DAY 1: HÀ NỘI – NGHĨA LỘ

5.00 am: Set off from Hanoi, follow Nội Bài – Lào Cai Highway to Yên Bái Province. Have a light meal with “bánh mỳ” or a small serve of steamed sticky rice to get ready for an energetic trip day.

9.30 am: Visit Thác Bà Dydroelectric Power Plant, then head to Lục Yên District, shop at Lục Yên Jewel Market.

12.00 pm: Arrive in Yên Bái City, take a short rest with a small lunch break. Don’t forget to order “cuốn sủi”- a speciality only available in Yên Bái and Lào Cai that you must give it a go.

4.00 pm: Make way to Nghĩa Lộ, visit Giàng Spring Village where you can try Shan Tuyết green tea and get to find some souvenirs made of stones here. Then drop by the Mông Pang Cáng village before spending time observing the spectacular view of Mường Lò valley.

Evening: Have dinner at Nghĩa Lộ and enjoy all the specialities of the ethnic minority.

DAY 2: NGHĨA LỘ- MÙ CANG CHẢI

7.00 am: On the way to Mù Cang Chải, drop by Tú Lệ and try its sticky rice – one of the most well-known specialities in the Northwest; experience the rural beauty of the local villages.

10.00 am: Head to Khau Phạ mountain pass from which you’ll get an amazing view of Cao Phạ valley, Lìm Mông hamlet, Khau Phạ terrace field. Then come to La Pán Tẩn village to observe the “Golden Raspberries”. Don’t miss Bà Nhà bridge, which is another ideal spot for your great shots.

From 18.00 pm to late night: Visit Thái Hamlet in Dế Xu Phình and learn more their native custom.

DAY 3: MÙ CANG CHẢI- HÀ NỘI:

6.30 am: Take a morning look in Mù Cang Chải market and enjoy the culinary culture here with dozens of specialities cooked by the very locals. Bring home some “táo mèo”, considered as one of the best fruits in the country.

8.00 am: Visit Chế Cu Nha.

8.30 am Mountain trekking.

11.30 am: Lunchtime at Tú Lệ restaurant and come find some more souvenirs if you had not found from your first day.

14.30 pm: Back to Hanoi.

The post Yen Bai Province Itinerary appeared first on Maze Vietnam.

Cars and motorbikes

From the metropolis of Hanoi, follow Thăng Long bridge until you catch sight of a roundabout, take the left turn and keep moving till you make your way into Nội Bài – Lào Cai Highway. Go straight ahead, across Vĩnh Phúc and Việt Trì (Phú Thọ province) and you will reach Yên Bái after a 135- kilometer trip. One point to keep in mind is that this route is for cars only.

Another way longer is about 145 kilometres. Setting off from Hanoi, passing through Hòa Lạc then following Thăng Long Highway then you can make your way by turning right at Highway 21. From here, head to Sơn Tây province by following Trung Hà and Phong Châu bridge. As you reach Đoan Hùng town, drive along Street 70 and you will reach the destination. This route is for both cars and motorbikes.

Bus and trains

Reaching Mỹ Đình bus station, you can pick one of the trustworthy brands such as Sao Việt, Duy Long, Hà Sơn, etc. with the prices fluctuating from VND 100.000 to 200.000 depending on each kind.

Reaching Hà Nội or Long Biên train station if you find trains suit you best. Its price range is from VND 130.000 to 260.000.

The post How to get to Yen Bai from Hanoi? appeared first on Maze Vietnam.

Making way to Yên Bái, besides observing all the breathtaking natural sceneries, you will also have a chance to experience such wonderful foods. And below is the list of the top nine must-try dishes highly recommended.  It offers an insight into Yen Bai culinary culture.

Lục Yên banana cake ( Bánh chuối Lục Yên)

Banana has long been a familiar fruit to Tày* people in Lục Yên – a rural District of Y, becoming an inspiration for them to make distinct sweet cake. Unlike the commonly known “Bánh chuối”, which is made of banana covered in wet wheat flour and deep fried in boiled oil until it turns golden brown each side, Lục Yên version requires more time and skills.

