SAPA TRAVEL GUIDE

Understand

Located at 1500 meters (4921 feet) above sea level in Vietnam's remote northwest mountains, Sapa is famous for both its fine, rugged scenery and also its rich cultural diversity. Sapa is an incredibly picturesque town that lies in the Hoang Lien Son mountain range near the Chinese border in northwestern Vietnam, known as "the Tonkinese Alps". Sapa and its surrounding region is host to many hill tribes, as well as rice terraces, lush vegetation, and Fansipan, the highest peak in Vietnam. Other great mountains like Aurora & J, where Sa Pa sees the first rays of sun, make up a very steep valley. However, as a result of a recent surge in popularity Sapa has rapidly become a tourist hotspot where money is the new drug of choice. Don't be put off by the rush, your explorations of the surrounding countryside will be worth the trouble. Be mindful of all the locals selling in the streets as they can be quite demanding. Groups of locals can be known to follow visitors around, aggressively selling handmade goods. The local government does not encourage tourists to buy from street sellers or give money to children, however it has become customary to hand out toothbrushes to the children.

Weather

The billboard in Sapa states proudly of its weather: "Four seasons in one day." Chilly winter in the early morning, spring time after sunrise, summer in afternoon and cold winter at night.

In winter (the 4 months between November and February), the weather in Sapa is invariably cold, wet and foggy (temperatures can drop to freezing and there was snow in 2011). Travelers have rolled into town on a glorious clear day and proceed to spend a week trapped in impenetrable fog. When it is like this there really isn't very much to do. Also, the rice paddys are brown & empty (they are planted in spring), the paths very muddy & slippery & the glorious vistas of summer are completely hidden in the mist. If you choose to visit in winter, bring along warm clothing or prepare to be cold and miserable, as many hotels do not have efficient heating in their rooms. During that time, the more upscale hotels that do have heating fill up quickly, so make reservations in advance if you can afford not to freeze. (Or don't go there in winter time).

It rains very often during the month of August, especially in the mornings - though this is also the time when scenery is at its greenest and most beautiful.

Travel Tips

Bear in mind that some of the minorities do not wish to have photos taken of them - ask permission beforehand. To ask for permission, smile, lower your head down and raise your camera up to ask. If you take pictures of anyone, it's considered polite to show them their pictures. Most won't charge you for a photo.

Bring along a poncho, or you can also buy a cheap one in the many shops around. Rubber boots and trekking shoes can be rented from some shops or perhaps at the hotel you are staying in. However, do bear in mind that they have limited sizes. If you are going trekking these are highly recommended, particularly if it has been raining!

Do buy some hand made items direct from the ethnic minorities, especially if you have enjoyed a good conversation or received help from them. Though they do charge slightly more than the shops, bear in mind that the majority of them are very poor and depend on tourist money to survive.

If you want to support the ethnic minorities, try to hire a guide directly instead of doing it through your hotel. This way all your money goes directly to the minorities instead of the 50% they get if booked through a hotel or agency. Some hotels ask for $30 per person for private trekking of group of 2-4, but will only pay $10 to the guide. If you want to save money, some locals will guide you on a 4 hour hike to their village (including a lunch) for 600,000 VND (30$). Keep in mind that this very cheap price does not includes return transportation. You will have to come back on your own or hire a taxi (around 50 000VND or 3$).

See

Sapa is a charming mountain town, surrounded by picturesque mountains and rice terraces. Great views of the area can be had (weather permitting) from the nearby hills. One of these has been built up into a tourist attraction ("Ham Rong Resort") with various gardens (orchid, European), ethnic minority dance performance areas, viewpoints, and restaurants. It's a short walk south from the central square and then up some stairs. Entrance is 70,000 dong.

If you got time then it's worth going to the "Sa Pa Culture Museum" (Open daily 7:30AM-11:30AM,1:30PM-5:00PM.~Admission free,but donations accepted~) where you can learn about the history of Sa Pa and the costumes & traditions of the Ethnic groups of Sa Pa.The museum is located behind the Tourist Office.

It's also worth to check some of the colonial buildings left by the French colonialists such as the church,the square and Town Hall building. While walking in the mountains you will encounter many hill tribes such as the Red Dao tribe.

· Vina Volunteer Service.

· Sit and Drink. Sit on the balcony of a hotel overlooking the valleys while drinking a beer at sunset - sublime!

· Hmong Sewing Classes. Indigo Cat provides Hmong Sewing Classes but you also will find a huge selection of local products such as genuine crafts, different teas, or cardamom. You can find it at 046 Fansipan Str.

