Hoang Su Phi is one of the two mountainous districts in the western border of Ha Giang province. This is a long-term residence area of more than 12,000 households with over 64,500 people belonging Dao, Tày, Nùng, Mông, Cờ Lao, La Chí minority.

1. The appropriate time to go to Hoang Su Phi

In Hoang Su Phi, there is one rice crop per year. Around May (water-falling season – when it rains, when terraced fields are submerged) or September (ripen rice field season) is a beautiful time to travel Hoang Su Phi, Ha Giang.

2. Transportation

Hoang Su Phi is a distance of about 300 km from Hanoi. The safest and most convenient move that tourists should choose is to catch the bus from Hanoi to Ha Giang at My Dinh bus station for about 200,000 VND per turn. Then, rent a motorbike to continue moving from center Ha Giang city to Hoang Su Phi.

Those who want to take the initiative in traveling can completely travel to Hoang Su Phi by personal means such as cars or motorcycles. The route is from Hanoi, through the Thang Long Bridge and the Thang Long – Noi Bai Highway to get to Vinh Yen. After that, continue moving to Viet Tri – Doan Hung – Phu Tho and Tuyen Quang to Ha Giang.

If you come to Hoang Su Phi by personal means, you should bring your personal identification and strictly follow the road traffic law to ensure safety when traveling a long distance.

3. Specialties to enjoy

Being like a goddess to help dispel the tiredness of a long day and bring a good night’s sleep to the diners, rice soup cháo ấu tẩu is also a specialty that visitors cannot ignore. Boiled rice soup after adding chicken eggs, onions, pepper, chili, and coriander will rice a sweet smell that diners cannot forget.

Besides the specialties like many other districts of Ha Giang, Hoang Su Phi also has a unique food, made up in particular food is the rat meat of the La Chi people. For the La Chi, rats are not only spiritual but also closely linked to their daily lives. Like the Kinh eat pork, La Chi people consider the rat meat as a daily food and can be eaten all year round throughout the month. So, if there is a chance to travel to Hoang Su Phi (Ha Giang), the rat is the food you definitely have to enjoy.

4. Staying

There are some homestays that are highly recommended with an affordable budget while you could also enjoy the real atmosphere of lives around there.

At Ban Luoc village

1. Canh homestay

• Owners: Mr. Dang Hong Canh and Mrs. Dang Thi Ha
• Languages: Black Dzao, Vietnamese. His daughter, Lam can speak basic English.
• Address: Suoi Thau 2, Ban Luoc, Hoang Su Phi, Ha Giang. The house is located at the end of the road from Ban Luoc Committee building.
• Capacity: 13 – 20 people
• Description: The homestay is a stilt house refurbished in 2016 to provide amenities for foreign travelers. It is located near Thau Spring, ensuring a steady supply of water for the house. There are two Western toilets with showers and two more single toilets. Hot water is provided. The ground floor is used as a spacious living room and dining room. A garden for vegetables and medicinal herbs is beside the house, as well as two fish ponds. The house offers spectacular views of the rice terraces of Ban Luoc.
• Food: The hosts can prepare a breakfast made up of noodles, bread, eggs or pancakes. They can also serve a sumptuous spread of local style meals for lunch or dinner.
• Activities offered: Hiking around the village and trekking up Thau Spring with its multiple waterfalls can be arranged at the homestay.

2. Dang Nam homestay 

• Owner: Mr. Dang Van Nam
• Languages: Black Dzao, Vietnamese
• Address: Suoi Thau 2, Ban Luoc, Hoang Su Phi, Ha Giang. The house is located 200m further uphill from Canh Homestay at the end of the road from Ban Luoc Committee building.
• Capacity: 11 – 20 people
• Description: The homestay is a stilt house constructed in 2016 to provide additional lodging for visitors in Suoi Thau. It is located near Thau Spring, ensuring a steady supply of water for the house. There are two Western toilets and two showers. Hot water is provided. The ground floor is used as a spacious living room and dining room. A garden for vegetables is beside the house. A village temple honoring the 18th-century founder of their community is next to it. The house offers spectacular views of the rice terraces in Ban Luoc.
• Food: The host can prepare a breakfast made up of noodles, bread and eggs or pancakes. He can also serve a sumptuous spread of local style meals for lunch or dinner.
• Activities offered: Hiking around the village and trekking up Thau Spring with its multiple waterfalls can be arranged at the homestay.

