A whole different world
The Sapa Valley is, without a doubt, my favorite place in Vietnam. After spending nearly a month touring the East Coast and experiencing its nerve-wracking motorcycle-taxis and marketplaces, arriving at Sapa was to finally be at peace. Sapa is a small town located at 1600 meters above sea level in the green mountains close to the Chinese border.
The town itself is nothing special: it’s a colonial city founded by the French, but the truth is that today it has been ravaged by tourism, restaurants, pubs, and souvenir stands. In short, it has become almost unrecognizable. However, Sapa is ideal for excursions and hiking to see the local ethnic-minority Hmong, Tay, Dao, and Nung tribes. These people cultivate immense rice fields that stretch as far as the eye can see and form an incredibly beautiful landscape of terraces.
Every day, the main square of Sapa is filled with women who come on foot from their villages to sell handicrafts to tourists. I was very surprised by their good English and friendliness, nothing to do with the rest of the country. Many of these women will also rent beds in their homes for a small sum. I couldn’t do it because my visa was about to expire, but I’m convinced that the experience would be worth it.
I won't lie: Sapa is touristy, yes, but you also have plenty of space for yourself and the place is totally different from the rest of Vietnam. Even the women seemed charming, despite the fact that they could get a bit pushy selling their scarves and shawls.
To get to Sapa, take a train or bus from Hanoi and you'll arrive in Lao Cai in 8 hours. From there, you'll have to take another bus.
![](https://images.mnstatic.com/85/f2/85f2bc923e36f816362b44ed2a648048.jpg?quality=75&format=png&fit=crop&width=65&height=65&aspect_ratio=65%3A65)
![](https://images.mnstatic.com/2e/1e/2e1e7aaa510512ff2ca971f13a21c9a5.jpg?quality=75&format=png&fit=crop&width=65&height=65&aspect_ratio=65%3A65)
![](https://images.mnstatic.com/7c/09/7c0918768588ab67a55dd3dc80e0f6bd.jpg?quality=75&format=png&fit=crop&width=65&height=65&aspect_ratio=65%3A65)