Sapa, the great hiking destination of North Vietnam
Sapa has unique landscapes that are undeniably some of the most spectacular of North Vietnam. The nearby mountains and valleys are entirely covered in rice terraces, offering beautiful sights. These grandiose sceneries are the background setting of many hiking trails. Depending on your level and your desires, several types of trek are available, from a few hours long walk to several day-long hikes with nights in local villages.
Hiking in Sapa is really just an easy excuse to go and meet many some of the many ethnic minorities living in the area. Even though you can encounter them in Sapa’s city centre, it will always be far more interesting to meet them in their village, where they can show you their ancestral traditions and give you that warm welcome they’re so well known for.
The ethnic minorities of Sapa
Sapa is home to a beautiful patchwork of ethnicities, among them the large communities of Black Hmong and Red Dao. Representing over 50% of Sapa’s total population, Black Hmong people form the biggest ethnic group of the region. They are easily identifiable by their sober indigo outfits. Men and women wear black pants with some kind of gaiters covering their lower legs and feet. As for Dao women, their traditional outfit is identifiable by a voluminous red headdress and an indigo jacket with red ornaments on it. Both Dao and Hmong women wear beautiful silver jewelry.
From Sapa, meeting these locals is easily doable after a few hour-long car ride. Moreover, it could be the occasion to stop by the ethnic market of Bac Ha which takes place every Sunday, drawing many ethnicities including the Hmong Fleur, recognized by their colourful outfits.
Mount Fansipan, the roof of Indochina
In Sapa, sport enthusiasts can try to climb Mount Fansipan which, peaking at 3143 meters high, is Vietnam’s highest mountain top. This quite challenging trek will require 2 to 3 days to reach the top of the mountain. For the less adventurerous, it is now possible to get on the roof of Indochina by cable-car as well. If the weather is not too cloudy, once at the top you can enjoy a breathtaking sight of the Tonkinese Alps and the mountain chain of Hoang Lien Son.
Sapa, a nature-oriented destination
Sapa is definitely a destination for nature lovers, due to its exceptional setting. In addition to hiking, in Sapa you can:
- Discover Love and Silver Waterfalls, located on the way to Tram Ton pass at 1900 meters altitude, which is also the highest pass you can access by car. If the weather is nice, the sight is beautiful, especially on Mount Fan Si Pan.
- Contemplate the petroglyphs of Sapa, classified as national and historical heritage. Carved on quartzite stones scattered on the side of a valley, those petroglyphs remain today an enigma after being discovered a century ago now.
- Discover the Ham Rong mountain and its gorgeous gardens, filled with roses, hortensias, rhododendrons and orchids.
- Take a bath in a mix of medicinal plants, Red Dao’s specialty.
How to get to Sapa?
- By night train from Hanoi to Lao Caï in a sleeper cab. Once arrived in La Caï, it takes another hour-long ride to get to Sapa.
- By bus, very comfortable, making Hanoi to Sapa in 5 hours.
Best seasons to go:
Be careful about the season you choose to go to Sapa. The best periods are during April, May, June, end of September, October and November.
Rice planting is in May, so the rice terraces are beautifully green in July and turn to a gorgeous yellow in August. The rice is then collected during the end of September and early October.
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