Trek Fansipan Sapa

It’s a strange land that leaves me with different feelings whenever I come to rediscover it.

Sa Pa is an incredibly picturesque town in the Hoang Lien Son Mountain Range near the Chinese border in northwestern Viet Nam, 350km from Ha Noi.

The terraced fields in Sa Pa

It can be explored almost year-round from March to early December. Vietnamese most like to visit during June and July to escape the summer heat in other parts of the country. Sa Pa is 1,500m above sea level so the weather is quite mild, and cold at night. The best time to go to Sa Pa is on a weekday, as weekenders tend to flock here. However, the famed “love market” only takes place on Saturday nights, so visitors often extend their tour to Saturday to experience it.

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Fansipan is the highest peak of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, so it is called the “Roof of Indochina” while the local people call it Huasipan, which means large tottering rock.

Conquering Fansipan mountain Vietnam

In late September, we went on a tour called “Conquering the roof of Indochina” held by Local Tours to climb Mount Fansipan, 3,143 meters above sea level. We met at Hanoi railway station at 8:30 p.m. to catch the train to Lao Cai. That night we could not sleep and the weather was very bad.

At 9 a.m. the next morning, we transferred from Sapa Town to Tram Ton pass, which is at an altitude of 1,900 meters, where we started the climb. Dressed in proper mountaineering gear, we were eager for the journey ahead. On our shoulders were light backpacks with water, cookies and fruit and clothes and we carried the “Truong Son stick”. The local porters took the tents, sleeping bags and food ahead of us. [...Read more]

Travelers to Sapa in summer can feel the climate of four seasons in one day. In the morning and afternoon, it is cool like the weather of spring and autumn. At noon, it is as sunny and cloudless as the weather of summer. And it is cold in the evening.

The terraced fields in Sa Pa

With no advance warning of a thunderstorm short and heavy rains may come at noon on any summer day. Subsequently, a rainbow appears, transforming Sapa into a magic land, which for years has been a constant source of poetic inspiration, lights up the whole region. [...Read more]

This article offers main Sapa travel information, including Sapa history, Sapa travel tips, weather and ethnic minority people such as H’mong, Dzao etc… And other helpful guide likes orientation, maps, internet access, money, post. 

The Queen of the Mountains, Sapa sits overlooking a beautiful valley, lofty mountains towering over the town on all sides. Welcome to the destination in northwest Victual way to another world of mysterious minority cultures and luscious landscapes. The spectacular scenery that surrounds Sapa includes cascading rice terraces that spill down the mountains like a patchwork quilt. The mountains are often shrouded in mist that rolls back and forth along the peaks, offering tantalizing glimpses of what lies in wait on a clear day. The valleys and villages around Sapa are home to a host of hill-tribe people who wander town to buy, sell and trade. 

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Guide for traveling around Sapa. You can trek Mt. Fansipan – the highest peak in Vietnam, trek to Cat Cat, Ta Phin, Ta Van, Sin Chai villages,  or visit the incredible Tram Ton Pass. Check the article out for more details.

The easiest trek in town is to follow the steps up to the Sapa radio tower (admission 15,000) for killer views of the valley.

Montagnards from surrounding villages don their best clothes and go to the Sapa market  most days. Saturday is the busiest day, and town is choking with tourists as the evening “love market” is a big magnet for organized tour groups from Hanoi, lf you’d rather enjoy Sapa at a more sedate pace, avoid the Sat market.

The love market is speed dating minority style. Tribal teenagers trek into town to find a mate. It’s all very coy, but unlike many of the more remote love markets in the region, it has become very commercial in recent. These days there are more camera – toting tourists than love-sick Montagnards, as a smattering of opportunist prostitutes on the scene.

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Hotels are popping up like mushrooms around Sapa. Luckily the mushroom mantra of ‘keep them in the dark and feed them shit’ that applies to the attitude of so many budget hotels in Hanoi is not common here. However, prices can fluctuate wildly according to the volume of tourist traffic and they often double on busy weekends. Look around and negotiate. Needless to say, it’s wise to avoid the weekend rush. Accommodation is pro-arranged for travelers on tours booked in Hanoi, although it is worth checking the standard of the hotel in advance so you don’t get any unpleasant surprises. 

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Most of the busier hotels have reasonably priced cafes, which get more popular as the weather worsens. There’s a string of popular restaurants worth checking out below the market on Tue Tinh Str as you head in the direction of Cat Cat village.

Baguette & Chocolat

Add: Thac Bac Str – Cakes 6000 – 15,000d – Breakfast, lunch & dinner

On a cold and wet day, this place is a welcome retreat for a warm cocoa and delectable gateaux. The menu keeps growing and now includes some Asian greatest hits for around 40,000d. Or indulge in comfort food from home, with pizzas, salads and baguettes. Takeaway picnics are a smart option for trekkers.

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Considering the number of travelers to Sapa, organized entertainment is relatively scarce and the bar scene slow. For most, an evening out is the guesthouse balcony, particularly when the fog rolls in. 

Red Dragon Pub
Tel: 872 085 – Add: 23 Muong Hoa Str 
Don’t let yourselves be put off by the quaint tearoom downstairs, as upstairs is a little drinking den of a Brit-style pub that fills up most evenings. Befitting a respectable pub, there is a serious range of beers and some good pub grub. The tearoom downstairs is a good stop for hangers and mash or herbal teas during the day. 

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Sapa is emerging as the top shopping destination in the mountainous north. Most items are clothing, accessories and jewellery produced by the multitude of minority in the area. More recently some Vietnam designers have also been getting in on the producing clothes and household t inspired by tribal motifs and patterns. Check out some of the stores on Pho Cau May the best selection of designer gear 

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