This idyllic town nestled in the ‘Vietnamese Alps’ has until lately been beyond reach, except to the most intrepid of travelers
On average, Cat Cat Village is a two-hour trek downhill into the bottom of the Muong Hoa Valley, through Hmong houses, including exhibition houses, waterfalls, watermills, streams, and the ubiquitous rice terraces. Outside their homes, the Hmong also keep on display stuff you can buy for a taste of village life like, and grilled eggs.
AWAY FROM IT ALL Clockwise from left: A Hmong dwelling open to tourists at Cat Cat Village; the blue dye that Hmong embroidery is famous for is made naturally from the leaves of true indigo, scientifically known as; the author on a ridge overlooking the Black Hmong village Lao Chai the author’s villa at the Silk Path Grand Sa Pa