Mountainous Vietnam village offers best post-pandemic experience

Mountainous Vietnam village offers best post-pandemic experience

Cat Cat Village in mountainous town Sa Pa, Lao Cai Province. Photo by Shutterstock/D.Somsup.

South China Morning Post named Cat Cat Village in Lao Cai Province among the best destinations to visit following the Covid-19 crisis.

“It’s a 30-minute downhill walk from the former French hill station of Sa Pa – cool off in the river en route and admire the giant bamboo water wheels, which are used to pound rice. Stop for coffee overlooking a roaring water­fall, photograph locals in traditional dress and haggle for souvenirs,” the Hong Kong newspaper, one of the most well-known in Asia, wrote.

“Cat Cat Village is situated in the breath­takingly beautiful Muong Hoa Valley, in northern Vietnam, a region of rugged peaks, rivers and rice terraces populated by the Hmong,” it said.

One of the most famous attractions in Lao Cai Province, Cat Cat displays the distinctive customs and practices of the Hmong ethnic minority. Surrounded by rice terraces and emerald hills, it is considered great for trekking and sightseeing.

On the way to the village, tourists can take in the picturesque scenes around Sa Pa, including intriguing mountains, endless forests, dazzling terraced fields, peaceful valleys, and stunning waterfalls.

The name “Cat Cat” derives from the French who created the resort and waterwheel at the village entrance during the early twentieth century.

Lao Cai, home to the popular resort town Sa Pa, welcomed five million tourists last year, up 18 percent year-on-year, including 806,000 foreigners.