Every year, as part of the Son La Province Cultural Tourism Festival, the Plum Picking Festival is held. In 2023, it took place in the Na Ka valley, Nong Truong town, Moc Chau district. With the refreshing and clean air of the northern highlands, Moc Chau is an ideal place to escape the summer heat. Join RuudNguyen.com to admire these Moc Chau plum gardens.
The Plum Picking Journey
When is Moc Chau Plum Season?
Plums in Moc Chau ripen in abundance from mid-May to early June (Collected Photo)
Every year, around the end of March and beginning of April, Moc Chau enters the early plum season, with the fruits gradually turning to ripe red. The peak season for ripe plums in Moc Chau’s orchards is from mid-May to early June.
Transportation
The most enjoyable plum picking journey is probably best experienced by motorcycle (Collected Photo)
To go plum picking in Moc Chau, you can choose from a variety of transportation options. The area is only about 200km from Hanoi, and if you enjoy the thrill of biking and experiencing the journey up to the plateau, then traveling by motorcycle is the best choice. Alternatively, you can take a bus from Yen Nghia or My Dinh bus stations, as both have buses running through Moc Chau.
Once in Moc Chau, you can travel by bus, motorcycle, or rent a car, but the most interesting plum-picking journey is probably best done by motorcycle. The road from Hanoi to Moc Chau has been upgraded, is very wide, smooth, and open, taking just over 4 hours to reach the Moc Chau plateau.
Accommodation
Feel free to choose from various accommodation options in Moc Chau (Collected Photo)
Once you’re in Moc Chau and unsure where to stay, don’t worry. Here, you’ll find a full range of accommodation from homestays and guesthouses to luxurious hotels. However, if you want to experience the unique lifestyle and cuisine of the Northwest people, you should opt for a homestay.
Plum Picking Locations
The area with the most plums in Moc Chau is the region bordering Tan Lap commune and Nong Truong Moc Chau town; the best place for plum picking is Na Ka valley. Additionally, you can also check out other plum-picking locations listed below.
Na Ka Plum Valley
This is the most beautiful and popular plum valley in Moc Chau, attracting a large number of tourists for plum picking (Collected Photo)
From Nong Truong Moc Chau town, turn towards Tan Lap commune for 16 km. When you see a sign indicating 9km to Tan Lap, turn left and after about 1km, you will reach Na Ka valley. This is the most beautiful plum valley in Moc Chau, spanning over 100 hectares of endless plum orchards.
Mu Nau Plum Valley
Access to this valley is possible only by motorbike (Collected Photo)
This valley is located in sub-zone 13, Moc Chau town, about 5 km from the town center. The route to this location can only be navigated by motorbike. Visitors driving cars will need to park at the base of the valley. It’s recommended to travel by geared motorcycles or hire a motorcycle taxi to reach the orchard directly.
Co Keo Plum Valley
Picking plums and dipping them in a bit of salt for tasting offers a wonderful experience (Collected Photo)
Located in the Cho Long sub-zone, Nong Truong town, about 11 km from the Moc Chau center, Hai Yen Plum Garden welcomes visitors to experience plum picking and allows camping within the orchard.
Thanh Binh Plum Garden
Moc Chau is considered the largest plum region in the country (Collected Photo)
This garden is located in the Ban On sub-zone, Nong Truong town, approximately 15 km from the Moc Chau center. An entire valley is owned by a single proprietor. Beyond being a plum orchard, this location also attracts visitors with its beautiful scenery, including a persimmon season that many guests come to check-in.
Phieng Khoang Plum Valley
Clusters of plump, full plums follow one another in ripeness (Collected Photo)
Located in Muong Sang commune, Moc Chau town, behind the Blue Star hotel, about 6 km from the center of Moc Chau. The Thuy Ha garden in the valley has many plum trees laden with fruit.
Besides Na Ka Valley, you can visit other places like: Ba Phach village, Ba Khen village, Nong Truong area, the road to Ngu Dong Ban On… to enjoy delicious fruits right in the garden, take check-in photos, and handpick plums to take home as gifts after the trip.
The entrance fee to visit the plum garden and take photos is 20,000-30,000 VND depending on the garden. Early season plums are priced at 50,000-70,000 VND per kg.
Notes when visiting Moc Chau plum gardens
From the end of January to mid-February, if you visit, you will witness the plum blossoms in full bloom, covering the area in a blanket of white (Collected Photo)
- When visiting Moc Chau plum gardens, you should wear hiking shoes to protect your feet and stay warm in the cold season.
- You can rent a motorbike to travel between tourist spots. However, make sure to ask for the price and check the motorbike before renting.
- The weather in Moc Chau is very special, one day can have all four seasons. It always gets colder at night here, similar to autumn. So remember to bring a light jacket when visiting the Moc Chau plum gardens.
- Remember to carry cash with you. Most accommodations in Moc Chau do not offer card payment services, so keep that in mind.
- When in the plum garden, if you don’t eat the fruits, don’t pick the unripe ones or bite and throw them away.
- For those who love to take photos, remember to bring a fully charged camera, charging equipment, and mobile phone for endless check-ins.
- Besides the plum picking spots, you can also explore other attractive places in Moc Chau such as: the heart-shaped tea hill, Dải Yếm waterfall, Fairy waterfall, pine forests in Ban Ang…
See more: Son La Travel Essentials: What You Need to Know Before You Go
See more: Ultimate Guide to Moc Chau: Tips for First-Time Visitors
See more: Conquering Pha Luong Peak: A Complete Trekking Guide
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