· Trekking. Sign-up for a trekking trip that enables you to stay overnight at one of the villages. The homestay experience is not uncomfortable (some homestays have hot water showers, while some don't. Red Dao homestays may have herbal baths. Ask in advance if this is important to you) and an enriching one. Bring a sweater, as the villages can be very chilly at night and there are no heat sources of any kind except for the cooking fire in the kitchen. Thick blankets will be provided when you sleep. These treks can be purchased in Hanoi as part of a package, or you can ask for private treks for your party, at USD25-35 per day.. Be aware, however, that most treks organized by Vietnamese people do not really respect the guides (who will mostly be members of the ethnic minorities). Some local organizations guarantee a good income for the local people, and not just the Hanoi-based tour organizations. Most one day treks can be done on your own, footpaths are easy to follow, it is hard to get lost. Map can be found in the tourist office for 25 kDong. GPS or Google earth work perfectly fine as well. Be prepared to be followed by locals who will try to sell you things. They can be quite persistent and saying "Maybe later" is considered a verbal contract. If you want to go to Fansipan mountain, you will need a proper guide and several licenses. It is ilegal to trek the mountain alone and there is people controling the entrance.150.

· Homestay: At the time of writing a typical "classic" tour will costs you around 35/40$ for one night including the trek to the village, including 4 cooked meals and as much rich wine as you can drink. Some of the more remote villages have very few foreign visitors and do not deal with the large volumes of tourists from the 'homestays' on the guided tours. (!)Just a little reminder : Sleeping in houses not officially recognised as homestays can lead to problems for both the host and you if you get caught. You have been warned.(!). If you want to go off the beaten track and still sleep in a comfortable bed check out the new accommodation www.namcangriversidehouse.com. We had a really amazing time here.

· Heaven's Gate. The mountains will take your breath away. Join a tour or go by rented motorbike. Get directions and a map from the very friendly girls at the tourist centre right in the middle of the town's square. If you go on tour it will be a half day thing with a waterfall nearby thrown in. This waterfall has its own charm. Viewing the mountains is free, though there is a small charge to enter the waterfall. Make sure you bring along wide-angled cameras for the mountains.

· Go Solo Biking. Hire a motorbike and head for one of the villages outside of Sapa. When you pay at the pay stations, they give you a pretty good map or you can buy a great 'Tourist Map' for about 20k at the tourist information center. All of the trekking routes are marked (the one you get at the pay station even gives you distances and difficulty). Paths are generally easy to follow and there are a lot of people around to help if you are unsure. Great adventures! 248.

· Sapa Lake. A 5-minute walk from the church will bring you to Sa Pa lake where you can rent a pedal boat for 40,000 dond/30 min or 80,000 dong/hour. Note that the pedal boats are available only on weekends& good weather days.

· Remote Sapa valley. Catch a free shuttle bus from the Topas Travel Office at 9:30 AM (21 Muong Hoa Street, Sapa) and drive 18 km to the Topas Ecolodge in the remote Muong Hoa valley. From here there is excellent access to various hikes to areas with no tourism (in contrast to busy Sapa). The ecolodge has an excellent restaurant with great views of the mountains.

· Cooking class, the hill station restaurant (follow fansipan street down the hill, after a turn to the right you'll see the restaurant to your left), ☎(+84) 20 388 7111. 9am or 2pm. The class should be arranged one day in advance. The price might seem a little steep, but it's totally worth it. You meet with the (perfectly) English-speaking H'mong chef who takes you to the market where you buy fresh ingredients for 5 local dishes: smoked buffalo with pickled spinach, tofu from scratch, chicken with deep fried ginger sticks, ash baked trout and h'mong style black pudding in the morning or banana flower salad in the afternoon. In the kitchen a table is prepared for you to follow the chef's instructions. When every thing is ready, you sit in the restaurant and dine like a king with four servings of local wines. Don't worry, if it is too much; the kitchen will pack everything for you. 29$.

Buy

· It is possible to get cash and get cash advance on credit cards at the bigger Hotels in Sapa. Furthermore, there are ATMs on the main street that now accept all major cards such as Visa, Mastercard or the Maestro network. Travelers checks are difficult to change.

· Make sure that the foreign currency notes you bring along to Sapa are as new and crisp as possible. It is very hard to obtain the local currency with tatty notes. Some hotels will reject the money exchange request. There have been reports of shops taking customer's new crisp notes, switching them with taped up cut ones, and insisting that were the ones the customers gave them.

· The usual endless supply of nearly identical tourist trinkets is available at every turn. Although Sapa is famous for its embroidery. There are two types: handmade and machine made. It is easy to tell the difference. Buying direct from the maker is preferable, although prices are highly elastic. When bargaining, try to find out how long it took to make the piece. If you want machine made products, you are better off buying them in the shops - It pays to shop around for the right pair of reproduction Montagnard earrings or fake handicrafts.

· The various markets sell clothes, blankets, etc. with colorful designs traditional to the various ethnic minorities in Sapa. Take note that the dye used to give a blue color stains the fingers (and not only the fingers) - which is why many of the women who make them have darkened fingertips. When you wash these clothes the color will run. (To avoid this, soak them in cold salty water, and make sure you pack them carefully in your bag to take home.)

