Trek Muong Hoa valley

We are trekking down to the picturesque Muong Hoa Valley, renowned for its breathtaking landscapes, lush terraced rice fields, and vibrant ethnic cultures.

Sapa is home to several ethnic minorities, the H’Mong, the Dao, and the Dai, and Sapa has been attracting trekkers since the early 1900s. The French first developed Sapa town, the gateway to the region, as a hill station and cool summer escape from Hanoi’s oppressive heat. Their dominance in the area didn’t last long. During the 1940s, Vietnamese independence fighters drove the colonists from the region, but not before the French bombed Sapa town, leaving nothing but ruins behind them. It wasn’t until the 1990s that redevelopment began in earnest and tourists started to flock back to the region. Now, trekking in Sapa is one of the biggest tourist activities in Vietnam.

Starting our trek. It takes about 4-5 hours to walk the trail to the bottom of the valley.

The trail is made up of dirt roads.

The terrain is made up of mud, dirt and rocks.

Starting our descent. This is the easy portion of the trail when the road is fairly wide and there is no mud.

At first, it was weird to see that a bunch of minority ethnic ladies following us, but our guide told us that it is how they make their money by following us throughout our trek. They know that we will need their assistance as some part of the trail is quite difficult to navigate. We were really annoyed that they followed us but then we realized very quickly that it will be a lot easier to have them around to teach us how to walk in this environment. They also hope that because they provide help, we will buy their crafts at the end of the trek, which it exactly what we did.

The road is getting difficult to walk and one of the lady is holding my hand so that I would not fall.

We were so amazed that this young girl of 17 years was carrying her baby in her back during 5 hour trek, and the baby barely made any noises.

The terraced rice fields of Muong Hoa Valley are a marvel of agricultural engineering. These terraces were meticulously carved into the mountainsides by the local ethnic groups over centuries.

They not only provide a means for sustainable farming but also create a stunning, layered landscape that changes color with the seasons from the vibrant green to the golden hues of the harvest.

Muong Hoa Valley boasts a diverse natural landscape, encompassing towering mountains, dense forests, and ethnic villages.

We had a hard time walking because the terrain is uneven and we had to watch our steps. The local people had no problems and they make it look so easy.

They carried in their baskets H'mong embroidery and crafts so they can sell them to us at the end our journey.

Ducks roaming freely in the yard of a local house.

A local house with the ducks roaming around searching for food.

A dog and her puppies sleeping on a dirt road and on the right is some chicken roaming freely.

Unlike the rice fields in Bali, it isn’t possible to grow rice year-round in Sapa because the weather is too cold. We are in the middle of winter and the rice paddies are bare.

Not much is growing because it is too cold.

We have reached to most difficult trail. The only dirt road is so narrow and so very slippery. A bunch of people felt here in the mud (not fun at all).

We need the ladies to help us cross!

Our tour guide checking on us as we walk through this area.

I did not take pictures where there are no road, and we had to walk over muddy terrain. You can see the lady holding my hand to guide me to safety. I was so glad they were here to help me out.

Moving on to a hilly trail.

This is an animal shelter and also a shed to store equipment.

The girl in the center wearing a navy coat and black leggings almost gave up. She had two ladies on each side, holding her hands, she could barely stand and when she tried to put one foot forward, it was too slipery. She was crying as she could barely move forward without falling. Hoa looked at her shoes and stopped her. He told her that she needed to tied her shoes so that they are not lose. Her mistake was that she barely tied her shoed and it was so loose that she did not have any grip. She was so happy to find out that it made a huge difference once her shoes was tied.