Lao Cai
Đông Bắc
A hamlet below the Sa Pa hills · Haneul Trac · Pexels License
Home of misty Sa Pa and Fansipan Peak — the Roof of Indochina.
Lao Cai is a region of magnificent mountains in the northwest, famous for the cloud-wrapped town of Sa Pa and terraced fields regarded as among the most beautiful in the world. The cultures of the Hmong, Dao and Tay create a colourful, warm tapestry amid the great Hoang Lien Son range.
Best time to visit: September (ripe rice) and March–May (clear skies)
Local specialties
- Thang co stew
- Sa Pa salmon
- Grilled dishes
- Wild apple wine
Places (11)
Sa Pa
A town in the clouds, where terraced fields stretch on and Hmong and Dao villages appear and vanish in the mist.
Muong Hoa Valley
A valley of terraced rice fields below Sa Pa, holding a field of carved ancient stones.
Y Ty
A border commune at two thousand metres — the best-known cloud-hunting spot in the north-west.
Fansipan
The roof of Indochina at 3,143m in the Hoang Lien Son range — reached by a two-day climb or a fifteen-minute cable car.
Cat Cat Village
A Hmong village below Sa Pa, its name taken from the French word cascade.
Ta Phin Village
A Red Dao village known for herbal baths, and a ruined stone convent from the French period.
Ta Van Village
A Giay village in the Muong Hoa valley, where you sleep in a homestay among the terraces.
Bac Ha Sunday Market
A highland market held every Sunday morning on the White Plateau, ablaze with Flower Hmong dress.
Lao Cai Border Gate
An international border crossing on the Nam Thi river, where Ho Kieu bridge leads to Hekou in China.
Ham Rong Mountain
A peak inside the town — half an hour's climb for the whole of Sa Pa and Fansipan.
Silver Waterfall
A fall of over two hundred metres right beside the road up to O Quy Ho pass.