Vietnam Part 4: Sapa

It is beautiful here at this time of year.  I think you have come at the best time of year.

Our guide informed us that within a few weeks the rice fields would be harvested and the valley would look very different.  Although some parts of Vietnam are able to get two, or even three, harvests in a year, because Sapa is quite high in the mountains and gets quite cold during winter, the locals are only able to get one harvest per year here. 

Sapa is located about 400km north-west of Hanoi, at an elevation of approximately 1,600 m on the slopes of the Hoang Lien Mountains.  It is this higher elevation and cooler climate that has made it an attractive summer time retreat.  But it is also the mountains and rice paddies and various colourful ethnic groups that live here that are attracting tourists to this area.  Search the internet for 'Sapa trekking', and you will find lots of tour companies offering trips and lots of bloggers talking about their experience.

For most travellers the biggest decision to be made is whether to stay in a hotel and use that as a base for day hikes, or venture a little further and do a home-stay. We decided to go with the home-say option.  Bron was a bit hesitant about how much she would have to carry, which actually ended up not being much, but we both agreed that a longer hike into the valley and a bit further away from Sapa town was definitely the way we wanted to experience this area.  We also found it really useful reading about other peoples experiences of home-stays, and the warm hospitality that this area is well known for.  And so we trawled the internet looking for trekking options until we came across the one that sounded perfect for us. 

Day 1 of hiking, and some of the ladies from one of the local villages that joined us for the walk from Sapa town to their village.

This photo does not do the various shades of green and yellow justice.

Our ever-smiling tour guide and Bron enjoying a short rest break

There are two main ways of getting from Hanoi to Sapa.  Either by bus (about 4 to 5 hours) or by train (about 8 hours).  We decided to travel there and back by over-night train.  Not only would we be saving on accommodation costs, but we would also be avoiding any potentially crazy bus driving (we had experienced enough of this in South America). 

We opted for a shared carriage and ended up sharing with a great couple from London that were also heading to Sapa for a few days of trekking.  Actually, it seemed that just about everybody on the train was doing this trip for the same reason.  

On arriving in Sapa we were taken to our hotel, where we would be staying the second night, and had some time to have a shower and get some breakfast before the full day ahead.  We were also able to leave our main bag backpack at the hotel, and each carried a small day bag.  After breakfast we met our guide, and the other members of our trekking group, and headed off into the valley.

Rice paddies everywhere

Passing a home with some corn left out to dry on the front porch

More rice paddies

Although September is approaching the end of the rainy season, the average rainfall in Sapa at this time of year is still around 180 mm for the month.  And so we weren't surprised when we did have a few showers while we were there. What we hadn't been expecting though was the muddy trails.  Luckily we had decided to pack our waterproof hiking boots, and so the mud wasn't a problem.  What did surprise me though was what some other people decided to trek in.  Our group all had decent shoes, but we passed some people that were doing this hike in flip flops (or thongs if you are from Australia, slops for the South Africans, and jandals for the Kiwis).  Needless to say, they didn't look like they were having fun. 

Our trek included lunch in a small village, some souvenir shopping from the ladies that had joined us for our walk (hmmm.... so it wasn't just a coincidence that we walked down together), and then late afternoon we arrived at our home stay.

The view from our home stay (above) and Bron standing outside our home stay (below)

As we still had some time to spare before it would get dark, and because we were all feeling quite hot after a good day of walking, we decided to head down to the river for a swim.  We had seen a few kids swimming in the river on our walk and it looked like a great way to end the day.  What we hadn't realised was just how cold the water was going to be.  This river was coming down from the Fansipan Mountains, which have an elevation of about 3000 m, and the water was freezing.  While there was a lot of dangling of legs in the river, none of us actually had the courage to go for a fully submerged swim.  I'm telling myself it also has something to do with the strong current at the section of river where we were sitting.  

Soon it was time to head back to the home stay for a hot shower and a cold beer.  It might be a fairly rural area, but the houses here do have electricity and the owners go out of their way to make it as comfortable as possible for the tourists that are coming through.  Then it was time for dinner.  We sat down with our host family for a feast, washed down with home made rice wine.  

The last of the revelers still enjoying some rice wine after dinner (above) and our sleeping area (below) 

The next day we had another fantastic meal - pancakes and fruit - and then headed off for the next part of our trek.  If we thought the previous day had included some muddy sections, we hadn't seen anything yet!

A seriously muddy path through a bamboo forest (below)

We also saw a number of water buffalo.  Coming from South Africa, when I think of buffalo I think of wild animals that need to be treated with respect.  Keep your distance and watch those horns. But these water buffalo are domesticated and play an important role as far as the local farms are concerned.  They are used to plough the fields and once the field has been harvested, are sent in to graze on the stalks. It is amazing watching them walk through the rice paddies.  At this time of year, those fields that have been harvested are essentially fields of mud.  The water buffalo, which probably weighs around 500 kg, sinks down a fair way into the mud. But this isn't a problem. The water buffalo is extremely strong and carries on as if the mud wasn't even there.  

Water buffalo munching on stalks (above) and being ridden by the local children (below)

Water buffalo just doing their thing (above) and

a close-up of two water buffalo in their overnight pen (below).

At the end of day 2 we arrived back in Sapa town.  As with Halong Bay, we found that most people seem to stay just the one night in Sapa, and so the rest of our group headed off to catch the train or bus back to Hanoi. We had however decided to stay 2 nights, with our second night being in a hotel in the town. 

One thing that you can't miss in Sapa is the amount of construction that is underway.  And it all seems to be focused on building more hotels and accommodation.  There is clearly an expectation that tourism is on the up here.  

Sapa town, above and below.

The next day we headed off on another trek.  This time towards the Cat Cat village.  This walk was along paved paths, and had clearly been set up with the tourist in mind. There were lots of little stalls selling curios on the way, and in Cat Cat village the main attraction was a theatre where the locals showcase traditional clothes and dancing from this region.  

Passing curio stalls on the way down to Cat Cat village (above) and

 a field of purple flowers (below)

Some pictures taken around Cat Cat village

Showcasing traditional clothes and dancing in the small theatre in Cat Cat village (above)

After walking down to Cat Cat village, there is the option of walking back up, or catching a lift.  We caught a lift and arrived back at our hotel at around 14:00.  This meant that we still had some time to spare as our transport to the train station was only leaving at around 18:00.  We decided to head off to Fansipan Mountain with some friends that we had during the day.  

The Fansipan Mountain summit is situated at 3,143 m above sea level, and is the highest peak in Indochina.  For those wanting to know which countries are part of Indochina, here is a Wikipedia link:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indochina

Nowadays the easiest way to get to the summit is by cable car.  With all the cloud around, we didn't fancy our chances of seeing much from the top, but decided to go anyway. 

This sign says that this is the longest non-stop three-rope cable car (6292.5m) and also has the greatest change in elevation by a non-stop three-roped cable car (1410.0m)

At the top!

After our trip to the top of Fansipan Mountain, it was time to head back to our hotel and start getting ready for the train ride back to Hanoi.  We had a great time in Sapa, and highly recommend it if you get the chance.

Next up:  Hoi An (not to be confused with Hanoi!)