If traveling to the Northern Vietnam, more than 90% of tourists knew about Sa Pa and want to go there, but less than 1% of tourists know about Mu Cang Chai.
Where is Mu Cang Chai?
Mu Cang Chai is located in the Northwest of Vietnam, about 280km from Hanoi, belong Yen Bai province within the administrative boundaries of 63 provinces and cities in Vietnam.
If you would like to go to Sa Pa to see terraced fields and visit indigenous villages, Mu Cang Chai also has the same things, even more beautiful and wild, more peaceful, more natural. About the rices terraced, Mu Cang Chai may not be number one in the world but it is certainly number 1 in Vietnam. That’s why most photos of terraced fields in Vietnam are mostly taken in Mu Cang Chai but the title is “Sa Pa’ or “Ha Giang”. That is very easy to mislead tourists when you want to go to the places that you saw photos but you go to the wrong places.
Climate and weather in Mu Cang Chai?
Mu Cang Chai has two main seasons: Rainy season and dry season. The rainy season is from June to August every year, the dry season is from October to March every year. The remaining months have erratic rainy and sunny weather.
Mu Cang Chai’s weather is relatively cool all year round, however the months of March – August are relatively hot. There is a high temperature difference between day and night.
People in Mu Cang Chai?
The total estimated population in Mu Cang Chai is about 65,000 people. There are 3 main ethnic groups are living in Mu Cang Chai, Hmong people about 90%, the rest are Thai and Kinh (Vietnamese).
From Hanoi to Mu Cang Chai:
– Sleeping bus depart from My Dinh bus station: 9AM, 10AM, 2PM, 7PM. It takes 7 – 8 hours to get to Mu Cang Chai.
– A private car can pick up you at any hotel and takes 5 – 6 hours reach to Mu Cang Chai.
From Sa Pa to Mu Cang Chai:
– Pick up: 9AM, 4 PM. It takes about 5 hours reach to Mu Cang Chai.
– Private car can pick you up at any hotel and takes 4 hours to reach Mu Cang Chai.
From other locations, please contact us for information support.
The climate in Mu Cang Chai is mainly 2 seasons, the rainy season lasts from May to the end of July. We called this time “Water pouring season” on the terraced fields creating beautiful mirror steps from the bottom to the top of the mountains. The dry season is the season of the remaining months of the year, suitable for trekking and climbing. However, the best time here is from July to the end of October every year because there is rice in the terraced fields.
In the dry season, the daytime temperature is from 15 – 30 degrees Celsius, so you should proactively bring sunscreen, hats, trekking shoes, and trekking poles if necessary. At night, the temperature is from 8 – 15 degrees, so you should proactively bring warm clothes.
In the rainy season, the weather is hot and humid with daytime temperatures of 25 – 35 degrees Celsius with rain at some times of the day, therefore you need to prepare raincoats, waterproof shoes, sunscreen, and mosquito repellent. The night temperature is cool from 20 – 25 degrees Celsius, so you can freely choose suitable clothes.
Trekking in Mu Cang Chai is the best way to explore the natural beauty and people of Mu Cang Chai. Depending on each person’s health and ability, we will suggest the best options suitable for you.
The amount you have to pay us for each trip depends on the number of participants, how many days do you want to do and the additional services each trip. Let to know about the cost of each trip organized by us, please refer to the programs above.