TRAVEL EXPERIENCES IN SAPA, LAO CAI, VIETNAM

20-03-2019

TRAVEL EXPERIENCES IN SAPA, LAO CAI, VIETNAM
MOUNTAIN RICE TERRACE
TRAVEL TO SAPA
Sapa lies on the side of Hoang Lien Son Mountains, 333 km northwest of Hanoi, close to Chinese border. This area has spectacular scenery, many natural sites and is home to diverse mountain tribe communities; especially, it is also the starting point for those who want to conquer the top of Fansipan Mountain, the highest mountain in Vietnam at 3,143m.

GETTING TO SAPA FROM HANOI

BY BUS
BY TRAIN
Pros
- Take shorter time: around 5 hours
- Arrive direct in Sapa
- Usually cheaper: $15-25/person/way
- Offer unique experience on Vietnamese' railway
- Most trains are overnight thus saves travel time
- Train travel will save your hotel night

Cons
- Travel is done mostly during the day so it takes out sightseeing time in Sapa
- Experience may not be as unique as the train as the ride is standard
- More expensive than bus, around $40
- Need to take a minibus to Sapa after arrival to Lao Cai
WHAT TO DO:
See & Do: Cat Cat Village, Lao Chai Village, Ta Van Village, Ban Ho Village, Early Spring Church Singing, Thac Bac waterfalls, Muong Khuong Bird Market, Muong Hoa Valley, Ban Pho Village.

Homestay with minority peoples
Sapa markets such as Sapa Main market, Bac Ha and Can Cau weekend markets
Overcome Fanxipan peak (3,143 m)

WHEN TO GO ?
Any day you can go, however, The best time to visit Sapa is March and May or mid-September to early December when the weather is pleasant. The winter is cold and brings fog and drizzles while the summer is warm and has frequent showers. The rainy season starts in May through September.
Travel Tips:
In Sapa, you will meet ethnic vendors, who keep following you to sell handmade articles. It is fine to buy, but if you are not interested, you might want to take care to show lack of interest. Also please note that it'd better to separate handmade articles within your bag preventing some color bleeding as those beautiful articles are used natural dyes. Riding on motorbikes around Sapa is interesting, adventurous and becomes a popular option. However, just do it with experienced riders or a tour guide.