Wanderlust - 04.2020

DIDYOU

KNOW?

In 2007 Vietnam’s

MinistryofCulture,

SportsandTourism

declaredthree

sitesinMuCang

Chaitobenational

landscapes.

T

alkofVietnamconjuresup

imagesofgreencarpetsof

paddyieldsandwinding

riceterracescarvedinto

thesteep,undulating

landscape–itcertainlycomesasno

greatsurprisethatthecountryisthe

world’sthird-largestexporterofrice.

Sapa,inthecountry’snorth-

westregion,isoneofthemost

popularplacestoseeterraced

riceields.Walkupthroughthese

‘ladderstoheaven’andtake

ahikeinabambooforestor

sleepinahomestayinoneofthe

surroundinghilltribevillages.

Ifyouwanttoescapethecrowds,

HoangSuPhiandMuCangChai,

bothinthenorth-eastregion,also

providegoldengreenandyellow

landscapesduringharvestseason

fromSeptembertoOctober.

Ifyou’revisitingfromJulyto

November,thelat,loodedieldsof

AnGiangintheMekongDeltalook

likehugemirrorsrelectingthesky.

NorthernPuLuong,withitsbamboo

waterwheels,isalsoworthavisit.But

whetherinthelowlandsorhighup

inthehills,thesericepaddieshave

notonlyfedVietnamforcenturies,

butcreatedcaptivatingsceneryfor

localsandvisitorsalike.

Rice terraces of Vietnam

Have a rice day!

Tu Leng sticky rice is

a speciality of the Mu

Cang Chai region,

which is known for its

terraced rice “ields

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21° 83’ N, 104° 1’ E

162 wanderlust.co.uk April 2020

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