As one of the most attractive scenic areas in Sapa, the premier trekking base of Vietnam, Cat Cat is a lovely village with peaceful views and distinctive customs and practices of the ethnic H’Mong.
Cat Cat Village
Introduction
As one of the most attractive scenic areas in Sapa, the premier trekking base of Vietnam, Cat Cat is a lovely village with peaceful views and distinctive customs and practices of the ethnic H’Mong.
Surrounded by rice terraces and rolling green hills, Cat Cat village is considered a great place for trekking and sightseeing, to experience the way of life in the mountainous area. Along the way to Cat Cat village, tourists may also witness the picturesque scenes of Sapa, including mighty mountains, immense forests, amazing terraced fields, beautiful valleys, and dazzling waterfalls. Spend a day in Cat Cat village, and you will never regret your choice. But before packing up, read our complete guide on traveling to Cat Cat village for the best experience.
History
In the early 20th century, the French discovered and made this land a resort for officials. And the beautiful waterfall at the entrance, which is pronounced “Catscat” in French, became the name of the village afterward (Vietnamese call it Cat Cat). This waterfall originated from the Fansipan mountain, through the forest, delivering water directly to the rice paddy terrace fields, becoming the water source of the village.
Since Cat Cat village is tiny and approachable from Sapa town, you can easily spare a day from your Sapa tour to discover the best of Cat Cat village. Feel free to take our advice on the best things to do while traveling Cat Cat village in this 1-day itinerary.
Sapa has always been famous for its breathtaking scenery and tranquil air. Enjoying the Sapa view when trekking to Cat Cat village in the morning is your first reward. Following the main road from Sapa to meet the trail to the bottom of Muong Hoa valley, where Cat Cat village sits, you will see Fansipan mountain, the highest peak of all Indochina; although far, the look is extremely impressive. Keep moving forward, and you will be treated to splendid lush green vistas of flower gardens and rice terraces, then thrillingly experience walking over a narrow suspension bamboo bridge above the river before entering this small village.
Muong Hoa Valley
What to explore in Cat Cat?
Enjoy Cat Cat waterfall
As first seen when you walk in, Cat Cat waterfall pleases immediately. You can’t really miss it as you can hear it from quite a distance away. This large and powerful fall sends a fine cooling mist throughout the village, making the air fresher and chilly. You can stop by, cool off your feet and enjoy a perfect selfie.
Admire giant water wheels
As you continue walking along the river, you may see giant bamboo wheels powered by fast-flowing waters that were built and used by locals for pounding rice. These amazing things can ‘wow’ you for a while and are proven facts for how clever and resourceful the villagers are.
Visit the H’Mong house
The original architecture of H’Mong people is interesting as well. Their houses are wooden-made and often called “House Presentation” with three rooms and three doors separately. But the main door is always closed and only opened for big events like weddings, funerals, and Tet holidays … They sit alone and have barriers with each other with a front terrace field and rear bamboo fence. It is not unusual if you see a family with more than 10 members living together.
Learn the H’Mong culture and practices
Traveling in Cat Cat village, you will be delighted witnessing the daily activities of the locals while they are weaving, carving, making farm tools and crafts. A typical scene is a woman sitting and weaving in front of a loom making eye-catching brocades with beautiful patterns of flowers, leaves, animals … They are famous for the indigo dyeing technique and very good at manipulating sophisticated gold and silver jewelry as well.