· Be careful buying batteries as some people will sell them with no power remaining.

· Knock-off North Face Gear. There is tons of imitation North Face gear for sale in Sapa. From jackets to backpacks to hiking shoes, you can find it all. Be aware that some of the replicas are made in Vietnam and some are from China. Check the tags and barter hard. Remember it's not REAL North Face!

Eat

There are more restaurants than one could stomach along the main strip, Pho Cau May; they all have nearly the same menu, with many of them offering, oddly enough, Italian as well as Vietnamese fare. Tread with caution.

· Nhà Hang 034 - good medium budget restaurant, good salads, good menus, best pizza I found so far in North Vietnam, staff speaks English fluently and also helps with any problems and plannings for free. SN 034 Tue Tinh, Sa Pa. DT 0914 487 468 - 0203 503 074

· Delta restaurant - a top-end restaurant. The food is a sad attempt at Italian food. The pizzas were terrible (and sweet?) but the pasta was a bit better. Too expensive: from US$5 for a pizza. Same for pastas. Wine is very very expensive.

· Rose Garden Sapa - a middle-ranged restaurant. The restaurant is located on Phan Xi Pang street, on the way to Cat Cat Village. They have freshly baked baguettes and hamburgers right off their own bakery. The desserts - ice cream, cakes and cookies are sweet delicacies yet at an affordable price.

· Little Sapa - a popular, low-priced restaurant on the hill leading out of the main tourist hotel area. Serves outstanding local and decent western dishes to a mixed local/foreign clientele. Features some unique dishes in addition to the fixtures available at any other Sapa restaurant. Try the H'Mong King Style chicken. 18 cau may st.

· Baguettes & Chocolate - a café specializing in delicious French pastries. They serve both European and Asian meals as well. Run as a vocational school for disadvantaged youths. Up the stairs northwest of the central plaza. Expect patchy service from the disadvantaged youth.

· On the corner facing out onto the lake in the central part of town (up the hill from the tourist hotel area) is a pleasant shop selling local fare, they offer a partly-translated menu with fair prices (10,000-30,000 dong).

· At the market - Foodstalls selling good noodlesoup for VND 10.000, fried rice for VND 15.000 and the other usual Vietnamese fare for around VND 30.000. Further more it's a great experience to dine with the locals!

· Bombay Indian, 36 pho cau may. Very good North Indian food, with many options for vegetarians. Mains are 4-8USD. As on January, 2013, the restaurant is closed and now runs a Vietnamese buffet instead.

· The Hill Station, 07 Muong Hoa. Fine wine, cheese and cold cuts. Home made hams and pâté. Punto Italia coffee. One of the best hamburgers in Sapa.

· Panorama Retaurant, 039 Fanxipang Sreet (On the top of Sapa Unique Hotel), ☎ +(84)872689. Great view from restaurant, opening kitchen, great local,Vietnamese as well as Western food. They don't offer the cooking class anymore.

· Duc Tu, 8 Pham Xuan Huan. A restaurant serving traditional Sapa food. They do not speak much English but have a menu with a English translation of the dishes and are very friendly. Hot Pot is a speciality. You dip slices of meat into a simmering broth until just cooked. You also add mushrooms and greens. At the end, the broth is very flavoursome and then you add noodles and have noodle soup.

· Local Grocery Store. to the east of the lake, on the corner of Kim Dong and Ngu Chi Son there is a local grocery store where you can find reasonably priced goods. (i.e. Large Aquafina for 8K, ice tea for 7.5K, Soda for 6.5K)

· Cau May Sapa Restaurant, No 10 Hoang Dieu Street, Sapa Town, Laocai Province, Vietnam, ☎ +84 203 872 535 (fax: +84 871 406).10usd - 30usd.

Drink

· Hmong Sisters Bar - Close to the Sapa Bamboo Hotel. Has a pool table,a fire pace and local beer on tab for 20k đ. This is a very popular bar in town, you will meet tourists, expats, locals and Vietnamese. Music until late night.

· The Color Pub - all the way down the Phan Xi Pan (engl. Fansipan) street you'll find an overgrown, self-built M'hong-style hut that is run by an adorable young family. Cozy and filled with jars of strong, homemade ricewine of different flavours.

Sleep

Keep in mind that in Sapa, as in many other provinces of Vietnam, it is the law that you must turn over your passport to your hotel/guesthouse/hostel. However, a photocopy of the main page and your visa should suffice, and if they refuse, simply tell them your real copy is in Hanoi getting a visa extension.

A near-endless supply of cheap rooms are available in the touristy area down the hill from the town centre, and generally a flock of young men and women will leap on you the moment you arrive with offers from US$3 on up (price quoted for a double).