First time coming to Mu Cang Chai, Western visitors are surprised with dishes made from... insects

Mu Cang Chai in season

Recently, photos of Mu Cang Chai taken by tourists have made many people admire the poetic beauty of this place. The terraced fields with green and yellow colors blend together to create a vivid natural picture.

During his trip across Vietnam in early September, Do Quang Hau (21 years old, from Can Tho) chose to stop at Mu Cang Chai for 2 days and 1 night. The total cost of his trip was about 1.3 million VND, including accommodation, entrance tickets, food and the money sent to the locals for a guide to explore .

Lần đầu đến Mù Cang Chải, khách miền Tây bất ngờ với món ăn từ... côn trùng - 1 — The green rice fields surrounded by hills and mountains impressed Mr. Hau (Photo: Character provided).

He shared: "This is the first time I have come to Mu Cang Chai. I am impressed by the green terraced fields embracing the majestic mountains. The moment standing on Khau Pha Pass, looking down at the valley is truly stunningly beautiful."

Not only fascinated by the scenery, Mr. Hau was also attracted by the creativity and diligence of the people in making terraced fields. He admired, felt very peaceful and appreciated the efforts of the gentle, simple farmers here.

"In my opinion, Mu Cang Chai is both majestic and simple. In particular, the hospitality and colorful costumes of the ethnic minorities make me feel right at home," he said.

Local cuisine also left many unforgettable memories for Mr. Hau, although he was a bit hesitant at first when enjoying it. "I was extremely impressed with the dish of bamboo worms fried with lemon leaves and mac khen, although at first I found it a bit creepy. My favorite dish is grilled chicken with mac mat leaves and cham cheo," he said.

Lần đầu đến Mù Cang Chải, khách miền Tây bất ngờ với món ăn từ... côn trùng - 2 — Bamboo worms fried with lemon leaves (Illustration: Document).

Mr. Hau added that during his visit to Mu Cang Chai, he was also lucky to participate in the traditional festival of the Mong people, immersing himself in the vibrant bamboo dances.

Mu Cang Chai tourism gradually restored

Sharing with Dan Tri reporter, Ms. Nguyen Thuy Trang ( Hanoi ) - representative of Downtown Travel, specializing in Mu Cang Chai tours - said that 2024 was a difficult period for Mu Cang Chai tourism when customer psychology was heavily affected by storm Yagi, although in fact this place was not directly affected.

"However, this year the number of tourists to Mu Cang Chai is expected to increase by about 80-120%, thanks to favorable weather, no storms in the North, and strong media support for Mu Cang Chai from many units.

We have proactively booked rooms in advance, ensuring service for 200-300 guests each weekend in September and October," said a representative of the travel agency.

Lần đầu đến Mù Cang Chải, khách miền Tây bất ngờ với món ăn từ... côn trùng - 3 — September and October are when Mu Cang Chai enters the rice ripening season (Photo: Le Viet Vinh).

Mr. Le Viet Vinh (25 years old, Hanoi) - who specializes in organizing Mu Cang Chai experience tours - also said that Mu Cang Chai has two most beautiful seasons of the year: the pouring water season (May, June) and the ripe rice season (September, October).

"Mu Cang Chai is in its most beautiful rice harvest season, when the whole valley is golden and poetic, attracting many young people with a passion for photography," Vinh shared.

Lần đầu đến Mù Cang Chải, khách miền Tây bất ngờ với món ăn từ... côn trùng - 4 — Mu Cang Chai is dyed yellow by ripe rice (Photo: Character provided).

According to Vinh, compared to last year, the number of visitors to Mu Cang Chai in early September has not really exploded. However, he sees positive signs and can hope for a sharp increase in the number of visitors in the following weeks.

"The outstanding attractions in Mu Cang Chai are still Mam Xoi Hill, Mong Ngua Hill, Khau Pha Pass and Mui Giay Hill - places with both unique landscapes and many beautiful photo angles," he shared.

Mr. Vinh also shared that the Hanoi - Mu Cang Chai 2 days 1 night tour usually costs about 1.59 million VND/person, ensuring quality accommodation, food and experience. The tour even has a photographer, suitable for those who want to bring back beautiful images after the trip.

According to him, the situation of overcrowding usually occurs during the peak 1-2 weeks at famous places, then it will spread out more. He believes that it is also a seasonal specialty of Mu Cang Chai. The important thing is that units need to organize and allocate guests reasonably to ensure both the experience for tourists and towards sustainable development.

Notes when traveling in the golden season in Mu Cang Chai

Mu Cang Chai is located in the Northwest of Lao Cai province, about 300km from Hanoi. To visit this place, tourists should choose to travel by bus or car for safety and savings. Currently, tourism in this place is quite developed, the quantity and quality of accommodation is also increasing.

When visiting Mu Cang Chai in the ripe rice season, visitors should explore the iconic places here such as: Mam Xoi Hill, Mong Nguu Hill, Mui Giay Hill, Truc Forest, Tu Le green rice village, Khau Pha Pass (one of the "four great mountain passes" in Vietnam), Tram Tau - Ngoc Chien hot mineral spring and especially Suoi Giang (where there are ancient tea trees over 300 years old).

From the hill, visitors can admire the panoramic view of the terraced fields valley and easily capture the most beautiful moments of the golden season.

Mu Cang Chai is the main living area of Mong and Thai people. Therefore, when exploring here, visitors can enjoy local specialties such as Tu Le green rice, smoked buffalo meat, apple wine...

Besides, trekking, paragliding, and hot spring bathing are also worth experiencing when you come here.

Lần đầu đến Mù Cang Chải, khách miền Tây bất ngờ với món ăn từ... côn trùng - 5 — Mu Cang Chai's scenery in the ripe rice season is as beautiful as a painting (Photo: Tran Thanh).

If this is your first time visiting Mu Cang Chai and you don't know how to arrange a schedule to fully visit this place, you can refer to some tours.

When joining the tour, tourists will be guided by a tour guide who is knowledgeable about mountain tourism and local customs, ensuring accommodation and optimizing the tour schedule. This not only helps tourists limit risks but also brings a more complete travel experience.

Hoang Thu

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/du-lich/lan-dau-den-mu-cang-chai-khach-mien-tay-bat-ngo-voi-mon-an-tu-con-trung-20250911154228912.htm