Sapa- the harmony of people and landscape

“When it comes to Sapa, immediately the city hidden in clouds appear on mind and drift me to the far North of Vietnam”

Thinking about travelling to the North of Vietnam, from trekking the hill tribes, exploring spectacular landscapes to conquering "the Roof of Indochina", Sapa will never let you down! Established as the hill station by French in 1992, this town now become a well-known spot for tourism in Vietnam, even in the Southeast Asia giving you a great sense of gorgeous mountains and dramatic sceneries of people and landscape.

Ta Phin Village

Ta Phin Village - Source: Instagram

Where is it? An ethnic village located about 12km northeast of Sapa town

Why go?

Ta Phin Village - Source: Internet

Perhaps, Sapa is no longer unfamiliar to you, but Ta Phin is an absolutely fresh name. It has known as a home of rich culture that has not been damaged by the modern life with two different kind of ethnic groups: Red Dao and Black Mong. A village is surrounded by overlapping ranges of mountains, rice terraces and people in that pixie are the main highlights, I can see that great picture come on mine when I looked back my journey to Ta Phin. If on the full of mist day you go to Ta Phin, don’t forget to take a glance at the scenery like the magic when local people are on the way to the field, sometimes it’s clear, sometime it’s loomed, extremely amazing!

Activities to do?

The way from Sapa town to Ta Phin is an ideal road trip for you if you are a trekking lovers, if not you could try. When you get there, the first thing you should experience is visiting some traditional wooden house, and bathing the “leaf medicine”. It not only brings several benefits for your heath but also leads you to great sense of relaxation, help you get out of stress when you soaking in the warm water. I had an opportunity to enjoy the meal together with Red Dao’s people, we shared ups and downs and chatted with each other. The hospitality of them contributed to getting visitors like me closer, no more distance, no more strange.

Cat Cat village

Cat Cat village - Source: Internet

Where is it? It is settled in a beautiful valley about 3 km from Sapa town. Any transports can easy to get there.

Why go?

Cat Cat Village - Source: Niyaa Nguyen

You could be impressed by the dazzling picture of Cat Cat at any season. There are plenty of flowers charming on the hill or along the side of road like an enormous blanket that is bestowed by nature. You can also easily catch sight of some girls putting many different costumes of ethnic groups, children playing with others and always keeping the smile on their face, livestock wandering to pick up falling paddy, corn or food. All these features generate a vivid picture of beautifully laid-back life.

Activities to do?

Reaching Cat Cat, don’t hesitate to hire a costume in order to mixing with the flocks of tourists into the village. Viet Nam has 54 peoples, so there are this much different choices of colorful costumes that express their unique identity. That’s why Cat Cat is considered as a miniature home of these peoples in Vietnam.

Don’t stop and keep going to the lowest point of Cat Cat- The most beautiful ancient village in the northwestern mountains where all the activities in daily life are enclosed in. You are completely overwhelmed by the huge watermills, wooden long bridges and traditional houses.

A lot of local cuisines are also ready to serve you whenever you feel starving after a long day trekking to Cat Cat. Particularly, anyone visiting Cat Cat should try cơm lam (bamboo cooked rice) and grilled chicken. It is a fascinating experience to eat the rice and chicken by dipping it in sesame and salt.

Sapa Town Center

Sapa Town center- Source: Niyaa Nguyen

Where is it? Nestled in the centre of Sapa town- the European style in the far North of Vietnam

Why go?

Notre Dame Cathedral - Source: Internet

Unlike other freshly wild tourist sites, Sapa Town Center is the far different point, standing out in the middle of the town. It tends to express the modern life that forwards to the way of European model ranging from the villas, coffee shops, restaurants to the roads. You could have a first glimpse into the Notre Dame Cathedral – The symbol of city hidden in clouds. This construction considered as the prime footprint of French in Sapa. It also experienced many events of history, the ups and downs along with this land but now still remains the origin.

Don’t leave hastily, let’s take a glance at the opposite site of Cathedral – The Sun Plaza Sapa. The building has a French architectural style with classic gold color standing right in the middle of the intersection, the main location of SaPa will surely make you "love at first sight".

Activities to do?

Have you ever heard about the “love market”? Come to Sapa Square it right from there. It is not just simple like a place you can visit to taste several cuisines of the North, purchase some souvenirs, admire the beauty of girls in their costumes, but it is also a paradise for lovely couple. This special rendezvous usually comes up in the dark afternoon of weekend when the lights “get up” and cover the whole town, it’s time to flocks of people pour into the love market. They immerse in festival and may be they can find the one they love in crowd. When the boy shows off his affection to the girl, he will kidnap her. A happy wedding will happen or not, it depends on the girl’s nod. Try to take part in Love market once time, you will get “addicted” totally.

Or when you getting bored with the crowd, you can reach the Sun Plaza to go shopping. It is a giant shopping mall where offers a wide range of products. Not only the craft of Sapa but also the traditional made-by-hand stuffs of Vietnam

Bac Ha Market

Bac Ha Market - Source: Internet

Where is it? It is about 80km from Lao Cai, passing through a range of rugged mountain

Why go?Bac Ha is the most colorful of Vietnam market which deeply bring the national cultural identity of northwestern. It holds a huge, brilliant and hectic market every Sunday attracting the large amount of visitors. Hundreds of multicolored dress from ethnic minorities gather busily at this big hit. It’s a unique spectacle which please your eyes by varied, fresh and colorful picture of Bac Ha when the minority women and girls look so great in their traditional clothing, the men are drinking various local wine, smoking from bamboo pipes, and chatting juicily.

