Moc Chau is well known as one of the most famous tourist attractions in northern Vietnam. Not too far from Hanoi, this area is convenient to reach and it’s stunning, you will have an amazing trip exploring this beautiful plateau.

Located in northwestern Vietnam, Moc Chau is an incredible plateau with various colorful flowers, green tea hills, majestic waterfalls, and caves. Moc Chau has its specific beauty in different seasons which attracts thousands of visitors all year.

Best Time to Go

Regardless of the season, this area is beautiful. In January and February, peach flowers (hoa dao) and plum blossom (hoa man) cover this land with pink and white colors. Next, the season of mountain ebony flower (hoa ban) is from March to April. Meanwhile, Het Cha Festival of the Thai people occurs from March 23rd to the 26th.

From April to August, peach and plums begin appearing on the trees, so you can eat these fresh fruits in bountiful handfuls. At the same time, the waterfalls are the most beautiful because of the rainy season. From August 29th to September 2nd, Tet Doc Lap – Independence Day is a bustling festival of the H’Mong people. At the end of the year, Moc Chau is still colorful with white mustard flower (hoa cai trang) and wild sunflower (hoa da quy) from October to December.

How to Get There

200 kilometers away from Hanoi, Moc Chau is a district of Son La province. You can get to Moc Chau from Hanoi by two forms of transportation, bus or motorbike.

Bus

There are many daily buses departing from My Dinh Bus Station which take five hours to get to Moc Chau.  You can take Hanoi – Son La bus, then ask to stop at Moc Chau. The best buses are Bac Son (phone number: 0212 3551 559), Hung Thanh (phone number: 1900636512), and Hai Nam (phone number: 0915 599 449). In particular, Tuan Hien bus (phone number: 0212 3867478) runs directly from Hanoi to Moc Chau and departs from My Dinh Bus Station at 12:45 PM.

Motorbike

If you are more adventurous and choose motorbike, the route is Hanoi – Thang Long Highway – Xuan Mai Town – Highway 6 (QL6) – Highway 43 (QL43) – Moc Chau. It’s easy to use Google Maps to keep track of this route. You will go through many beautiful mountain roads on the way and you will pass Hoa Binh province before getting to Moc Chau. Thung Khe Pass in Hoa Binh province is a nice place for a stop and photos. 

What to See and Do

Thung Cuong Village

Thung Cuong (Thong Cuong) is a H’mong village located between Dong Sang commune in Moc Chau district and Xuan Nha commune in Van Ho district. You must traverse a vast valley covered with white mustard flowers on your way to Thung Cuong Village. This is one of the favorited wedding photography spots of young couples.

Pa Phach Village

Located on Highway 6, Pa Phach Village is five kilometers away from Moc Chau town. Pa Phach is the home of the Thai and H’Mong people. The local people grow white mustard flowers to sell the seeds which are used to make oil. Therefore, big white mustard flower fields cover the entire village. In particular, the village is full of thick fog in the evening. When spring comes, the plum blossoms replace the white mustard flower and make the village beautiful in a different way. 

Ban Ang Pine Forest

Ban Ang Pine Forest is located in Dong Sang commune, Moc Chau district, Son La province. From Moc Chau town, follow Highway 43 for two kilometers to get there. Ban Ang has a natural lake with an area of five hectares surrounded by green pine forests planted on reddish brown ferralsol hills. In the distance, the scenery of Moc Chau plateau with the tea hills and colorful flowers is romantic and stunning.

Ban Ang is home to the Thai people who live mainly on farming, livestock breeding, and handicraft. In Ban Ang village, you will have the opportunity to experience daily life with the villagers such as staying in the stilt houses, picking the tea on the hill, fishing in the stream, and eating local dishes. 

Moc Chau Happy Land

Moc Chau Happy Land is a tourist area located in Lung village, Muong Sang commune. It is built on five hectares of land with many beautiful spots for photography such as the heart-shaped garden, windmill, colorful flower garden, and more. This place also has accommodation and food services for visitors to rest and enjoy the peaceful life in Moc Chau.

Dai Yem Waterfall

Located in Muong Sang commune, Moc Chau district, Dai Yem Waterfall is the most beautiful from April to September. A big amount of water pours into the waterfall in the rainy season, making the scenery majestic and poetic with the white color of frothing water. The waterfall consists of two parts. The upper waterfall is 70 meters wide and there is a distance of 270 meters between the upper and lower waterfall. The vegetation on the top of the waterfall is rich and beautiful. 

Son Moc Huong Cave

Son Moc Huong Cave is also known as Hang Doi, Bat Cave in English. Located to the north-east of Moc Chau town with an area of 6,915 square meters, the cave is remarkable with strange stalactites and a twisty pathway leading to it. From Highway 6, you have to climb 240 steps to reach the cave. 

Ngu Dong Ban On

Ngu Dong is deep in the canyons of On Village and quite insulated from the outside. It consists of four main caves perched on a hill and an independent cave on the next hill. These five caves are often compared to the theory of China’s five elements: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. The stalactites have formed crystals over thousands of years which has contributed to many unique shapes. The third cave is the most extensive and the only one equipped with an electrical system, but this system is only used during holidays. Therefore, you need to have a flashlight when exploring the cave.

Heart-shaped Tea Hill – Doi Che Trai Tim

Tan Lap commune is famous for the most beautiful tea hills in Moc Chau. These green tea hills are likely unlike anything you have seen before. The most beautiful tea hill in Tan Lap is Doi Che Trai Tim, also known as Doi Che Moc Suong. Many couples choose this place to take their wedding photos and record their happiest moments. Besides tea hills, there are plum blossoms and yellow mustard flower gardens in the commune.

Pha Luong Peak

At an altitude of over 2,000 meters, Pha Luong is thought to be the roof of Moc Chau Pha Luong. It is also known as Bo Lung, meaning big mountain in the Thai language. It is located in the east of Tan Xuan Commune, in the border area of Vietnam and Laos. At the peak, there is a flat area of about 10 hectares which is suitable for camping or group activities. However, camping activities are not allowed overnight due to safety. If you want to go trekking to Pha Luong Peak, you need to ask permission from the border guard station and be accompanied by a local. The local authorities will also only allow you one day of trekking. 

Dairy Farm – Trang Trai Bo Sua

Dairy cows in Moc Chau are unique. Naturally bred, you will see these cows roaming the landscapes, not confined to cages. At this dairy farm, you can explore the large farms with thousands of healthy cows lined up in beautiful rows. You can even visit and feed the cows, witness the milking process, and even do the milking with your own hands.

Moc Chau Tropical Flower Garden – Vuon Hoa Nhiet Doi Moc Chau

With an area of over 12 hectares, the tropical flower garden is located in Bua village, Dong Sang commune, Moc Chau district. The flower garden has been expanded and diversified. You can see how the local people grow and take care of flowers in this area. Let’s visit the flower garden to observe and enjoy the peaceful time in this flower paradise. 

Credit to Tien Ly