Favourable Conditions for Eco-tourism Development

Moc Chau District is located in the south of Son La province. It adjoins the Da River, Phu Yen district and Bac Yen district in the north, borders Hoa Binh province in the east and south-east, Thanh Hoa province in the south, and Yen Chau district and the Lao People’s Democratic Republic in the west and north-west. Moc Chau is the key economic district of Son La province and will become Moc Chau town in 2008.

 

Moc Chau is about 200 km from Hanoi on national road 6 (Hanoi – Hoa Binh – Moc Chau – Son La). Moc Chau plateau has an average altitude of 1,050m with a tropical monsoon climate, as well as high mountains with a subtropical climate. Temperature in the summer months ranges from 18 to 25⁰C. Temperature difference between day and night is about 8⁰C, average rain is about 1,800 mm annually; average humidity is about 85 per cent. The region features a fresh and cool temperate climate, little mist in winter, many beautiful landscapes (mountains, grass fields, tea hills, special forests, caves, waterfalls and warm mineral water streams) making it a good location for villas, weekend houses, entertainment zones and ecological tourism development.

 

With plateau’s fresh and cool climate, Moc Chau has strong potential to become a famous rest spot comparable with Sa Pa, Tam Dao and Da Lat. In the region, there are also beautiful landscapes such as Son Moc Huong cave near Moc Chau town, pine forests only 2 km from town, Dai Yem waterfall, the cultural villages of Mong and Thai ethnic minority groups , vast tea hills, dairy farms, mulberry fields and fruit orchards. With these attractions, Moc Chau has favourable conditions to develop the tourism sector in the coming years.  

 

Moc Chau’s water source is also an advantage for tourism zone development. There are 7 major streams in the district, in particular, Sap stream, Bang stream, Giang stream, Khua stream, Vinh stream, Tan stream flowing into the Da River and Quanh stream running from Laos through the district into the Ma River. In addition, due to the huge amount of water in the lake at the Hydraulic Power Plant and the region’s deep cave system, water is pushed up from underground and can be used to spray the tea and other long term trees.

 

Mr Nguyen Minh Duc, Head of the Management Board of Moc Chau Eco- tourist Zone said, “The Moc Chau Urban and Tourism Zones project has been placed into the Master Plan for Vietnam’s Tourism Development to 2010 by the General Department for Tourism, and confirmed by Son La’s People Committee in 2003. On 500 ha, with total investment of VND 2,200 billion (about US$ 145 million), beautiful landscapes, relatively level terrain and engineering infrastructure under construction (the major transport road, power supply, water supply and other items), the project is extremely attractive for investors.” Son La Province warmly welcomes all investors and creates favourable conditions for investors in the investment and business process in the Moc Chau Eco- tourist Zone based on Vietnam’s existing regulations.