Ripe bananas are peeled and dried before being kept in pots. When it’s time, they are soaked in hot water, ground and mixed with rice powder to coat and finally stuffed with the concoction of sugar, pounded steamed mung bean and peanuts inside. The cake is wrapped by banana leaves and steamed for 25 – 30 minutes.

The cake is usually served on full moon day or during traditional events. And if you remember, “Xôi chè”, a sweeten pudding in Hanoi I talked about in my previous article, is also served on such occasions with the main ingredients: mung bean, glutinous rice and sugar as well. It is an interesting coincidence, isn’t it?

Grilled buffalo meat (Thịt trâu gác bếp)

It is definitely a shame if you come to the northern mountainous area without trying its grilled foods. The one I’d like to mention today is “Thịt trâu gác bếp”- a speciality of the black Thái (người Thái đen), which is made from buffalo thighs as the main ingredient. When being grilled over charcoal, the smoky smell of the buffalo may be quite unpleasant to some people so they often add seasoned with chilies, ginger and “mắc khén” – a special forest pepper of the ethnic minorities in the Northwest before cooking. Afterward, the beef is hung over a shelf in the kitchen to get dried. It will take about 8 months up to a year until the beef is ready to be served.

To eat, shred the beef into small pieces and enjoy it with a small cup of “rượu ngô”- corn wine, an ideal cuisine for the winter!

Mường Lò fried muồm muỗm (Muồm muỗm rang Mường Lò)

“Muồm muỗm”, similar to a grasshopper, is a kind of insects easily caught sight of in fields during harvest seasons. There are many dishes made from “muồm muỗm”. However, according to the locals, fried muồm muỗm is the best. When ready to be served, it turns golden brown and has a delicate aroma while its taste is infinitely crispy and greasy.

Lạp xưởng Yên Bái

“Lạp xưởng”, or Asian sausage, is made of chopped bacon, pepper, honey, sugar, etc. What makes “lạp xưởng” in Yên Bái special is the way it is seasoned. One thing to be kept in mind are the order and duration in which its ingredients are mixed up. And when it comes to drying the sausage, nothing but charcoal, bagasse, chaff and bay leaf must be used. As a result, you will feel the pleasant smoky scent of the cane when eating.

Coming to Yên Bái, you should not miss out Tú Lệ village, which is not only well-known for the breathtaking terrace rice fields but also for its food – glutinous rice. People even say that as being cooked, the aroma of the glutinous rice can be scented from hundreds of meters away. Accordingly, local citizens have created the following 3 must-try cuisines from the rice in Tu Le Village:

Food made from rice

Tú Lệ green rice ( Cốm Tú Lệ)

If Hanoi is frequently given reputation by Cốm Làng Vòng, Tú Lệ Village puts its name on the map with Cốm Tú Lệ. The land has been rewarded with its one-of-a-kind rice whose kernel is roasted over low heat then pounded in a mortar with a pestle until flattened. That one special point I want to insist is that the green of Cốm is definitely natural, not served with any chemical constituent.

Xôi ngũ sắc

Given that you do not seem to prefer steamed sticky rice owning one single colour only, then we are so glad to let you meet our “Xôi ngũ sắc”, a special version featured five different colours – blue, red, purple, yellow and white, all of which are dyed by natural pigments of forest leaves. This dish can be found in Tu Le Village.

Bánh chưng đen Mường Lò

“Bánh chưng” is a Vietnamese traditional dish, usually served in Lunar New Year or sometimes on full moon day. “Bánh chưng đen” – black square sticky rice cake, is made similarly to the original edition, but the Thái people make it in a little bit different way by mixing ground “núc nác” tree’s coat with glutinous rice to cover their cakes with black coats.

Rêu suối Mường Lò

Have you ever thought that fungus can be used to make a dish? It appears to be impossible but in Thái*’s culinary culture, it isn’t. Fungus is wrapped in banana leaves and then grilled until the fat and green liquid come out from the fresh fungus. As good fungus is hard to find while its season is pretty short, the locals here highly appreciate it. This dish is served in dinner when family gathers or special guests come over.

