Ms. Phan Thuy Mai (a tourist from Hanoi) who traveled to Sa Pa from August 31 to September 2 said: At 8:30 a.m. on September 1, she and a group of friends hired a taxi to travel from the Sa Pa Stone Church area to Ta Van.

However, the number of vehicles pouring into Ta Van is so large that taxis move very slowly. "On the road, at bends with beautiful views, many people stop their cars to take pictures, leading to congestion.

At 10am, we still hadn't reached the village. My group had to get off and walk and catch a motorbike taxi to continue. Tourists told each other to go to Sa Pa to "heal" but it was more congested than Hanoi," said Ms. Mai.

The road to Ta Van village was congested for a long time on the morning of September 1. Photo: Vi vu Tay Bac

According to research, the central area of ​​Sa Pa began to be crowded and congested from 3:00 p.m. on August 31. By the afternoon of September 1, although the congestion had eased, there were still many vehicles, making it difficult to move around.

The line of cars on the road along Sa Pa lake on the afternoon of August 31 made netizens "sigh" - "more congested than Hanoi". Video: Traveling in the Northwest

Mr. Duy Tan, a transport service worker, said that his unit has nearly 20 electric cars carrying passengers in Sa Pa, but for the past two days, all the cars have been fully booked from 7am to 2:30am the next morning. The route most booked by tourists is from the central market to Cat Cat and Ta Van villages.

"Compared to normal days, the price of electric car service has not increased much, but we work harder. The number of cars coming to the villages to see the ripe rice season is high, causing congestion, making drivers waste a lot of time. Luckily, the weather in Sa Pa is currently favorable and cool," said Mr. Tan.

Image of central Sa Pa area at 3:30 p.m. on September 1. Photo: Duy Tan

Mr. Tran Quang Minh (Sa Pa) said that Ta Van is an area that attracts a lot of tourists because of the impressive ripe rice season. Coffee shops and restaurants from the center are all packed with customers. If you don't book in advance, it's hard to find a free table or you have to wait a long time.

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Coffee shop in Ta Van is full of customers. Photo: Tran Quang Minh

Previously, the leader of Sa Pa Town People's Committee informed that this destination is expected to welcome 120,000 visitors during the holiday. During the period from August 31 to September 1, hotels from 2 stars and above were almost fully booked, the remaining segment reached about 85%.

In particular, homestay businesses in the area with terraced fields are 100% occupied. As of September 2-3, the average room occupancy rate in all accommodation segments reached 90%.

The scene of ripe rice season in Ta Van attracts tourists. Photo: Vi vu Tay Bac
Not Da Lat or Phu Quoc, these are the two destinations that are 'sold out' during the September 2 holiday. Sa Pa (Lao Cai) and Mang Den (Kon Tum) are two destinations that are achieving very high room occupancy rates during the September 2 National Day holiday this year.