The Best Travel Guide of Lai Chau Vietnam 2023

Lai Chau is one of the scenic spots in Vietnam. Lai Chau tourism is to come to the beautiful and majestic mountains of the country, where there are more than 20 ethnic groups living friendly and close with many different cultural features. Coming to this land, you will have the opportunity to explore the famous spectacular roads and peaks of our country. There, you feel like you are one with the vast, majestic nature with the peaks and white clouds floating.

A land that carries within itself the hidden beauty of the highlands at the end of the sky for tourism development. For many people, this seems to be just a remote northern mountainous province, but for travel enthusiasts, it is impossible to ignore the wonderful destinations and discover the rich indigenous life of the people here. In today's post, we will introduce you to The Best Travel Guide of Lai Chau Vietnam 2023.

1. What to know about Lai Chau, Vietnam

1.1. Location of Lai Chau province

This is a border province on this part of the country, about 450 km from Hanoi capital to the southeast, to the north and northwest by China's Yunnan province, to the west by Dien Bien province, to the east and west. The Southeast is adjacent to two provinces Lao Cai and Yen Bai, the South is adjacent to Son La province. It is the 10th largest province out of 63 provinces and cities in Vietnam.

1.2. How to get to Lai Chau from Hanoi?

Lai Chau is located about 500m from Hanoi and currently, in the travel journey from Hanoi to Lai Chau, you can choose to travel by high-quality car companies that operate the Lai Chau trip with prices from 200,000. up to 350,000 VND. In Hanoi, you can catch a bus at My Dinh bus station or Giap Bat bus station with a dense departure time of the day.

In addition, visitors should note that there are currently no motorbike rental points in Lai Chau, so if you do not bring a car but still want to have a motorbike to explore Lai Chau, you can rent a motorbike in Sapa. So instead of taking a bus straight to Lai Chau, you should take a sleeper bus or train to Lao Cai, rent a motorbike from Sapa and then go to Lai Chau. Or you can also try to travel to Lai Chau by motorbike from Hanoi, but with this vehicle, it is quite dangerous because the Northwest road is mainly a mountain pass and winding road.

1.3. History of Lai Chau

Lai Chau attracts attention due to both its historical remnants and its natural beauty. Deo Van Long's Palace, the royal residence of Thailand during the French colonial period, is one of them and is located in Sin Ho District. The palace, which is adorned with architectural elements in the Thai style, also serves as a venue for teaching young people to love their country. The second-ranking one is Le Loi's stele, which was carved and erected on the bank of the Da River and tells the tale of Le Loi's victory over an uprising unit in the Northwest, maintaining the security of the country. There are also some ancient Vietnamese artefacts, such as bronze implements and drums, which are remnants of Eastern Culture.

2. Best time to visit Lai Chau?

Lai Chau is a land characterized by the climate and culture of the Northwest, so the right time to travel to Lai Chau is from September to October. At this time, visitors can combine Go to see rice in Mu Cang Chai or admire the golden beauty of Muong Thanh fields. Visitors should not go to Lai Chau in the rainy season and at the time of storms because at this time, the roads in Lai Chau are often prone to landslides and flash floods in the highlands.

3. Best things to do in Lai Chau

Also located in the Northwest, but Lai Chau is known less than other places such as Sa Pa, Moc Chau, Mai Chau... If yes, it is also the majestic O Quy Ho pass connecting the two provinces of Lai Chau and Lao Cai. Is it because Lai Chau has few interesting things? Not at all, let's discover many things to do in Lai Chau!

3.1. Quy Ho Pass

Location

The O Quy Ho Lao Cai mountain is the largest and most scenic in Sapa, as well as the longest in the Northwest. The mountain is an important way connecting the two provinces of Lao Cai and Lai Chau. The name O Quy Ho is derived from a tragic love story between a woodcutter and a lovely fairy in the H'mong language. Because her love failed her, she transformed into a bird that continued shouting out "O Quy Ho" loudly. Since then, this call has been used to identify the pass.

Key features

This place is known as an emotional journey characterised by rugged mountains, and the passes are the highlight of the majesty of this immense mountain. One of the most dangerous passes of the mountains and forests here is O Quy Ho pass.

O Quy Ho pass is also known as Hoang Lien pass because it crosses the Hoang Lien Son mountain range, or May pass because the top of the pass is covered with clouds all year round. Legend has it that in this mountainous area, there used to be a bird with a harsh call, associated with the legend of the unsuccessful love story of a couple. Since then, over time, it was the bird's voice that was given the name for this majestic and dangerous pass at an altitude of nearly 2000m. This is also the border point between the two northern mountainous provinces of Lao Cai and Lai Chau, winding around the Hoang Lien mountain range, where Fansipan peak - the roof of the windy Indochina.

