Welcome to the Sapa Virtual Tour
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Sapa: Silver Falls - Thac Bac
Eight miles (13km) from Sapa is the Thac Bac Water fall (the one in the picture). You can get here easily on a motorbike.
This is one of the region's major attractions. It is possible to climb to the top of the waterfalls. From there, there is an excellent view of the waterfalls.
If you come here, follow the road and you will get to the Tram Ton pass.
Sapa: Trekking in the mountains
For the ones really fit, I recommend the three day trekking to the Fan Si Pan mountain.
Mount Phan Xi Pang, as locals call it, is a 3500 yard high peak (3143 m). During the trek you will have the chance to see how locals live. And even sleep in a local home. You will need special permits to do a home stay. For this reason I recommend reserving one of the trekking tours in Hanoi or Sapa.
The best season to do this trekking is in summer. In Winter conditions may be too tough.
I did not do this trekking, so I cannot give you my personal impressions. All I can say is that if you like the picture on this page, you will love the Farsipan trek.
Sapa: Tram Ton Pass
In this picture you can see a view from the highest mountain pass in Vietnam, the Tram Ton Pass (Heaven's Gate).
While traveling around this zone, you can experience big weather variations. On one side of the mountain it might be cold and foggy, while on the other side the sun may shine, and the temperature may be warm.
To visit the area you can rent a motorbike in any agency in Sapa. Ask your hotel for more information. Riding a bike in the Northeast region is quite easy. Traffic is almost non existent. You do need to have some experience ridding bikes, though. If you do not feel comfortable riding a bike, book a jeep tour.
If you rent a bike, check it out before departing. Most of the bikes for rent are Chinese replicas of Japanese bikes, and may give you a surprise before the end of your trip.
Sapa: Local fields
If you come to Sapa you do have to do some excursions. There are three possibilities. You can do the excursions on a four wheeled vehicle, on a rented motorbike and on foot.
One of the shortest trekking is the HamRong mountain. In a two-three hour hike you can get to the top of this 2,000 yards (1750m) high mountain. From there you have an excellent view of the Sapa valley.
If you want to do a longer trekking, visit the Tavan. You have to take a jeep to get to Laochai, and from there in a 8 miles (12km) trek, you will get to Tavan. Where you can see many local people dressed in their traditional clothes.
Sapa: Hmong girls
In this picture you can see a group of local girls trying to sell something to a tourist.
When I saw these young girls harassing the visitors, I had a mixed feeling. Tourism is bringing money to these people. This money will change the life of the local people. Quality of life of the future generations will be much better, but at the same time many traditions will be lost. I guess this is the price they will have to pay. The same happens with Sapa landscapes. In order to accommodate tourists, new hotels are being built in and around Sapa. Some of these hotels respect the local building techniques, but most of them don't. I wonder what will locals sell to the visitors, once part of their scenic views are not here anymore.
Weather in SaPa
The region of Sapa has two seasons, summer and winter. The summer season goes from April to November -- July and August are the hottest. If you are visiting Sapa during this season, bring t-shirts and a pullover for the day, and a jacket for the nights.
In winter it gets really cold here, sometimes (December-January-February) it freezes. Snow is not a common phenomenon.
If you are going to do some trekkings, bring all kind of clothes. I was told that not far from Sapa is the coldest place in Vietnam, and not far from there the hottest. And do not forget your hikingboots!
Itinerary from Hanoi to Sapa
You can get to Sapa on train or on bus from Hanoi. The train is more convenient. There is even a luxury train departing every evening to Lao Cai from Hanoi's main station. If you are traveling in a normal train, buy the soft sleeper tickets.
You get to Lao Cai at first time in the morning -- mostly before dawn. From there you get on a minibus, and in a couple of hours you are in Sapa. The views from the road are awesome.
Most of the times, you will have to wait till 12 to check into your hotel. Meanwhile you can go for a walk in the town center, have a good breakfast, and relax in one of the terraces. Once your room is ready, you can have a nap, take a shower and eat something. In the afternoon, you can visit the town in the valley down Sapa.
You get to Lao Cai at first time in the morning -- mostly before dawn. From there you get on a minibus, and in a couple of hours you are in Sapa. The views from the road are awesome.
Most of the times, you will have to wait till 12 to check into your hotel. Meanwhile you can go for a walk in the town center, have a good breakfast, and relax in one of the terraces. Once your room is ready, you can have a nap, take a shower and eat something. In the afternoon, you can visit the town in the valley down Sapa.
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