to Dien Bien Phu or to Lai Chau town. Son La town has not many tourist attraction. But i created a map of Son La area, where you can find some points of interest in this area around the town. It is Historical French prison in the center of the town, Thẩm Tét Toòng cave (only 3 km from the town), or Son La dam and Song Da river (Black river) - 35 km from the town, Mong village - 5 km from the town. You need to rent a motorbike in this town.

Mong village of Thai people 5 km from the town.

Another good stop when you are in Son La town is Mong village of Thai ethnic group. In this village you can try some local specialiies, like rice in bamboo. This village is in very nice valley, where you will see some rice fields, river and local stilt houses. Apx. 5 km from this village the big dam is growing. I dont recommend to stay only in town, there is not much to see, but when you are going out of the town it is very good motorbike trip in nature and this area is completely without tourists. And i like these place without tourists, especially in northern Vietnam.

What to see in Son La district:

• villages with ethnic minorities – Bo Muoi, Tong Lanh, Ta Bu (north, north-west near the town of Son La) • the largest hydroelectric dam in Indochina (40 km from the town) • colorful market in Thuan Chau (40 km from the town) • Mong village at the area of Hua La (5 km from the town) • Prison and museum from the time of French colonization • scenic peak above the town • Thẩm Tét Toòng cave • Da river (30 km from the town)

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Vietnam - Around the town of Son La

Northwest Vietnam is not so visited by foreign tourists. Many tourists go only to Sapa and back to Hanoi. But i think it is mistake. Northwest region of Vietnam has a lot of beautiful places suitable for traveling with motorbike. One of these places is Son La province. It is the 5th largest province in Vietnam.

This area around the town of Son La is without tourists.

These photos are shooted 20-30 km from the town of Son La. This whole area is covered with hills, small mountains, and rice valleys. A lot of Thai ethnic people live in this province. During my traveling in this province and in the town I saw only 4 foreign tourists. It was very hard to communicate with local residents, almost nobody speak english. Only some young people I have met in the town. And it was very hard to rent a motorbike. I recommend to go in some better hotel and there you can ask.

Nature, ethnic villages, rice fields. Good stopover.

Through this province flows Black river (Sông Đà). Black River is the longest river in northern Vietnam, is 527 km long. The Black River is the most important tributary of the Red River. The whole Black river is 1000 km long.

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Vietnam - Lai Chau town

Lai Chau town is remote place in northwest Vietnam. In the center of the town you will find lake and at this lake is big statue of Ho Chi Minh. Its a little bit quite place for me without many tourist. It was very hard to find somebody who want to rent a motorbike, because without a motorbike you dont have any chance to explore nearby surrounding. Thanks for Karaoke on Tran Phu Street, the owner was very friendly :-) and he lent me very good motorbike.

Good services, shops, restaurants and food market

You will find any service in the center of this town, shops and restaurants and you can also visit market in Ngo Guyen street at the main road. It is possible Iam blind, but i have not seen any Nha Nghi or cheap hotel or guesthouse. But very good accommodation and services you will find in Mường Thanh hotel. In this moment it is no accommodation on AirBnb in Lai Chau town. When you go from Sapa to Dien Bien, I recommend this place for 2 or 3-days stopover. You can explore very nice surrounding, some ethnic villages, nature, or go for 1-day motorbike trip to Sin Ho. Sin Ho is 80 km from this town, but beautiful scenic ride through the mountains area and Sunday ethnic market is waiting for you.

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Vietnam - Around the town of Lai Chau.

What to say... It is really fascinating province in northwest region in northern Vietnam. Without hundreds and thousands of tourists. In 5 days here I did not see any tourist from another country. Really nobody. Only me and vietnamese people. Surroundings around the town of Lai Chau is beautiful, nature, rivers, rice fields, hills and some ethnic residents. It is necessery to rent a motorbike for exploring this province. These photos were shooted 10-15km from the town of Lai Chau.

It is difficult to communicate here, almost nobody speaks English.

People are friendly, but it is very difficul to meet somebody that is speaking English. Nobody speaks English in nearby villages. In Lung Then and Can Ho is a wonderful road through the valley, between the hills and large rice field. Another good idea is to visit Nam Long area, there is a large concentration of ethnic minorities. A lot of people from Thai, Hmong, Dao ethnic group live here. Lai Chau is a place where it is good to stop if you are driving from Sapa to Dien Bien Phu or Muong Lay.

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VIETNAM - LAI CHAU

Lai Chau province has long been the poorest and least industrialized area in northern Vietnam. Lai Chau city is 450 km from the Hanoi and 70 km from Sapa. However, even here the times are changing and the industry and the economy is growing gradually. Industrial production has almost tripled between 2000-2007, and agriculture and forestry grew by 50%.

The countryside with the beautiful mountain areas is really fascinating. 