At Ho Thau village

1. Chan – Mui Homestay

• Owners: Mr. Ban Quay Chan and Mrs. Trieu Mui Mui
• Languages: Red Dzao, Vietnamese
• Address: Thon Tan Phong next to the village’s cultural building/meeting hall (nha van hoa)
• Capacity: 9 – 12 people
• Description: The house is a traditional one-storey dwelling with a loft for sleeping guests. It has two Western toilets and two showers with hot water. The hosts can offer a traditional Dzao herbal bath in a stone tub. They also have an organic vegetable and medicinal garden nearby. As noted above, the house is next to the village meeting hall where community events are sometimes held. The meeting hall itself is fairly equipped with a TV and a sound system. A fascinating aspect of Tan Phong Village is the settlements of three ethnic groups – Red Dzao, White Hmong, and Nung – within and around it. On special occasions, a visitor can be fortunate to see three different ethnic groups with their distinctive clothing in one spot.
• Food: Local food is offered consisting mainly of vegetables, pork, chicken, and occasionally fish. Vegetarian meals can be arranged. The homestay can serve breakfast if requested (noodles, rice cake, or bread and eggs).
• Activities offered: A medium-sized waterfall can be reached within 5km walking distance. Guided treks to neighboring villages can be arranged. Tan Phong is also the starting point for trekkers wishing to climb Mt. Chieu Lau Thi, the second highest peak in Ha Giang (2,402 m).

2. Long-Chieu Homestay

• Owners: Mr. Ly Van Long and Mrs. Trieu Mui Chieu
• Languages: Dzao, Nung, Vietnamese. Mrs. Chieu understands basic English.
• Address: Ho San Village. The house is about 300m uphill east of Tan Phong Village’s meeting hall.
• Capacity: 12 people
• Description: The house is a traditional stilt long house refurbished in late 2016 with modern amenities. The bottom area, originally used to shelter animals, farm equipment, and wood, has been turned into a dining area with a small shop selling snacks and souvenirs. There are two Western toilets and two showers with hot water. A traditional Red Dzao herbal bath in a stone tub is offered since Mrs. Chieu is a Dzao. The house is surrounded by rice terraces and bamboo groves. The people living around it are mainly Nung.
• Food: Local food is offered consisting mainly of vegetables, pork, chicken and occasionally fish. Vegetarian meals can be arranged. The homestay can serve breakfast if requested (noodles, pancakes or bread/eggs/paté).
• Activities offered: A medium-sized waterfall can be reached within 5km walking distance. Guided treks to neighboring villages can be arranged. Tan Phong is also the starting point for trekkers wishing to climb Mt. Chieu Lau Thi, the second highest peak in Ha Giang (2,402 m).

At Nam Son village

1. Thanh Tung Homestay

• Owners: Mr. Dang Thanh Tung
• Languages: Black Dzao, Vietnamese
• Address: Nam Ai, Nam Son, Hoang Su Phi, Ha Giang. It is 4 km from the center of Nam Son near the end of the village.
• Capacity: 12-16 people
• Description: The homestay is a stilt house refurbished in 2016 to provide amenities for foreign visitors. It sits on top of a peak near the end of the road that goes into Nam Ai village. There are two Western toilets with showers and two more single toilets. Hot water is provided. The ground floor is used as a spacious living room and dining room. There also is a freezer to keep drinks cold. A garden for vegetables and medicinal herbs is beside the house as well as a large fish pond. Being on top of a peak, the house offers spectacular views over the valley.
• Food: The hosts can prepare a breakfast made up of pancakes, rice porridge or sticky rice balls. They can also serve a sumptuous spread of local style meals for lunch or dinner. Their local specialty is minced pork rolled in Hoa leaves.
• Activities offered: Hiking around the village and trekking into nearby forests can be arranged at the homestay. Mr. Tung maintains several plots of cardamom trees in the forest which bear the third most expensive spice in the world. Visitors can participate in village activities during certain times of the year such as catching fish from the rice terraces in September and harvesting Shan Tuyet tea in March and July.

There are also some other homestays that visitors should consider:

• Dinh Thuyen Homestay (Le Hong Phong 1, Nam Son, Hoang Su Phi, Ha Giang. About 4km away from the village center, 3km away from Provincial Road 176 (Nam Dich junction).)
• Kinh homestay (Nam Hong, Thong Nguyen village, Hoang Su Phi, Ha Giang)
• Ta Guyen Homestay (Nam Hong, Thong Nguyen village, Hoang Su Phi, Ha Giang. About 5km away from the village center, 18km away from Provincial Road 176 (km17 junction).)
• Quyen Lieu Homestay (Nam Hong, Thong Nguyen, Hoang Su Phi, Ha Giang. About 5km away from the village center, 18km away from Provincial Road 176 (km17 junction).)

Hoang Su Phi is also a great destination for community-based tours. In the peaceful and romantic space of this land, of the youthfulness of young Dao girls, learning about the cultural life of ethnic Dao will certainly leave a good impression of Hoang Su Phi tour, Ha Giang on the heart of tourists.

For more information about homestays in Hoang Su Phi, please click here: https://vietnamresponsibletourism.com/destinations/ha-giang/homestays/

Click here to see attractions in Hoang Su Phi  https://vietnamresponsibletourism.com/destinations/ha-giang/attractions/

Source

Translator: Trang Dam