3.2. Sin Ho Plateau

Location

Sin Ho is a district in Lai Chau province, bordered by Yunnan - China to the north, Tua Chua to the south, Phong Tho to the east, and Muong Te to the west. Sin Ho town is located more than 60 kilometres west of Lai Chau's core. Sin Ho town is more than 60 km west of Lai Chau centre.

Key features

Sin Ho Plateau, called the province's roof, has a temperature comparable to that of Sa Pa town (Lao Cai), which is chilly all year and contains many distinctive temperate flowers and fruits. In Sin Ho, there are many attractive landscapes such as heaven's gate, Tien Ong mountain, O Da mountain, ... associated with many thrilling legends; dense primaeval forests and a valley with golden rice fields, gardens of pears, peaches, old plums, and mouldy flowers all year round.

Not only that, when going deep into the villages of Pu Dao, Ta Ghenh, Hoang Ho, Ta Phin, Phang Xo Lin of the H'Mong and Dao people nestled on the cliffs, you seem to be lost in a fairy space with rooftops. beautiful small wood hidden in the vast green of the forest, women carrying water and food home, children dirty but innocent with clear eyes or ban pigs and wild chickens leisurely foraging for food. at the edge of the forest…

>>>> Sin Ho Lai Chau is one of the best places for trekking in North Vietnam, if you look for a tour, just check out "Trekking in Sin Ho Lai Chau - Northwest Vietnam"

3.3. Tan Uyen Tea Hill

Location

Stretching along Highway 32, in Tan Uyen town, Lai Chau province, Tan Uyen tea hill possesses vast fresh tea fields with a scale of more than 2,000 hectares, nearly 50 years old.

Key features

When visiting Tan Uyen tea hill, visitors will have the opportunity to witness firsthand the process of growing and harvesting fresh tea, as well as enjoying quality and standard cups of tea. Not only that, the tea hill also attracts many people who love to take pictures thanks to the romantic and green scenery of this place.

When you visit Tan Uyen tea hill, you will witness a picture of nature right in front of your eyes. But fresh tea trees are planted in rows, creating a very eye-catching look. The tea leaves are spread wide, thick and sturdy, reaching out to welcome the morning sun. All of these photos make people shiver and leave an effect on everyone who comes here.

Tea Hill is not only noted for its charming natural setting, but it is also a fantastic resort. With the fresh and cool atmosphere, blending with the peaceful scenery, making people let go of all their worries and worries, bringing a strange feeling of peace and relaxation. What could be more beautiful than admiring the green tea hills while sipping great cups of tea in such a beautiful setting?

3.4. Muong Te Nature Reserve

Location

Muong Te Nature Reserve is located in the Northwest region of Vietnam, is a high mountain area with an altitude of 1,000 to 2,827 meters above sea level. The area has a diverse topography with mountains, valleys, rivers and waterfalls.

Key features

Muong Te Nature Reserve. This is one of the attractive destinations for those who love the richness and diversity of the natural world. This reserve includes a variety of rare animals and plants, along with ravishing landscapes. There are up to 542 kinds of plants, 57 species of rare plants, many types of plants are recorded in the red book of Vietnam and the world. This is also one of the places worth visiting for nature lovers.

One of the rare animals in Muong Te nature reserve is the red tiger man, which is extremely rare in nature. In addition, this area also has jackals, red bears, star deer and many other animals.

With its unspoiled beauty, Muong Te is a nature reserve that attracts those who want to experience life in the forest and explore wild lands, equally romantic. This area is in need of real protection so that visitors can come here to experience life in nature and learn about rare animals and rare plants appearing in the nature reserve.

4. What to eat in Lai Chau

4.1. Jambon (Smoked Pork)

Smoked bacon is a typical dish of the highland people, but in recent years, it has become a favorite dish of many people. Smoked meat or bacon, cooked meat is a nutritious and delicious food.

Indigenous people introduce this as kitchen pork, which the Northwest ethnic people get meat from pigs that graze all year long in groups in the forest and on the fields. Then they cut the meat into rectangular pieces, with their own spices that are only available in the Northwest, then raised them in the kitchen. Thier will be dry by taking it from the rocky mountain.

The aromatic flavor of the meat, the pungent pungent taste, and the rich taste will surely make many people find it difficult to relive it. Eat for the first time and then there will be many more times. By simple pork kitchen kitchen gives people not only the taste of a dish but also the air, the breath of the wild, angelic Northwest mountains.

4.2. Goby burying ashes

Goby fish is one of the most familiar foods in Vietnamese family meals. It is not only an ingredient to create delicious and nutritious dishes, but also imbued with Vietnamese culture. This is also the ingredient to create a famous delicious dish in Lai Chau.

