This winter, anyone who are proud to be wild adventurers should not miss this paradise of clouds: Taxua, the 10th highest mountain in Vietnam. The highest peak is heavenly gate pinnacle with 2,865m.
Known as a natural boundary between the two provinces Sonla and Yenbai, Taxua is a mountainous commune of Bac Yen district, Son La province, just about 240km from Hanoi and becomes one of the newest places in the adventure of cloud-hunters in Vietnam.
Before Taxua, people who love biking, hiking and traveling once enjoyed the other ocean clouds in north west Vietnam such as Phaluong (the roof of Mocchau between Vietnam – Laos border), Puluong (the highest peak of the village in Thai people language). Until reaching Taxua will you find the sheer joy in the sea of clouds billowing extremely marvelous. Indochina tours
Why must go to Taxua?
If you are the one to have rich imagination, Ta xua undoubtedly, takes you back to the prehistoric reptiles of the world, the reptiles era, of which, dinosaurs the king of all species on earth bring your imaginable thinking back to the dinosaurs war. The other could visualize the giant monster with its spine shaped like prehistoric giant dinosaur, winding knob, thorny and rugged.
Ta Xua with the natural scenery is not charming, no clouds, have the mountains, and has many trees have flowers is also an excellently romantic scenery for any one loving nature.
When you are lucky enough, after passing many difficult roads along the way, you will be believing that you are standing right in the paradise of a superior phenomenon shadowy clouds around the mountains.
How to get to Taxua from Hanoi?
From Hanoi, you can reach Ta Xua by first driving to Bac Yen, Son La. There are various means of transportation from Hanoi to Ta Xua. If you are confident with your motorbike-riding skills, you could hire a motorcycle from Hanoi and ride there. Or else, you can always take a public long-haul bus from Yen Nghia Bus Station in Hanoi to Phu Yen – Bac Yen. After that, book a motorbike taxi (Xe om) for a distance of about 15km from there to the last point – Ta Xua. Thus, if you would love to climb to higher mountain tops, trekking is required.
Wake up early at 5am, you would love the bitterly cold morning in Ta Xua when the sun rises together with a vast sea of fluffy clouds right in front of your eyes. Ta Xua is the floating ocean of clouds! After just about half an hour of climbing amid the freezing cold of the mountainous area, you would finally what you are hunting for. Take a deep breath and keep silent for a moment, then you could treasure that awe-inspiring sight you are beholding forever. Heaven would never felt closer, and you would feel like you could touch the cloudy sky with just a gentle touch.
During the 2-day trip to Ta Xua, you can chose to drive to Bac Yen from Hanoi, spent a night there and depart to the mountains in the early morning. Another option is to go straight to Ta Xua on the first day, set a camp somewhere on the way to the mountain top and enjoy the sunrise the next morning.
Where to stay in Taxua?
If you are thinking of spending a night in Bac Yen, booking accommodations beforehand is highly recommended. Here are some local guesthouses in Bac Yen for you to consider:
Thuy Lien Guesthouse: Quoc Lo 37, Thi tran Bac Yen – Tel: 022 3860 042
Bac Yen Guesthouse: TT Bac Yen, Thi tran Bac Yen – Tel: 022 386 0304
Dong Tam Hotel: Quoc Lo 37, Thi tran Bac Yen – Tel: 022 3860 139
If you can’t speak Vietnamese, ask someone to call and book for you already when you’re in Hanoi!
What are tips to hunt clouds in Taxua?
Although this place is best known for its “ocean of clouds” blanketing the valley below, it is not easy to catch a glimpse of the mesmerizing scenery.
The best time for a cloud hunting trip to Ta Xua is from December to March. This cold winter and springtime is when the likelihood of catching the cloud sea is highest. Those fluffy clouds are best to be hunted at dawn, in the early morning at the time the sun rises. In order to raise the probability of chasing those clouds, it is highly recommended to go on such a day when the temperatures are quite low at night and high during the daytime. Also, pay attention if the humidity is high and it is sunny because that would be the perfect day for your voyage to see the cloudy ocean.
The whole trip could last for about 2 days and one night spent either in Bac Yen or camping in Ta Xua. Another choice for you is to drop by Moc Chau, which is a lovely city in Son La with tea hills and flower festivals. Thus, if Moc Chau is included in your itinerary, your trip should be expended to 3 days.
It was quite fortunate for me not only to hunt clouds successfully right at the 1st time, but also to see breath-taking colorful rainbow the road trip to the summit of Taxua (My trip was made on the 11st of November, 2016). If you are looking for a truly unique travel experience during your stay in Vietnam, a journey to hunt clouds in Ta Xua is definitely what you should draw a bead on.
Happy traveling!
Hey! I’m planning to visit ta Xua next month and have a few questions. Could I please email you or message you on Facebook or something? Would be of great help! Thanks in advance!
Great post! We’re thinking about to go there as well. First stay in Bac Yen and then in the early morning to do the trekking. Can you easily doing by yourself or do you need a guide to get there? Thanks for your answer 🙂
Hello Stef. You can do the trekking by yourself as it is easily reached. Which means of transport you plan to use? And when are you planning to hunt clouds?
What about visiting the place in July? I m in north Vietnam now. I read you need a 2/3 day trek to reach the top. Do you know anything about costs?
Hi Maria! July is not an ideal month to hunt clouds, however, if you fancy seeing breath-taking mountainous sceneries, you can also pay a visit. The costs depend on your vehicle and the length of your visit. Please email me: linh.chu@indochinavoyages.com for further support. Thanks!
Great review, how long does it take to ride a bike from Hanoi to Ta Xua
Thank you! From Ta Xua to Bac Yen: 210 km, 4 hours, then from Bac Yen to Ta Xua: 30 km, but mainly the road is too rough to go fast so it takes around 1 hour.