Cá sỉnh

“Cá sỉnh” is considered by the Thái in Văn Chấn town in such a pride because this kind of fish only habitats here.

“Cá sỉnh” is quite small, about four human fingers in width while its meat is tender and bones are quite soft.

If you are now wondering where to go to try these dishes, just head forward until you come across a street food shop on the way or somehow you are invited to the locals’ houses for a meal, who knows? The locals in Yen Bai are very friendly.

But if you want a specific guide for where to eat, drop by some following listed restaurants in the city. They are suggested by the Vietnamese backpackers.

Thùy Vân floating restaurant

Address: Đồng Tâm ward, Yên Bái city
Opening hours: 08:00 – 22:30
Phone number: (02) 93 852 099

Sâm Hiệp restaurant

Address: 302 Thanh Niên, Hồng Hà ward, Yên Bái city
Opening hours: 09:00 AM – 09:30 PM

Tây Bắc restaurant

Address: Village 6, Hợp Minh ward, Yên Bái city
Opening hours: 08:00 – 22:30
Phone number: 0216 3712 719

Sơn Thủy restaurant

Address: 600 Điện Biên Street, Yên Bái city
Opening hours: 8.00 – 23.00
Phone number: 070 385 2695

Minh Đức restaurant

Address: 381 Lê Hồng Phong Street, Yên Bái city
Opening hours: 08:00 – 22:30

Thanh Hà restaurant

Address: 182 Đinh Tiên Hoàng street, Đồng Tâm ward, Yên Bái city
Opening time: 08:00 – 22:30

Thuyền Chài restaurant

Address:Group 6, Hợp Minh ward, Yên Bái city
Opening hours: 09:00 – 23:00

* Some information about the Vietnamese ethnic groups:

• The Tày: famous for the Yale blue of their traditional costume, is one of the most populated ethnic minorities in Vietnam. They inhabit mostly in Lạng Sơn, Cao Bằng, Hà Giang, Bắc Cạn, Yên Bái
• The Thái: having inhabited in the Northwest Vietnam for over 1200 years since their ancestors first migrated to Vietnam from Yunnan, China. They are most widely known as the Black Thai and the White Thai who live mainly in Điện Biên, Lai Châu, Sơn La, Lào Cai, Yên Bái, Hòa Bình.

The post Best cheap foods Yen Bai Province has to offer appeared first on Maze Vietnam.

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If you are still impressed by the delightful Mù Cang Chải in my previous post and about to make it your next stop when visiting Yên Bái, it will be tough for you to consider where to go as here is the list of not less appealing other destinations.

Lục Yên Jewel Market (Chợ đá quí Lục Yên)

Situated in Lục Yên town, Lục Yên jewel market is the only place that has the tradition of making jewel pictures in Vietnam. Tourists can not only admire the lovely jewel pictures but also learn about its making process. The market here is quite small and open to the public all week round, but Sunday sessions are the most crowded and liveliest. The locals run their business just by putting up some camps called “sạp” in Vietnamese and laying few tables on which hundreds of shining and colorful gemstones are displayed. Should you want to get one, it will cost about VND 100.000 or more, approximately $4.

Address: Lục Yên town, Lục Yên District, Yên Bái Province

Giàng Spring Village (Xã Suối Giàng)

Giàng Spring Village, praised as Sapa* of Yên Bái, is famous for thousand-year-old green tea forests, wild Mông* people’s hamlets and moderate climate. As it is only 200km from Hanoi, Suối Giàng Village will be an ideal choice for anyone who wanna get out of their daily busy city life.

Address: Văn Chấn town, Yên Bái province

Thác Bà Lake (Hồ Thác Bà)

Thác Bà Lake, belonging to Lục Yên and Yên Bình Districts, Yên Bái Province, is one of the three largest artificial lakes in Vietnam. It was formed along with the construction of Thác Bà hydroelectric factory in 1964, the very first hydroelectric factory of the country. With the area of 23.400ha, this lake consists of 1.331 small islands and dozens of caves such as Tiger Cave (hang Hùm), White Snake cave (Hang Bạch Xà), Cẩu Cuôi cave, etc.