Activities to do?

Gossip, take photos with the local: They are women who spend only one well-dressed day in every weekend to get Bac Ha market to shopping and trading available goods. They take tourist’s interest when sharing about their daily life.

Buy souvenirs made from brocade: Brocade fabric of Bac Ha people not only creates items for daily life but also creates many other souvenir products, meeting the needs of visitors. Bac Ha market has a large area only for brocade shops so visitors should pay attention to learn carefully, consult when buying to avoid counterfeiting and poor quality goods.

Eating various foods and drinking famous local wine: Don’t miss the chance to try some fried-cake from sticky rice, Thang Co- the food from horse meat, and sour noodle. All the ingredient of these dishes are made by themselves. It is more perfectly if you sipping with a corn wine- specialty of northwestern mountains.

O Quy Ho Pass

O Quy Ho - Source: Instagram

Where is it?Or Hoang Lien Son Pass is a pass located on the 4D national highway crossing Hoang Lien Son range, located at a height of 1900 meters above the sea level, this pass connecting the two provinces of Lao Cai and Lai Chau

Why go?

O Quy Ho - Source: Instagram

It is one of the four top pass of Vietnam. The beauty of O Quy Ho Pass always turns virtual: The side of Lao Cai is misty, the Lai Chau side is warm; in the winter, there is snow, the summer often has clouds covering, creating an awe-inspiring attraction for domestic and foreign tourists. Its name from the Legend that in this mountain, before or present a species of dull-skinned bird, associated with the legend of the failed love story of a couple. Since then, over time, the cries of the birds have been named for the wild pass at this height of nearly 2000m.

Activities to do?

From the peak of the beautiful day, visitors have the opportunity to enjoy the panoramic view of the motorway pass through the majestic mountains.

Or you could feel energetic vibe when early morning you get up, embrace the cool breeze through your skin and then sipping a cup of coffee or tea on the highland and enjoy the panoramic views of the pass.

Fansipan Mountain

Fansipan - Source: Internet

Where is it? It is the Vietnam’s highest peak at the height of 3143m of Hoang Lien Son Range

Why go?

Train to Fansipan - Source: Internet

Fansipan or The Rooftop of Indochina is a destination that fuels the curiosity and conquest of nomad. It is not simply standing in the highest place, grab the beauty of the whole Northwest, but also expressing strong will, health to conquer the summit. I came to Fansipan on the freezing day of the winter, when I could feel any part of body would getting frozen if i didn’t cover. Reaching to the peak, wow! It seem to be the craziest thing in my life, but finally it truly became the most irreplaceable memory on mine!

Catch the train from the station, I felt like the majestic train of Harry Porter when it run through the thick clouds to the sky, and then widely open in front of me is the valley of colorful flowers. I did love it. Next, I got on the huge cable car, it went too high up gradually to make your ear blur. I felt extremely cold when I had to take nearly 300 steps more to get to the top, my toes lose all sensation, I was breathless…I didn’t want to give up because I went too far, but when I reached the top, I felt everything was worth it. One word I can say: “speechless!”. To know how it is, let’s smell it by yourself!

Cable car to Fansipan - Source: Internet

Some Tips for First Time Visitor to Sapa

How to get Sapa from Hanoi

There are many different ways to get Sapa from Hanoi like motorbike, private car, train and bus.

♦Shuttle bus/sleeper bus: it is safe, convenient and recently it is really well-furnished. The bus will take you right into the center of Sapa town.
♦Price ranges: 10-20USD/way/person

♦Train: You have lots of choices when you get the train. You could have the private space with comfortable bed but it depends on the price that you paid or the types of train to offer the position for you.
♦Price ranges: 20USD – 80USD/berth/person

When you arrive Lao Cai station, you have to catch another transport in order to get to the centre –expect to pay around USD $2.00

♦Private car: this is the most comfortable and flexible option. Your travelling time is shorten by going with a private transfer. Moreover, you can stop by demand for photographs, refreshment or toilet on the way.
♦Price range:

4 seat car: 165USD/way
7 seat car: 175USD/way
16 seat car: 200USD/way

Best time to visit:

February – May: Flowers in Sapa bloom in Spring, there are vast forest of flowers, cherry blossoms, plum blossoms and thousands of blooming flowers in the hills, half-slope, valleys, mountains or roads with extremely cool, pleasant weather.

June – August: Avoiding the heat of city and watching terraced fields summer. That time Sapa is quite mild, it is like the miniature temperate city of Eupore.

September –November: Sapa is covered by the gold color of ripe rice in autumn. This is also the water season in Sapa, so the waterfall will flow strongly, very majestic and lively.

December – February: Snow fall down in the freezing winter. Sapa is very cold, especially at night, can appear ice and sometimes snow. White now covers all living things, houses, even half a meter thick- a white enormous carpet making the scene magnificence and surprisingly beauty.

What to bring:

Clothes: Summer in Sapa is quite cool, weather like autumn so you can wear normally, but should wear a thin coat on the evening. And winter in Sapa is very cold, you need to bring warm clothes with gloves, hats and wool scarf.

Shoes: Sapa tour is mainly walking, trekking and climbing, so a pair of sneakers, sturdy walking shoes will help you better than sandals or high heels.

Phone, camera: Phone for you to contact, even trouble when you need help. If the phone is taking good pictures, it is too convenient, but if possible, you should still bring a good camera, because Sapa will have a lot of beautiful scenes for you to take. Remember to bring a full battery, a picture stick, a memory card or a spare charger so you don't miss any great moments.

“Travel is the best kind of education, so go get lost!”

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