It takes over 2 hours to drive from Hanoi to Sam Tang Lake in Thanh Son commune (formerly known as Noong Luong commune). Sam Tang Lake is the highest mountain lake in the Northwestern province of Hoa Binh and is surrounded by upside-down bowl-shaped grass hills looking like green steppes. The green lake with a fresh climate has not been widely known. The lake is located at an altitude of 1,280 meters above sea level. Thanh Son commune is home to the Thai and Muong ethnic minority groups.

It costs a tourist VND 200,000 - 250,000 to go to Mai Chau from Hanoi by bus. There are no bike rides from the bus station to Noong Luong village, thus tourists are advised to call a taxi. For more convenience, 30-year-old Chu Duc Giang from Hanoi advised other tourists to self-drive to Thanh Son commune. Passing through Thung Khe, tourists can see the wild natural scenery and feel the cool air from the forests stretching on both sides.

On the way to the lake, Giang passed through an S-shaped road halfway up the grassy hills. The lake is at the foot of the hill. Tourists can find a parking lot along the road and walk about 5 to 7 minutes down to the lake to contemplate the scenery.

The 2.7-hectare Sam Tang Lake is considered Hoa Binh province’s “wild pearl.” The lake's surface is calm, and the water is clear green all year round, reflecting the grassy hills around the lake.

According to Giang, tourists should visit the lake in the afternoon, when the sun is beautiful. Tourists can go camping or go picnic there. The lake is quite deep, so visitors should not go swimming. At around 5:00 p.m., they can see the sunset right at the lake or watch the clouds on the way back.

Sam Tang Lake is an ideal place for relaxation with friends and family on weekends. Visiting here, visitors will have a lot of time to immerse themselves in nature and be “healed” by the greenery.

There are some homestays within a radius of 2 kilometers from the lake. It costs VND 700,000 - 1,000,000 per room per night. Visitors should stay overnight there to visit Thung waterfall in Quyet Chien commune, Tan Lac district the next day, about 18 kilometers from the lake or Lac village, nearly 30 kilometers from the lake. Nguyen Ngoc Tuan, owner of a homestay near Sam Tang Lake, informed that since early this year, Sam Tang Lake has become known to many people through photos and videos posted by tourists on social networks. Tuan suggested tourists come here in the summer to feel the change of the weather at different altitudes, avoid the heat and enjoy the peaceful space.

Even though Giang’s goal was to contemplate the lake, he was still surprised at the clouds and sunset he saw behind the homestay. In the late afternoon, thin white clouds cover the landscape in the orange-yellow sunlight at the end of the day. The scenery is “as beautiful as that in Ta Xua or Sa Pa,” while the expense is lower, about VND 1.5 million a person.