In summer, Ta Xua is quiet and peaceful, making it an ideal place to escape the heat, and if you're lucky, you might even have a chance to see the clouds.
Ta Xua, a highland commune in Son La province, is located 180 km from Hanoi, a journey of approximately 4.5 hours. This tourist destination is popular during the autumn and winter months (October to April) thanks to its majestic scenery, favorable weather, and especially its breathtaking sea of clouds. In the summer, fewer tourists visit Ta Xua due to heavy rain, making travel difficult.
An Ninh and Sang (travel blogger Onthemars) visited Ta Xua in early July. They were fortunate to encounter very little rain and mostly cloudy skies throughout their trip.
Ta Xua's specialties also include coffee shops and local restaurants serving ethnic food along the way. These are also ideal spots for cloud watching.
An Ninh said that Ta Xua is also very beautiful in the summer.
"People often joke that cloud hunting is a 'test of character.' We monitor the weather and choose to go after the rainy week, so the chances of catching clouds are higher and we don't get caught in the rain," An Ninh said.
Ta Xua has many attractions, among which the grassland is a must-see, with an entrance fee of 30,000 VND per person. The grassland is not large but offers views of the mountains and terraced rice fields.
Additionally, there's a waterfall located about 30 km from the town center, a journey of about an hour. However, when Ninh arrived, thick fog had rolled in, preventing him from going inside. "Everyone should wait for a sunny day to visit the waterfall. According to the directions, the trail is only slightly steep and not very long," Ninh added.
They rented a self-drive car for convenience during their 3-day stay in Ta Xua. "Because the roads are steep and narrow, if you're hesitant to rent a car, you can contact the homestays to arrange transportation," Ninh suggested.
They experienced two homestays, Cloud Forest and Pơ Mu Homestay, with spacious wooden houses offering views down into the cloud-covered valley. Prices during the off-season are around 1 million VND per room for two people.
The outdoor space is full of trees. Every morning, I can wake up and watch the clouds drift in right from my bed.
"The trip opened up a magical image of Vietnam in my mind. Seas of clouds weaving into valleys between towering mountains, cafes nestled against the sky, and lush green meadows amidst the forests of Northwest Vietnam," An Ninh said.