Rice Harvest in Sapa, Vietnam

This morning we called Ly Man May, a homestay owner in Taphin village, in Sapa, to ask her about her, her family, and the rice. In only a week the infamous terraced landscape in Sapa will turn from green to gold marking the rice harvest season. For tourists wanting to experience this extra special time of year, booking a trip to Sapa needs to be done soon.

From the telephone call this morning all is good in Taphin and Sapa. The weather is great and the rice is tall and healthy. The villagers at a resting period just finished the harvesting of the corn. For now, a daily venture out into the rice terraces to check the maturity of the rice, is a part of some of the most critical decision making they will make all year.

The rice will need to be timed just perfect according to its readiness, the weather, and what the ancestors say is good day for harvesting. Then the water will be drained from the paddies and the rice let to dry. During this period Sapa becomes a patchwork of greens, yellows, and golds - a photographer’s mecca. The slurry of activity during this time is invigorating.

It is a lot of work to harvest the rice. The stocks need to be cut, then the rice needs to be separated from the stocks, bagged and transported. Everyone is at work. Families team up to ensure that each family’s yield is collected in the two or three days it needs to be finished. There is usually a big celebration marking each family’s completion. Nevertheless, it is up early the next morning to start the same process in a neighbor’s nearby plot.

Tourists are more than welcome! In our conversation with Ly Man May this morning she agreed that having tourists join in the work would be helpful. Footprint’s relationship with the village of Taphin and the villagers that live there ensure an experence that will not soon be forgotten by both tourists nor the villagers.

If you are interested in this type of trip a 3-4 night Sapa trekking tour is highly recommended with two days (that means adding an extra day) of working in the fields. Please make your bookings a soon as possible to guarantee space. Being flexible while in Hanoi will also help in making sure you are there on the right day. Remember, it is only about a week away from harvest time!

Source: ocvit-Footprint Travel