All things about Y Ty

Y Ty tourism is loved by many tourists because this is the most famous rattan hunting location in Lao Cai, Vietnam. The biggest difference of this tourist destination is its tranquillity, simplicity and rich, attractive natural scenery. Especially for tourists who love nature and want to explore, Y Ty is a place to visit at least once.

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1. How is Y Ty unique?

With a natural area of up to 8,654 hectares and a border stretching 11.94km. Y Ty not only impresses visitors with its mysterious and attractive natural landscape. But also, with its endlessly fresh air. at an altitude of 2000m above sea level. This area offers a completely different wild and majestic beauty.

In addition, Y Ty is also the main birthplace of four main ethnic groups: Ha Nhi, H’Mong, Dao, and Kinh, so the national cultural identity is very diverse and extremely unique. Y Ty makes visitors ecstatic with the beautiful scenery of endless terraced rice fields, romantic cloudy sky and majestic high mountains. All bring a harmonious scene to Y Ty tourist area and attract many tourists to visit.

2. The best time to visit Y Ty

Depending on each traveller’s arrangements, you can visit Y Ty at any time of the year. However, to experience the journey to explore this highland smoothly and easily, please note the following times.

• During the period from September to April next year, known as the cloud hunting season, Y Ty has a cold climate and appears cloudy. This creates favourable conditions for you to take vivid photos with floating seas of clouds.
• In addition, from March to April is also a great time for you to see azalea flowers blooming brilliantly.
• The flood season takes place from May to June, making the fields in this highland become a living painting of nature. Visitors can admire the wonderful beauty of the landscape.
• If you like to participate in the biggest festivals of the Ha Nhi people of the year, you should come to the Dry Old Festival on the first Dragon Day of the 6th lunar month. Depending on the year, it may fall around July -8.
• Y Ty’s ripe rice season is from the end of August to the end of September, depending on the year. In recent years, Y Ty has focused on ripening rice when autumn festivals (around the next week of September 2).
• In winter, visitors can visit Y Ty to experience white snow showers covering the mountains and hills. Y Ty is likely one of the possible snowfall spots with Sa Pa and Mau Son.

4. How to get to Y Ty?

Y Ty is a border highland commune in Bat Xat district, Lao Cai province, Vietnam. About 75 km from Lao Cai city and about 365 km northwest of Hanoi capital.

As a highland commune close to the border of Lao Cai, to get to Y Ty you first need to be in Lao Cai City. Depending on the type of vehicle you use, depending on your trip plan, there will be many different directions that you can consider choosing.

4.1 From Hanoi to Lao Cai city

Traveling by bus:

Since the Hanoi – Lao Cai expressway was established, traveling to Lao Cai by bus has always been one of the first options chosen by tourists because of its quick travel time (about 4-5 hours). You can easily catch buses to Lao Cai city from My Dinh and Giap Bat bus stations in Hanoi. Departure time is very flexible to give visitors freedom to choose.

Travel by train:

If you are car sick or simply want to experience rail travel, you can choose to travel by train. Trains to Lao Cai usually run in the evening every day and it will take about 7-8 hours (depending on how fast or slow the train is) to get to Lao Cai city.

Traveling by plane:

For tourists in remote provinces such as the Central or Southern regions of Vietnam, traveling by plane is the optimal choice. It both saves time and keeps you in good health to explore the journey to Y Ty. After landing at Noi Bai airport, you can travel by road and rail.

4.2 From Lao Cai city to Y Ty

Traveling by bus

From Lao Cai bus station, you can find passenger buses (usually small, 16-seat cars) to Bat Xat and Trinh Tuong. Among these, there will be some vehicles going straight to the center of Y Ty commune. A slight inconvenience is that you will not be able to proactively stop at entertainment places along the way.

Traveling by motorbike

This is the most optimal option for tourists traveling by bus to Lao Cai. If you have some experience driving on mountain roads, you can drive all the way to the center of Y Ty. If you like to ride your car to get used to it, you can send your car with the train. If not, you can rent a motorbike right in Lao Cai City or go straight to Sa Pa to rent a motorbike quite easily.

5. Sightseeing, Activities and experiences in Y Ty

With the wonderful beauty of majestic mountains and an altitude of more than 2000m. Y Ty has become one of the most popular attractions in the Northern region of Vietnam. Visitors can choose one of the following locations to explore:

5.1 Milestone 92 Lung Po Junction

Lung Po intersection is the intersection of the Red River and the Lung Po River flowing into Vietnam. If you stay upstream of the Red River, you can see an overall picture of green rice fields and beautiful sky.

In addition, milestone 92 also has pillar 96 (1) in Vietnam, milestone 92 (2) and milestone 92 (3) in China. To reach this Lung Po location, visitors need to travel through many passes and mountains that are quite winding. So, you should be careful when traveling on this road.

5.2 A Lu

Looking from above on normal days, A Lu is wild and majestic. But during the rice season, this place becomes a wonderful picture. If you come here during the green rice season, you will have the opportunity to see the lush green terraced fields. Also, during the ripe rice season, the scenery becomes impressive with a bright yellow sky.

Along with the typical aroma of rice during the seasons, surely the experience of visiting this Northwest region will bring more memories.

