DINOSAUR SPINE + Ta Xua Nature Reserve

ℹ️ Information – Ta Xua
🚶 How to get to Ta Xua
☀️ When to visit Ta Xua
🏡 Where to stay
❓ FAQ + Travel Tips
📸 Photos of Ta Xua
🎫 Book bus ticket

“Dinosaur spine” is one of the most fascinating places in Ta Xua Nature Reserve.

• • Ta Xua Nature Reserve and the so-called “Dinosaur spine/backbone” (Sống Lưng Khủng Long) near Bac Yen (Son La Province) is a fascinating mountain and forgotten place for foreign tourists, it is well-known mainly for Vietnamese tourists and adventure travelers. Ta Xua Nature Reserve is a huge area that is not easy to travel (unless you ride motocross), because it is a high-lying area (the highest mountain 2865 m) and roads are not in a good condition. It is not so hard to get to Dinosaur spine from Bac Yen town.

To explore the area you must have a motorcycle – at least semi-automatic.

• • However, this does not mean that you could not look into the Ta Xua Nature Reserve at least in a small way and take a trip to the so-called amazing Dinosaur spine, which is not so difficult to access, but you must have a motorcycle – at least semi-automatic. Dinosaur spine lies at an altitude of about 1500 m and the views from there or from the nearby village of Ta Xua and its surroundings are really breathtaking. Mountains, ranges, hills, nature, rice terraces, clouds (you can be above them, if you go even higher, above the village of Ta Xua) and an area inhabited mainly by ethnic Hmong.

The starting point for a trip to the Ta Xua Reserve is Bac Yen town.

• • Ta Xua Nature Reserve is also a popular place for so-called “cloud hunters”. Yes, and if you are lucky, you will see the arrival and movement of clouds quite quickly. At the time of my visit, I was in the whole area all day, I saw here very fast weather changes like anywhere else in Vietnam (sun, clouds, fog, tiny rain…) and very fast clouds movement. And everything is brilliantly photogenic, unless there is fog (or, of course, heavy rain) and visibility of 30 m. Your trip to Ta Xua Nature Reserve starts in Bac Yen town.

Book your stay in Son La province ➜

Fascinating views and mountain range from Ta Xua village to Dinosaur spine.

• • The nearest stop for refreshments and accommodation is Ta Xua village, which is 12 km away from Dinosaur spine. You can also stay in Bac Yen town (I recommend to choose a town). There are a few small restaurants with classic Vietnamese food in Ta Xua Village, do not expect any extra large menu, it is quite limited. From the Ta Xua Village to the Dinosaur spine you will go through a fascinating mountain passage, but be aware that some sections of this road may be destroyed (stones, holes…). However, earlier this road to the backbone was said to be even worse.

How to reach Dinosaur spine in Ta Xua Nature Reserve? On motorbike.

• • Dinosaur backbone in Ta Xua Nature Reserve is located about 25 km from Bac Yen town. This is the starting point for a trip to the area. Bac Yen is a typical small town without foreign tourists, with a few guesthouses and many shops/restaurants. To Bac Yen, if you do not have your motorbike, you can get by local bus from Moc Chau with stopover in Phu Yen (my case) or from Hanoi by bus (about 200 km, stopover in Phu Yen, in Phu Yen you can take another bus to Bac Yen), however, you have to check the current schedules in My Dinh or Yen Nghia bus stations in Hanoi. I recommend to connect with a trip in Moc Chau and from Moc Chau take a transfer by bus.

Book Motorbike in Vietnam online ➜

Rent a motorbike in Bac Yen town / at the hotel (where you stay).

• • From Bac Yen to Ta Xua and to the Dinosaur spine – whether you are on your own, on a motorcycle. From Bac Yen to the village of Ta Xua it is about 12 km and you drive constantly up a steep hill, even here the road can be variously destroyed and not much, but the road with great views. From the village of Ta Xua you will then take another 12 km section to the Dinosaur spine with other fascinating views, you will see about 3 waterfalls along the way. The road  to Dinosaur backbone may have bad sections again, somewhere a rocky road, but on a motorcycle (semi-automatic), I arrived there quite cool. Warning: Drive slowly if you do not want to spill and kill! A motorbike trip to Ta Xua is only for those who already have a motorbike experience.