Like other specialties in Lai Chau, goby with gio brings a very unique taste of the majestic mountains of the Northwest, imbued with typical spices found only in this place such as mac Khen seeds, basil leaves, cuttings leaves. The highlight is the pungent taste of ginger, lemongrass and the irresistible sweetness of goby meat.

Goby with ash is rich, rich but not fatty, the gentle aroma of grilled dong leaves, if combined with the spicy and sweet taste of corn wine, will stimulate the taste a lot more. That is also the reason why gobies buried in ash have become a famous delicious dish in Lai Chau and become the first choice when visiting the Northwest mountainous natural land.

4.3. Purple sticky rice

If you don't know what to eat in Lai Chau, purple sticky rice is a dish that many tourists try and choose along the way. Thanks to the skilful hands of ethnic women here, purple sticky rice is made with their own secrets that are not available everywhere. The purple color of sticky rice is dyed with a forest tree called Khau Plug.

Raw materials for cooking sticky rice are sticky rice with large, fragrant, and firm grains. The plug is broken both branches and leaves, washed and boiled for about 5 minutes, when the water turns purple, it's okay. For sticky rice dishes, people will use wooden chopsticks made from the charcoal of fig trees, then the firewood will have a delicious taste. When the seeds are ripe, you can see that each layer of sticky rice has a bright purple color, is flexible but not sticky, and has a sweet aroma that is the completion of purple sticky rice.

4.4. Buffalo meat in the kitchen

The first delicious specialty of Lai Chau is the meat dish hanging from the kitchen. Here, people have a very own, quite different secret to making this delicious and delicious kitchen hanging meat dish. Tourists who used to enjoy the  once will never forget it.

People often choose pork belly, butt meat, prime meat, shoulder meat of buffalo, pig, and beef for processing. Then put the meat into the mortar and add a sufficient amount of salt to soak into the meat. Then mix it with a yeast made from forest trees, then let the meat incubate for 2-3 days and hang it on the kitchen attic.

The daily cooking stove here is heated by wood, so using the heat of the fire will make the meat firmer, the fat will melt partly, the lean meat and the skin will be dark red yellow. To make the meat more fragrant, here people also take forest wormwood or bagasse to smoke the meat. When eating, people just need to take it out, heat it over the fire, the meat will be soft and easy to eat. Due to the full flavour, when enjoying, just dipping with chili sauce is too delicious.

4.5. Orchid Tree Flower Mixed With Bamboo Shoot

The next delicious Lai Chau dish to mention is Hoa Ban bamboo shoot mannequin. To make this dish, you must prepare bamboo shoots or bitter bamboo shoots. Because these two types of mannequins are the most delicious. Use chopped bitter bamboo shoots soaked in salt water for about 25 minutes, boiled through 2 times in water and then drained. As for using bamboo shoots, just boil them and strip them off.

Ban flowers choose fresh flowers, only take thick petals. And choose a fresh, thick stream fish to grill and remove the meat. Finally, make a mixture of lemon juice, chili, garlic, basil, and coriander. Gently mix all ingredients by hand. All blend together to create a unique dish: rich, fleshy, fragrant of grilled fish, greasy from flowers, and mildly bitter of fresh bamboo shoots.

5. Where to stay in Lai Chau

5.1. Huong Phong Guest House

Address: No. 59 Le Loi Boulevard, Tan Phong Ward, Lai Chau City

Huong Phong Guest House will be the ideal choice for all visitors whether travelling or working with reasonable prices. Although it is only a 2-star hotel, Huong Phong Guest House still makes visitors satisfied, even the most demanding guests cannot refuse to book a room here. Because the hotel always provides the best service and facilities. And the rooms at the hotel in Lai Chau are equipped in a modern style, the lighting system is so warm that anyone who makes a reservation here feels like they are at home.

Huong Phong Guest House includes 2 conference rooms, seminars, formal and polite and 3 vip rooms, 57 comfortable rooms with flexible prices, suitable for all customers. In addition to the room system, the hotel's campus in Lai Chau also has a spacious parking lot, which is very convenient for guests. And entertainment and relaxation service areas such as tennis courts, massage saunas, karaoke rooms, tobacco baths of ethnic minorities....

With a convenient location, from Huong Phong Guest House, you can move to attractive places to visit such as: King Thai Palace Deo Van Long, Tham Cung cave, Tien Son cave, Tac Tinh waterfall, Pusamcap cave. ….

5.2. Muong Thanh Lai Chau Hotel

Address: 113 Le Duan, Tan Phong, Lai Chau.

