Ban Ho is the first rice major growing area you will come to on the southern end of the main road to Sapa, DT152. If you are arriving from Hanoi, rather than go all the way to Lao Cai you can take DT152 which travels along a river with some lovely waterfalls. It is probably best known as the home of the Topas Ecolodge, one of the premier lodging destinations in Sapa.
There are many photo opportunities very close to the main road but some of the best are near Topas. The Ecolodge itself is situated on a large rice field with some interesting features. There are small paved roads in the rice field that you can use to get further into the growing area. There’s an old abandoned stone structure reached by a cable bridge that can be very atmospheric on figgy days.
Go past Topas’ rice field and head up the mountain on your left for some high elevation rice fields and great portrait opportunities among the local kids and workers. Look for the road with Chao Mui Liu homestay on Google maps.
Back on DT152 are many homestays in Ban Ho. The prices are lower here than Ta Van and the other areas close to Sapa city. This can be a good place to settle in for a week or two and explore Ban Ho and Nam Cang which is about 30 minutes away. Or, by all means, stay at Topas if you are a lux traveler.