For your information, Thác Bà Lake is a historical site as well. In 1285, Thu Vật battle against the Mongolian led by General Trần Nhật Duật occurred here, with the triumph for our land. At the uppermost part of the lake, there used to be the basement of Vietnamese army during the Resistance War against the French colonialists.

Address: Lục Yên and Yên Bình district, Yên Bái Province

Mường Lò valley (Thung lũng Mường Lò)

Mường Lò Valley, 800 kilometers to the West of Yên Bái city, is a fertile land with soft fields that are regarded as the second largest ones of the great charming Northwest. The valley is inhabited by twelve ethnic groups Thái, Mường, Kinh, Tày, Nùng, Mông*, etc and therefore given a multicultural society. When spring comes, you can admire the peaceful village scene in which Mông, Thái and Mường* women are working on the farm while their children are following their mothers to the fields. Everywhere seems to bath in the vibrant colour of crops, in the energetic atmosphere of the spring.

Address: Nghĩa Lộ town, Yên Bái Province.

Đông Cuông Temple (Đền Đông Cuông)

Đông Cuông Temple is an ancient temple which worships Mẫu Thượng Ngàn* along with some local ethnic minority generals who greatly served the country in the 13th century. It is therefore also called the Nation Guardian Temple. As time flies together with many reconstructions, the structure of Đông Cuông Temple now has curved roof featured 2 dragons admiring the Sun.

Moreover, on every first Cat day of New Year in the lunar calendar, our local citizens celebrate Đông Cuông Temple festival that attracts loads of tourists by many traditional and entertaining activities.

Address: Nội Bài - Lào Cai Highway, Đông Cuông, Văn Yên District, Yên Bái Province.

Căng and Nghĩa Lộ station historical sites (Di tích Căng và đồn Nghĩa Lộ )

This is the place where Vietnamese army liberated Văn Chấn town for the first time in 1945. The historical site includes a memorial monument, a victory statue and a headstone house commemorating those who died for our independence.

Address: Nghĩa Lộ town, Yên Bái Province.

Ngòi Tu hamlet (Bản Ngòi Tu)

Located 165 kilometers from Hanoi, to the Northwest of Vietnam, Ngòi Tu is inhabited by many minority groups, especially the Dao*. This destination not only attracts tourists by its convenient location with charming scenery but also its multicultural customs.

Address: Vũ Linh, Yên Bình town, Yên Bái Province.

Address: Mù Cang Chải District, Yên Bái Province.

* Vietnamese ethnic groups

• The Thái: having inhabited in the Northwest Vietnam for over 1200 years since their ancestors first migrated to Vietnam from Yunnan, China. They are most widely known as the Black Thai and the White Thai who live mainly in Điện Biên, Lai Châu, Sơn La, Lào Cai, Yên Bái, and Hòa Bình.
• The Mông/H’Mông: migrating to Vietnam from Guangxi, Guizhou and Yunnan, China and some from Laos. They now populate many provinces in the Northern mountainous Vietnam like Hà Giang, Lào Cai, Lai Châu, Sơn La, and Yên Bái.
• The Tày: famous for the Yale blue of their traditional costume, is one of the most populated ethnic minorities in Vietnam. They inhabit mostly in Lạng Sơn, Cao Bằng, Hà Giang, Bắc Cạn, and Yên Bái.
• The Dao: making a tough journey from Hainan, China, the Dao have been in Vietnam since the 17th century. Like other minority groups, they also live in such highland provinces like Hà Giang, Tuyên Quang, Lào Cai, Yên Bái, Cao Bằng, Bắc Kạn, Lai Châu, and Hòa Bình.
• The Mường: considered to have a close relation to the Kinh – the most populated group of Vietnam, the Mường choose Hòa Bình and mountainous districts in Thanh Hóa as their hoping land.
• The Nùng: inhabiting in Lạng Sơn, Cao Bằng, Bắc Kạn, Thái Nguyên, Bắc Giang, and Tuyên Quang.
• Mẫu Thượng ngàn: a goddess - worshiped mainly in highlands of Northern Vietnam - is believed to protect and bless people when they travel in forests and mountainous regions.