Booking a room here will give visitors a simple rustic space but no less luxurious and modern in the middle of the mountains. With 98 standard rooms, designed spaciously and comfortably, elegantly will bring guests the most pleasant spaces and moments of rest. Especially, from their room, visitors can see the whole Lai Chau city at night from above.

Not only impressing all visitors with spacious and comfortable bedrooms, but the hotel's restaurant also leaves a very good impression. With a capacity of 1200 guests and 3 VIP rooms, Muong Thanh restaurant will be an ideal place to hold weddings and events. Not only the delicious food, but the restaurant also brings interesting experiences and discoveries about the Northwest culinary culture for visitors.

In addition, Kralica & Massage is one of the attractions here. It is considered as a necessary therapy to relieve stress, pressure from daily life or fatigue after long trips for tourists.

5.3. Hoa Ban Hostel 2

Address: 30/4 Street, Lai Chau

Hoa Ban 2 Hostel is the choice of many tourists when coming to Lai Chau. This property is rated as comfortable and affordable. The system of rooms is extremely diverse, depending on the purpose and needs, visitors can choose for themselves suitable rooms such as: deluxe room, single room, double room, 6-bed dormitory room... inside each room. All rooms are equipped with flat-screen LCD TV, air conditioning, telephone, mini bar, free wifi and spacious living area. In particular, some of the hotel's rooms also have a balcony with a view of the garden, creating a feeling of relaxation and comfort.

At Hoa Ban 2 guesthouse, guests will be supported with tour booking, luggage storage, laundry service, airport shuttle at an additional charge at the 24-hour front desk with professional and enthusiastic staff. love will definitely not let you down. Besides, from this accommodation, visitors will easily move to attractions in the city and commercial centres.

5.4. Hoang Nham Luxury Hotel

Address: 69 Dien Bien Phu Street, Lai Chau Province

Located in the heart of Lai Chau, with views of the picturesque Thuy Son Lake and the administrative hub of the renowned Ho Chi Minh City, and hidden behind the famed Ta Li Phung - Nung Nang mountain range. "Title Painted Water" is a title painted on water. Hoang Nham Luxury Hotel is a five-star hotel with a French flair that is spacious and trendy. With a beautiful blend of neoclassical elegance, luxury, and traditional cultural elements. The majority of them are in the North West.

The rooms are created to 5 star standards, with 124 elegant rooms. The room's furnishings and interior design are gold-plated and have a particular flair. The presidential level, in particular, is competent to welcome heads of state from both home and abroad. The restaurant system, wedding center, and staging of big and varied events in and out of the garden structure may seat 300 to over 1000 people providing European, Asian, and regional cuisine.

Furthermore, the hotel's diverse service system, such as 4 seasons pools inside, fitness clubs, karaoke, and SPA (Sauna Massage), is always available for all visitors to rest and unwind while visiting and working in Lai Chau. The hotel bar is a bar and beverage service constructed in accordance with the North West stilts and romantic garden, making it the ideal spot to relax and enjoy your trip. flawless and flawless.

5.5. Saigon Hotel

Address: 160 Tran Hung Dao, Lai Chau

Visitors, when choosing Lai Chau as a stopover for their journey to discover interesting things in the northernmost provinces of the country, cannot ignore the excellent accommodation address Saigon Hotel. Coming here, visitors not only enjoy the fresh air, friendly people but also use world-class services with luxurious, comfortable and extremely elegant designs.

The rooms of this Lai Chau hotel are fully equipped with essential amenities such as LCD TV, refrigerator, air conditioner, free internet, telephone, work desk, free drinking water and a nice balcony area. spacious to enjoy the breeze and admire the panoramic view of the city. The toilet is clean and ventilated with a jetted bathtub, towels, slippers and other personal hygiene tools completely free of charge. Especially, the space of each room here is also decorated in a very sweet and pleasant Boutique style, bringing a sense of enjoyment and the most comfortable resting moments, satisfying all the "gods".

In addition, when staying here, guests can also use other convenient services such as: sauna, massage, laundry service, 24-hour front desk and spacious parking lot, high-speed wifi coverage. Saigon Hotel's staffs are quite friendly and enthusiastic, ready to guide and assist visitors when needed.

6. Conclusion

The Best Travel Guide of Lai Chau Vietnam 2023 is a summary of the most detailed information about the famous Lai Chau tourism that you must know if you ever come to this land of heroic history and cultural quintessence. In addition to the beautiful and majestic mountains of the country, there are more than 20 ethnic groups living here, so there are many cultural differences here. When visiting Lai Chau, you will have the opportunity to discover our country's famed peaks and passes. There, you are surrounded by the expanse of nature, majestic with mountain peaks and floating with the clouds.

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