Sometimes you find places in the world that are more like a movie set than real life.

But real village life, deep in the mountains of Vietnam, is exactly what we experienced on our mini-adventure to Nam Cang and it’s Riverside Lodge.

From Sa Pa, we descended through an idyllic valley with much less tourist traffic and a lot more locals. We met a few of these folks at our lunch stop in the village of Ban Den, about halfway into our ride.

While eating a colorful bowl of Pho Bo (beef noodle soup), we were surrounded by a trio of local women selling handicrafts. This wasn’t their first rodeo and we waved them off for the most part while we took to the business of slurping noodles and broth. Not surprisingly, they returned as soon as we finished. I bought a few items and snapped some photos before were back on the bikes heading downhill again. I was excited to get some images of the locals in their unique dress. There are a mix of different ethnic groups in the mountains and valleys that surround Sa Pa (more than 50). Each tribe is distinguished by their language and culture, including the colors and patterns of their clothes.

Back on the road, I felt a little deja vu as the day wore on – the atmosphere was a little like Nepal – big mountains, deep valleys and villages everywhere. But it wasn’t exactly the same. What made this part of the world unique were the massive sections of terraces up the mountainsides right down to the river. Almost every bit of land had been sculpted, beautifully so.

On the final approach to Nam Cang the landscape became very rustic with terraces on both sides of the road and wooden huts scattered about. This is where I broke from reality and was happy to be immersed in something that didn’t feel real but absolutely was. I live for these moments when traveling – they make me feel very fulfilled.

With one last big climb we rolled into the village using Google Maps (I know, I know) to navigate the final meters to a swing bridge that lead to the lodge.

For the next day and a half, life became even more simple than it already was. We ate basic and delicious food prepared by kind locals; we slept in comfortable accommodations with the calming sounds of the river next to our window; we explored the area on bikes and witnessed an uncomplicated way of life surrounded by mind-blowing scenery.

When we departed, we lingered a bit to soak in the movie set-like backdrop . It’s one of those places I’d like to remember for years to come, as long as my memory will allow.