The post Where to visit in Yen Bai Province? appeared first on Maze Vietnam.

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Khau Phạ Mountain Pass (Đèo Khau Phạ)

Khau Phạ Mountain Pass is one of the longest and most crooked roads in Vietnam, situated on Highway 32 with the length of more than 30km. It passes dozens of famous sights such as La Pa Tẩn, Tú Lệ, Chế Cu Nha, etc. At the height of 1200m-1500m above the sea level, Khau Phạ has cool climate all year round with 4 seasons in a single day: spring, summer, autumn, and winter. How amazing it is! This moutain pass is named after a feature of its own: Khau Phạ mountain pass is often covered in the mist that its peak seems to rise from the clouds when seen from far away, and in Thái people’s  - people in Vietnam's ethnic minority language in Vietnam (please don’t mistake this for Thai of Thailand), Khau Phạ means “ Sky horn” or “Sky gate”. If you ask me when is the best time to visit this place, the answer is anytime. But as the harvest season sets in in September or October, all the cereals are ripened, you can have a spectacular view from here but be careful as it is really dangerous to make way to the mountain pass’s peak.

Address: Mù Cang Chải District, Yên Bái Province

Tú Lệ Village (Xã Tú Lệ)

This is a valley of Văn Chấn town, Yên Bái city. Regarded as one of the most favorable destinations by tourists, Tú Lệ Village attracts people by its natural beauty with delightful crop fields. Moreover, when coming here, you can experience the fresh hot spring and even happen to catch the sight of Thái people taking shower by the springs, which is one of their traditional customs.

Address: Văn Chấn Town, Mù Cang Chải District, Yên Bái Province

Lìm Mông Hamlet (Bản Lìm Mông)

From Khau Phạ mountain pass, you will catch the sight of a tiny and "skinny" road that apparently stretches over the sky called Lìm Mông hamlet. Lìm Mông hamlet is a small village that hides itself in mist and clouds. To get here, you can just use small motorbikes for about 2/3 of the trip and then go on foot for the rest because of the rough, crooked, slippery uphill slopes which are a distinct character of Mù Cang Chải. The hamlet is also famous for the breathtaking scenery during crops harvesting season when all corners of Lìm Mông are dyed with the charming yellow of cereals.

Address: Cao Pạ Village, Mù Cang Chải District, Yên Bái Province

La Pán Tẩn Village( Xã La Pán Tẩn)

Thanks to Mông people’s picturesque stair-shaped fields, La Pán Tẩn, together with Dế Xu Phình, Chế Cu Nha, are the three villages regarded as Vietnam National Geographic Site in 2007. The locals here have put great efforts and passion for farm work, turning Mù Cang Chải- dry tree village into a fertile land and wonderful destination. Once coming here, you can visit Pú Nhu waterfall as well, which is about 10km to the west of Mù Cang Chải’s downtown. This waterfall derives from the watershed forest in Lào Cai and its drop is about 20m which is divided into levels.

Address: La Pán Tẩn Village: Mù Cang Chải District, Yên Bái Province

Ba Nhà Bridge( Cầu Ba Nhà)

This is a perfect spot to take photos and pretty convenient locality to travel as it is just approximately 10km from the centre of Mù Cang Chải. You can capture the lovely beauty of all stair-shaped fields in 3 villages mentioned above which are often called “The Golden Raspberries” by the locals from here. Come and feel the exotic scenery on your own!

Address: Highway 32, La Pán Tẩn Village, Mù Cang Chải District, Yên Bái Province

Thái Hamlet(Bản Thái)

Cross the bridge at the centre of Mù Cang Chải, take the left turn, go ahead for about 1km, you will reach Thái Hamlet. This is a small, peaceful village where you can experience all traditional Thái’s food, having shower with herbs, spending night in stilt house, or dancing around the campfire when night falls.

Address: Dế Xu Phình, Mù Cang Chải District, Yên Bái Province

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