Cloud hunting season in the Northwest

Who is not fascinated by the majestic scenery of Vietnam's nature, but even more magical is when heaven and earth bestow precious moments when mountains blend with the clouds. Places where mountains are in the clouds, clouds surround mountains or the sea of clouds floats as far as the eye can see have become the destination of those who enjoy "traveling".

Is there a season called “cloud season”? Yes, because the clouds are very beautiful in that season. Early summer, late autumn or spring are the most beautiful “cloudy” times in the Northern mountainous region. After the golden season of ripe rice all over the hills, the Northern mountainous region is entering the cloud season, urging us to go to the mountains.

With the terrain of mountains, forests, rivers, streams, and valleys intertwined, at times when the temperature drops at night and rises during the day with the rising sun, clouds come pouring in. Clouds hang over the mountains, hazy and indifferent, or form vast seas of clouds in the valleys as beautiful as fairylands. Traveling throughout the northern mountainous provinces, from east to west, wherever there are high mountains, there are clouds.

If you only have a few days, you can choose Tam Dao (Vinh Phuc) or Lung Van - the roof of Muong Hoa Binh to "hunt clouds". Traveling on a road less than 100km from Hanoi, you can still be proud of finding white clouds.

On further routes, there will be many options, each destination bringing its own emotions, and then sparking the intention to continue the journey to find beauty in the midst of generous nature.

The most popular places on the “cloud hunting” map are Sa Pa or Y Ty (Lao Cai), Ta Xua (Son La), Sin Ho (Lai Chau) or the four great mountain passes of Khau Pha (Yen Bai), Ma Pi Leng (Ha Giang), O Quy Ho (Lao Cai) and Pha Din (Son La – Dien Bien).

Sa Pa is famous as the “city in the mist”, so coming here is to enjoy the picture of mountains and forests and ethnic minorities painted in the mist and clouds. Clouds in the distance spread over the Hoang Lien Son range, clouds seem to rush into the window of the house overlooking the Muong Hoa valley.

Sometimes, the heart flutters with the floating clouds, sweeping away the worries of everyday life. The place name Y Ty (Bat Xat district - Lao Cai province) - "where the Red River flows into Vietnam" certainly has enough sacred meaning when thinking about mountains and rivers, but if you have a chance to immerse yourself in the cloud gardens here, surely everyone will want to come back. That's why Y Ty has been dubbed "white cloud paradise" even though the road to get here is not easy. From Hanoi to Y Ty is about 450km with the last stretch of the road being difficult, with heart-stopping hairpin bends, but in return, you will enjoy the majestic, overwhelming mountain scenery and the immense "white cloud" specialty.

Clouds drift around the villages of the Ha Nhi people with their earthen houses like mushrooms. The clouds float up the mountain slopes like a sea of clouds before our eyes. In that realm of clouds, in that quiet space, we are suddenly moved by the colorful brocade on the skirts that flutter to the rhythm of the footsteps of the H'Mong girls... Closer than Y Ty, Ta Xua (in Bac Yen district - Son La province) more than 200km from Hanoi is also a place with beautiful white clouds. People in Ta Xua call this place the gate of heaven because it is covered with mist and clouds all year round. On "beautiful cloud" days, standing on a high point, looking down is a magical sea of white, fluffy clouds. Even though it only appears for a few minutes, that sea of clouds is the most magical moment on the "cloud hunting" journey.

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