▶️ Book and buy bus e-tickets from Hanoi to Ta Xua Reserve on 12go.asia ➜

When to visit and go to Ta Xua Nature Reserve and Dinosaur spine?

• • It should be noted that this is a mountain area and it is necessary to expect rapid changes in weather. In the winter months cold/winter, but dry, in the summer months unfortunately the possibility of larger rains and impending landslides (monsoon season). The months of December to March are recommended (even for so-called “cloud hunters”). Personally, I was there in November and I stayed in this area 3 days and I saw very fast weather changes – sunshine, nice, cold, fog, clouds, windy… but overall it was good, the views were nice, sometimes a bit foggy, but no cold, temperature up to about 17 °C.

Book your Trip in Vietnam online ➜

Before you go to Ta Xua reserve and Dinosaur spine, watch the weather.

• • I recommend before the trip to the Ta Xua Nature Reserve certainly to watch the weather as it develops and respond accordingly. If there is a possibility of heavy rain, fog, I strongly recommend not to visit this area, because it would be – yes, for someone an adventure, but you wouldn’t have much of this adventure, no views to the area and most importantly – dangerous road sections, impassable road, landslides. In this case it does not make a sense to go there, wait for sunny weather and clear sky.

Where to stay and where to find accommodation in Bac Yen/Ta Xua?

• • Bac Yen is not Sapa and it means that the offer is focused mainly on smaller vietnamese guest houses, no extra luxury, but standard, average quality and cheap. Yes there is also one bigger better hotel (KHÁCH SẠN SAO MAI), but the vast majority of the city are small hotels, called Nhà nghỉ. Prices are therefore quite low. There are plenty of shops in the town and some Vietnamese restaurants with classic dishes, rather do not expect western european cuisine.

• • You can also stay in the village of Ta Xua and there gradually arise and will probably continue to create another homestays. There is also a very nice tourist resort – Ta Xua Hills. However, the services in Ta Xua village are very limited, it is a very small village. I recommend to stay in Bac Yen town before going on a trip to Ta Xua and Dinosaur spine. If you want to rent a motorbike, ask where you will be accommodated, at the hotel. There is also a petrol station in Bac Yen, but you can also buy petrol in Ta Xua village. Homestay is also located at Dinosaur spine (Y Xoa Homestay).

🏡 Accommodation in Bac Yen town:

▶ Khach San So Mai
▶ Nhật Vượng Hotel
▶ Đồng Tâm Hotel Bắc Yên

🏡Accommodation in Ta Xua Nature Reserve:

▶ Homestay Tà Xùa Lu Trế
▶ Tà Xùa Clouds homestay
▶ Y Xoa Home Stay

❓ Ta Xua Nature Reserve & Dinosaur Spine: FAQ & Tips

BOOK a TOUR / ACTIVITY in Vietnam ➜

Dinosaur spine + Ta Xua Nature Reserve – Information:

• • Location: Bac Yen district (Son La province) – Vietnam
  • How far is Dinosaur spine: About 25 km from Bac Yen town (230 km from Hanoi)
  • Ticket: There is no admission
  • Tourist attractions: Mountain range, waterfalls, nature
  • How to get there from Bac Yen: Motorbike or private transfer
  • How to get from Hanoi to Bac Yen: Bus with stop in Phu Yen (there is no train)
  • How to get from Moc Chau to Bac Yen: There is a local bus
  • Elevation of Dinosaur spine: about 1 500 m
  • Original name of Dinosaur spine/backbone: Sống Lưng Khủng Long
  • Where to stay: in Bac Yen town or in Ta Xua village
  • Road DT112 from Bac Yen to Tram Tau: it is not in a good condition

📍 Route map from Bac Yen to “Dinosaur Spine” in Ta Xua:

(this is the main road from Bac Yen to Dinosaur spine, the road is not in very good condition)

“Dinosaur spine” and Ta Xua Nature Reserve – Photos:

(Photos around Ta Xua village and routes to Dinosaur spine + Ta Xua Nature Reserve)

Hoi An > Mui Ne｜Dai Yem Fall｜Da Nang > Mui Ne｜Hoi An > Hanoi｜NinhBinh > Ha Long｜Hoi An > Hue｜Con Dao｜P.Penh > Saigon｜SiemReap

Son La – Travel guide ➜