5.3 Ngai Thau

Located on the most beautiful road from A Lu to Ngai Thau during a trip to Y Ty, visitors will certainly be surprised with the unique beauty of Ngai Thau. With the golden rice fields viewed from above, you can see the overview of the fields and the drifting clouds, creating an impression that cannot be found anywhere else.

5.4 Lao Than

For tourists who love to explore and want to “hunt clouds”. Lao Than is definitely a destination not to be missed when visiting Y Ty. The peak of Lao Than is located at an altitude of 2,860 and is likened to the roof of Y Ty. Although the path is quite arduous, the result will make you satisfied when you can see and even touch the clouds.

5.5 Participating in Y Ty market

Coming to the land of Y Ty Lao Cai, you cannot miss the markets of the indigenous people here held every Saturday. Not only does it bring a variety of foods, vegetables, consumer goods, clothes, etc. But the market also gives you the opportunity to admire the beautiful costumes of ethnic people, discover cultural beauty and have fun. Opportunity to enjoy delicious specialties.

5.6 Kho Gia Gia Festival

When traveling to Y Ty in July – September, you can encounter different festivals. Among them, the Kho gia gia Festival is known as a long-standing cultural feature of the Ha Nhi people, with the purpose of praying for harvest and rain. Thanks to its unique characteristics, this festival was recognized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage on December 19, 2014. So it belongs to the type of traditional festival.

The time to organize this festival takes place from the day of the Dragon to the day of the 6th lunar month every year. It’s not only meaning to pray for good harvests and good weather. This is also an opportunity for children and grandchildren to find their roots and ancestors. With its own unique characteristics, the festival now attracts many visitors every year.

5.7 Muong Hum Market

An activity not to be missed when coming to Y Ty is participating in Muong Hum market. This is the gathering place of many ethnic groups such as: H’Mong, Ha Nhi, Han, Red Dao,…You can Encounter scenes of ethnic people buying and selling, chatting happily or seeing couples on dates.

5.8 Dragon Waterfall

Dragon Waterfall located in the area between Trung Ho village and Po Ho Thap village, Trung Leng Ho commune, Bat Xat district. Coming to Muong Hum, you ask for directions to Trung Leng Ho, then continue to Trung Ho or Po Ho Thap village to reach Dragon Waterfall. If you go by car, you need to stop and walk about 2km. If you ride a motorbike, you have to walk about 1 km.

6. Specialties when traveling to Y Ty

When traveling to Y Ty, visitors not only admire the majestic and poetic natural landscape but also can enjoy the specialties of this beautiful land like Grilled chicken, Indigenous pigs, purple sticky rice, Raspberries, Y Ty shiitake mushrooms, Beer of the Ha Nhi ethnic people, Ha Sin Co tubers, …

7. Accommodation when traveling to Y Ty

When traveling to Y Ty, visitors can refer to the accommodation facilities below. Most types of accommodation are homestays, visitors can stay close to the wild. And majestic nature, but also experience the daily life of the ethnic people here:

• HomeStay Y Ty Explore. Address: Mo Phu Chai Village, Y Ty, Bat Xat, Lao Cai.
• Homestay A Co. Address: Ngai Tro Village, Y Ty, Bat Xat, Lao Cai.
• Y Ty Clouds Homestay. Address: Y Ty, Bat Xat, Lao Cai.
• A Ho Homestay. Address: Y Ty, Bat Xat, Lao Cai.
• Homestay A Sa. Address: Ngai Tro Village, Y Ty, Bat Xat, Lao Cai.
• Lao Than Homestay. Address: Y Ty, Bat Xat, Lao Cai.
• A De Homestay. Address: Nhi Hamlet, Y Ty, Bat Xat, Lao Cai.
• Ly Co So Homestay. Address: Ngai Cho Village, Y Ty, Bat Xat, Lao Cai.

8. Some important notes when traveling to Y Ty

To make your trip to Y Ty complete and safe, you need to refer to the following notes:

• Regularly monitor the weather forecast before your trip. During the rainy season, roads in the highlands of Northwest Vietnam in general and Y Ty in particular are prone to landslides. You need to know in advance to choose a safe direction.
• If you ride a motorbike, you should bring (or buy in Lao Cai) a pair of soft sandals. On the way, if you come across spillways or landslides, you don’t have to worry about getting your shoes wet.
• Previously, because it was a border commune, when entering Y Ty, you needed to stop by border stations/posts to declare.
• When renting a motorbike, the service often requires you to leave the ID card, you should prepare a photocopy at home and leave it there, and the ID card should be kept with you. This is a necessary document when traveling in border areas.
• Y Ty is a highland place with an altitude of 2000m and bordering the Vietnam-China border. So regardless of the season, the climate here is quite cold. You should prepare warm clothes, towels, hats, sports shoes… You should also bring mosquito repellant, headache, flu medicine and some medical supplies such as bandages to prevent some diseases.
• “Cloud hunting” spot not to be missed when coming to Y Ty. On the road running from Y Ty to Ngai Thau for about 4 km, there is a section of road running up the mountain. From here you can see the entire scenery of Y Ty. When you reach the end of the slope, leave your car at the bottom. And walk up the hill a little more to capture this wonderful “cloud hunting” moment.