Lai Chau is a place where it is good to stop if you are driving from Sapa to Dien Bien Phu or Muong Lay. You can rent a motorcycle and make a surroundings trip, there are the beautiful sceneries of hills, mountains and villages. The roads are here in good condition and there’s not so dense traffic as in another places. However, you may have a problem with rent a motorcycle, try asking at the Karaoke on Tran Phu Street in Lai Chau town.

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Vietam - School in the Tavan village (Sapa)

If you go to the villages around Sapa, you can visit some of the local schools. This is school in the Tavan village, 10km from the Sapa town. Watching these funny Vietnamese children is fun and a new experience. These schools are visited by children from various ethnic groups living in northern Vietnam. In this school are children from Hmong, Dao and Kinh ethnic group and it is possible from some smaller groups living in this area. These children have almost nothing at home but they look satisfied and happy. Some children in my country have almost everything and I wonder why? Money and material things are not everything.

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Vietnam - Tavan village (Sapa)

I think the Tavan village is the biggest ethnic village around the Sapa town. In this place live mainly Black Hmong and Red Dao ethnic people. A lot of tourists come here from Sapa town to spend there for example 2 or 3 days. This village is in very nice and huge Muong Hoa valley in Hoang Lien National park. This place is good starting point for trekking in Hoang Lien National park and you can try here homestay with local people. But you need to be careful, there are a lot of tourist houses, these houses are not a real homestay. Yes and there is also some bars of foreign businessmen :-)

But i need to say that surrounding in this area is very nice and very good for exploring a life of local people.

Vietnam - Muong Hoa valley in Sapa

Muong Hoa valley is 10 km from the town of Sapa. This huge valley with rice terraces and ethnic villages is very good place for trekking near of the Hoang Lien national park. In these villages live mainly Black Hmong and Red Dao ethnic people. They can take you in their villages and you can try homestay. I recommend it! Its very good option for accommodation in ethnic villages and explore their cultures and daily life of these people.

Sapa is good place for trekking, but with lots of tourists.

A lot of toutirst from all the world come in Sapa for trekking and exploring life of ethnic Hmong people. Sapa is one of the most visited place in the northern Vietnam. I dont know when its good or bad for these ethnic people. But i know it is very good oportunity to earn money for these ethnic people. You can hike also to highest mountain in Vietnam - Fansipan (3143m).

Try real typical homestay with ethnic people.

When you are looking for some good real typical homestay i can recommend Thanh Kim and Hau Thao villages. A lot of tourists go to Tavan and Lao Chai village. It is not problem to rent a motorbike in the town of Sapa. It is the best option how you can see a lot of ethnic villages far from the town and visit some ethnic markets in this area or drive in Tram Ton Pass - highest mountain pass in Vietnam (1900m).

Black Hmong is the largest ethnic group in Sapa, which you can meet every day in the town. In the vicinity and in the province of Lao Cai, however, there are more ethnic minorities of Vietnam, but this is the largest group of this region.

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Vietnam - Ta Phin village (Sapa, Lao Cai)

Ta Phin is a small village, approximately 13 km from the Sapa town.Its very easy to go there, you can walk or you can rent a motorbike in Sapa. Ta Phin village is mainly the home of Red Dao ethnic minority. Red Dao ethnic minority is subgroup of Dao ethnic group. Dao is a large group of ethnic population of Hmong language groups but the group of Dao, which can be seen in northern Vietnam. The history of this minority is not fully known. They came from China.

Red Dao and some Hmong ethnic residents.

Women in this group are easily identifiable through a triangular red turban / scarf decorated with silver coins and red tassels. Mainly Red Dao and some Hmong ethnic people live in the Ta Phin village. You can ask here for homestay. Whole area is suitable for exploring local Red Dao ethnic minority. A lot of tourists come here, but when you come in off season, its possible that you will not see any tourists. Its very good idea to stay here in homestay with local people.

Vietnam - Thanh Kim village (Sapa, Lao Cai)

Thanh Kim is small village, approximately 25 km south of Sapa town. This remote village is above the nice valley with huge rice terraces. Only way how to get there is rent a motorbike or mototaxi in Sapa town. Road from Sapa to Thanh Kim is not to comfortable :-) I think it can take 1 hour to get there. You drive through the Muong Hoa valley, its very nice scenic ride. Do not forget to take a photo camera.

Red Dao and some Hmong ethnic residents.

Vietnam - Sin Chai village (Sapa)

There are some villages with ethnic people In surroudings of Sapa town, especially with people from Hmong ethnic minority. One of these villages is Sin Chai, 7km from Sapa town. This village is starting point when you want to hike Fansipan mountain. The highgest mountain in Vietnam. The Black Hmong ethnic people live here. Its very light trek from Sapa town.

Black Hmong is one of the biggest ethnic group in northern Vietnam.

In this town is one small restaurant when you can try local Pho soup or when you want buy some food. When you are going from Sapa you can go through the Cat Cat village, its very busy village with a lot of travelers and tourists. Its necessary to buy a ticket when you want to go through the Cat Cat village. It is very nice place and poor village when you can explore life of local Hmong mountain people.