Vietnam top 5 most stunning Green Tea Hills
The tea hills stretch from north to south, though at any time of the year, you can visit to enjoy the fresh air and feel incredible peace.
1. Moc Chau Tea Hill
Whether in winter or spring, Moc Chau plateau is always covered by the gorgeous green color of the tea hills.
Moc Chau is a large, mountainous district of Son La Province, about 125 miles (200 kilometers) west of Hanoi. It makes for a great intermediate stop between Hanoi and Mai Chau, a popular tourist destination that is similar to Sapa. Moc Chau is at an altitude of 3,460 feet (1,054 meters) above sea level and has a temperate climate with the average temperatures being a cool 60–79°F (15–26°C). It’s one of the largest plateaus in the country, stretching some 50 miles (80 kilometers) long and 16 miles (25 kilometers) wide. For the cool climate, it’s home to about 3,000 hectares of tea gardens.
Moc Chau is a significant producer of high-quality tea of Vietnam. Among the types produced here, you can find Oolong, Kim Tuyen, and Shan Tuyet. Shan Tuyet was the first to be planted here, some 50 years ago, and it’s grown on the greater part of the plateau. The different varieties of tea are also required to be processed differently.
Harvest season is from April to December, spanning a period of nine months. The common belief is that tea leaves plucked in April produce the best tea, as they are the first leaves to be extracted after a four-month period of rest. The best time of day to pick leaves is considered to be from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
You can take tours to the tea plantations. Visitors are given the chance to get closer and have the chance to have conversation with the locals in the field. You even get the chance to work with the locals in the fields and pick the leaves and buds (technically known as flushes). It will be a huge learning opportunity, for the reason that you get to interact with the workers that are passionate about the plantations daily.
2. Bien Ho Tea Hill (PleiKu - Gia Lai)
Bien Ho Tea is the name given by the people of Pleiku, which is a combination of irrigation lake and immense tea fields.
Coming to the tea hill, it seems that the midday sunsets are only marked by a few bright yellow beams, as this place has been occupied by the green of the tea leaves. Looking to the tea hill, all sadness and daily worries seem to vanish. Just looking at the tea fields, whose bear the overflowing vitality can make us really want to live a more meaningful and worthy life.
Located in Chu Pah District and about 10km North from Pleiku, Bien Ho’s Tea Field is a combination of irrigation ponds and the immense tea farm with tender tea buds, purely white tea flowers of an upcoming harvest season. The tourists come here not only due to being attracted by tea aroma but also because of the stunning natural landscapes. The road to the tea farm is through a green canopy of pine trees. At a morderate distance on the road, the brightly green of the tea fields along the hills will totally take the tourists’ breath away. You can easily leave your motorbikes aside the path, then walk further inside to enjoy the sensational scenery and the fresh environment. The green tea’s subtle fragrance in the wind, and also the delighting moment taking photos together will definitely be an unforgettable memory for the tourists.
3. Tam Chau Tea Hill - Bao Loc
Bao Loc owns the largest tea growing area in Lam Dong in particular and in the Central Highlands and South Vietnam in general. One of the most famous tea farms here is Tam Chau tea farm. Come to Bao Loc, you should not forget to visit Tam Chau tea hill to feel the peace and fresh water here. B’lao tea (B’lao is the old name of Bao Loc) is incredibly popular among tea lovers both nationally and internationally. Less bitter than its Northern counterpart, B’lao tea is more arid and fragrant. Tam Chau Tea tree hill cannot boast the long history that Cau Dat Tea tree Hill in Da Lat can. Notwithstanding, the beauty of its sites and the taste its tea lure many travelers. Imagine an early morning when the sky is still misty, the sun rises, the first light kissing the morning dew on tea leaves; and you walk along the road, embracing the green lake and drinking a clear, fragrant cup of tea. How does it feel? Tam Chau Tea tree hill offers moments like that.
4. Tan Cuong Tea Hill - Thai Nguyen
Situated about 100 km from Hanoi City, Tan Cuong Tea Hill is not only well-known for its hundred years of aromatic tea cultivation but also famous for tea growing area as the tourism site, attracting a lot of people annually. It is an ideal destination for those who want to escape the cramped heat and noise of Hanoi, willing to enjoy the fresh air and be in harmony with nature.
The ideal time to visit and admire the beauty of endless green tea hills in Thai Nguyen is from May to October. It is the time when the endless lush green tea bushes beckon. In Tan Cuong Tea Hill, visitors can enjoy the fresh air, explore the immense green tea hill, strike up a conversation with the tea growers and learn how deftly they pluck the right tea leaves.
The first activity you should do if coming to Tan Cuong hill is check-in in the endless tea hill. Especially, if you come here at dawn, you will be impressed by the stunning beauty of tea hills. Another activity any visitor cannot miss is to take a riding trip around the countryside. Visitors can rent recycles from the local here, which is very cheap, and wander around the villages to see a difference of Vietnam with picturesque villages, get a glimpse of the Coc mountain lake and meet hospital people here. Coming here, visitors will have a chance to learn the tea processing and experience it with your own hands. To make a traditional tea spot, visitors will have to take several steps from picking up leaves, tea drying, and make final product, which makes visitors excited as soon as you are ready to roll up your sleeves and make your first attempt. In addition, through learning tea process, tourists can have a deeper insight into their lives and generally, Vietnam tea culture. It will be truly an unforgettable experience for you when coming to Vietnam.
5. Long Coc Tea Hill - Phu Tho
Long Coc, some 112 kilometers from Hanoi, consisting of numerous smaller hills that are covered with tea farms. The area is therefore top 5 thing to do in vietnam considered to be one of Vietnam’s most beautiful tea hills. Those who have been to Phu Tho’s midland area of Doan Hung, Thanh Ba Ha Hoa, Cam Khe, Phu Ninh, etc. would never forget their green tea hills which look like layers of glutinous rice trays, featuring gorgeous natural landscape. Midland girls are very skillful in picking tender tea, who always leave smiling happily and sing folksongs, which reflects the tranquil life of a rural area. On both sides of the curvy road in the middle of the mountainous area, tea plantations lead one all the way to the horizon and leave the road in shadows.
The hillocks at Long Coc are also known as ‘tea islands,” which, because of their separated locations, form breathtaking scenery. The ‘tea islands’ are usually compared to islands on Ha Long Bay, the most famous natural wonder of Vietnam. During weekends, many youngsters choose Long Coc as their get-together spot to take romantic photos with partners and friends, as well as shoot their pre-wedding photo albums. On top of being a photograph-taking hotspot, Long Coc also emerges as a place for relaxation, where people can escape the hustle of the city life to enjoy the peacefulness on the hills.
The mountains in Phu Tho are also a home to Muong ethnic minority group, whose different culture and customs attract the interest of many tourists. Visitors to Phu Tho can uncover Long Coc tea farm hills and the local Xuan Son National Park, as well as getting to know the life and culture of the Muong people through a homestay service. The homestay service includes a special activity, which is both visitors and native Muong performers introducing their culture through various performances by a camping fire at night.
Source: https://www.whatsupvietnam.com/blog/Top-5-Most-Beautiful-Green-Tea-Hills-in-Vietnam