A little further down the path, Linh and his companions were greeted by a “romantic, Korean drama-like” scene as the entire forest was blanketed in white frost, with temperatures dipping to a bone-chilling 2 degrees Celsius.
“The biting wind didn’t dampen our excitement at the sight of the frost,” said Linh, who shared that they hadn’t planned on “hunting” for frost; their trip was simply meant to be a new Tà Xùa trail experience.
The frost could be found at the Tà Xùa Station 3 rest stop, located at an elevation of approximately 2,530 meters above sea level, en route to Trạm Tấu. Photo: Vũ Mạnh Linh
In the northern and north-central regions of the country, temperatures have dipped below 10 degrees Celsius over the past three days due to the influence of a strong cold spell coupled with cloud cover. Some mountainous areas have even experienced temperatures as low as 0 degrees Celsius, with frost appearing in places like Tà Xùa in Yên Bái province, Phia Oắc in Cao Bằng province, and Y Tý in Lào Cai province.
Nguyễn Ngọc Sơn, a hiker from Hanoi who conquered Lùng Cúng peak in Yên Bái on January 11, was surprised to discover frost on his way up from the rest stop. The night before, the area around the rest stop had been bitterly cold, but he hadn’t expected to see frost. The frost mainly coated the leaves and was so thin that it had mostly melted by noon.
On the same day, at an elevation of around 2,000 meters on the way to Samu peak in Sơn La province, a group of hikers led by porter Sồng A Nênh encountered light snowfall. By 4 pm, almost all the trees were covered in white frost, and by 5:30 pm, Nênh felt the temperature drop to what seemed like below zero, with strong winds adding to the chill. Despite the harsh weather, he felt fortunate to witness this unexpected early-season frost.
The reports of frost and snow have sparked a significant increase in the number of adventurers interested in “hunting” for frost. Phạm Anh Vũ, Deputy General Director of Du Lịch Việt, confirms this trend. However, organizing tours to see frost is challenging because it depends entirely on nature. Travel companies often recommend alternative tours to places like Mẫu Sơn in Lạng Sơn province or Fansipan in Lào Cai province, where frost and snow are more common.
According to trekking guide Nguyễn Trọng Cung, who led a group up Lảo Thẩn mountain on January 11, trekking tours to certain mountain ranges in Yên Bái and Lào Cai have been in high demand over the past week. Typically, each trekking group consists of 10-15 people, but during the frosty weather, the groups swelled to 20-30 people.
The trekking routes that are popular among frost seekers include Tà Xùa and Tà Chì Nhù in Yên Bái, as well as Bạch Mộc Lương Tủ, Nhìu Cồ San, and Lảo Thần in Lào Cai. The cost of each tour ranges from 2.5 million to over 3 million VND per person.
“These trails are relatively easy to navigate, even in frosty conditions,” said Cung, adding that the number of trekkers is likely to decrease in the two weeks leading up to the Lunar New Year and then pick up again after the holidays.
The Tà Xùa Lu Trế homestay reported that their rooms were fully booked at 100% capacity during the first two weeks of January, with some guests reserving rooms a month in advance. They expect occupancy to drop to around 50% in the last two weeks of the month, right before the Lunar New Year. The shared traditional stilt house rooms are priced at 300,000 VND per person, while the private bungalow for two costs 1.3 million VND. The number of guests usually decreases before the holidays and then picks up again on the second and third days of the Lunar New Year.
“Guests who book during the two weeks leading up to the Lunar New Year will benefit from fewer crowds, easier access to services, and more competitive prices,” the homestay representative added.
A homestay owner in Mò Phú Chải, Y Tý, reported that their rooms have been fully booked continuously since the end of December. Foreign tourists make up the majority of their guests as the Lunar New Year approaches.
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