Mu Cang Chai & Y Ty Terraces

Mu Cang Chai, 180km southeast of Sapa in Yen Bai province, contains some of the most photographed rice terraces in Vietnam — 2,200 hectares of carved paddies across three communes. The harvest window of late September and early October draws photographers from across the country. Y Ty, further north near the Chinese border in Lao Cai province, is higher, more remote, and only accessible by rough road.