HA GIANG – Chieu Lau Thi, 130km from Ha Giang City, is an attractive cloud hunting spot all year round because each season brings a different beauty.
Chieu Lau Thi or Kieu Lieu Ti is located in Tan Minh village and Chien Thang village, Ho Thau commune, Hoang Su Phi district. According to Chinese, Chieu Lau means nine steps, Thi is a large and high rock, so the name of this mountain means “nine floors ladder”. This is the second highest peak of Ha Giang (2,402 m) located in the West Con Linh range.
From Hanoi, tourists often choose to take a night car to Hoang Su Phi, then rent a motorbike to continue driving nearly 40 km to reach the foot of the mountain to climb Chieu Lau Thi. If you only go for 2 weekends and have a personal vehicle such as a car, it will take more than half a day for visitors to go from Hanoi to Ho Thau because more than 300 km. In the last 15 km of the road, the road is winding, the crab is continuous and under construction, so it is dangerous if the steering wheel is not sure.
The road to Chieu Lau Thi is nearly finished pouring concrete and can take a car under 9 seats to the foot of the mountain, shortening the travel time for visitors. The road is far and difficult to go, but the scenery on both sides of the road always surprises visitors because of the trees covered in forests and mountains.
Each season, Chieu Lau Thi brings different beauty. However, the best time to hunt for clouds here is from September to February, at the same time the rice season is ripe or when spring flowers bloom.
Stop the car at the foot of the mountain, visitors have to climb hundreds of steps up and down continuously before reaching the highest peak to set up Chieu Lau Thi. When climbing, bring water or snacks. Coming to Chieu Lau Thi earlier this year, the weather was drier but windy and cold, remember to bring a jacket.
The first peak on the way up the stairs to Chieu Lau Thi. Although the walking path from the foot of the mountain to the top is only 800 meters, but it can take 30-40 minutes one way. You will travel through forests, under tree canopy and through many steep, winding slopes. While walking while being able to see the roadside is the vegetation that changes with altitude. The more dense the forest, the more leafy flowers appear only on the high mountains and the trunks covered with moss.
Mr. Cuong and Ms. Ha are two Hanoi tourists who love mountain tourism, just conquered Chieu Lau Thi on the first day of March. Ms. Ha shared, despite watching the sea of clouds in many places like Ta Xua and Y Ty. ..but still amazed by the beauty of this second highest peak in Ha Giang. The sea of clouds and the road here is “mesmerizing” no less than other famous places.
Without going to the top, you can see the sea of clouds spilling over the valleys around Chieu Lau Thi. A beautiful time to hunt for clouds is late afternoon (16 – 18h) when sunset is about to fall or 5 am before dawn.
A moment of sunset seen from the top of the mountain. In March and April, the sunset viewing time will last until 18:30 in the weather about 15-18 degrees Celsius.
To stay overnight, tourists either camping or renting a place to sleep in the homestay of the Phu Pu grandparents’ house costs 100,000 VND / night. The grandparents’ house is about 2 km from the road to the mountain, originally a farm for the family to raise, later expanded and welcomed guests from 2016. You can camp in the yard, or sleep on stilts, order rice to eat. Home-grown dishes are cultivated and bathing in the Dao’s tobacco products. A rice meal costs 150,000 VND, bath service for cigarettes is about 100,000 VND.
In early March, around Mr. Phu’s house, there were still late blooming peach trees, adding spring colors for the only place to welcome guests at the foot of Chieu Lau Thi Mountain.
Although grid electricity has been in existence since 2020, there are almost no telephone waves here. So when there is only a rose fire at night and the gift stories will make you have an unforgettable experience.
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