May 31st, 2007 by Farmer Dave
Sapa is an incredibly picturesque village that lies on the Hoang Lien Son mountain range near the Chinese border in NW Vietnam. It is called as "the Tonkinese Alps" You can see many hill tribe people, their villages, rice terraces, lush vegetation, and Fansipan, highest peak in Vietnam.
Sapa was settled by the French in 1922 as a hill station and an outpost to China. It is 350 kilometers northwest of Hanoi in the Fansipan Mountains and 3,000 meters above sea level.
Sapa is a remote and very isolated town. Their customs have changed little even with the influx of tourists (mainly backpackers). The women wore exquisite head dresses in the tradition of their individual tribes. The Hmong young men were dashing in embroidered caps and sashes with large, bone handled knives in the waistband. The children were stunning in their miniature versions of the traditional outfits.
Due to the climate being so cold the area boasts peach, plum and other types of cold climate fruit and vegetables.
The Days Itinerary
Lao Cai to Sapa. Arrive in Lao Cai at 06.00am where we meet our pick up and transfer to Sapa. Check into the guesthouse and have breakfast before a short hike out to visit Cat Cat village. Cat Cat is part of the Black H'mong village and the walk takes in some of the beautiful scenery, which includes the rice paddies and the Cascade Waterfall. Lunch is taken in a local restaurant and then in the afternoon you are free to explore Sapa.
Sapa, originally a Black H'mong settlement, served as a French retreat after its European discovery by a Jesuit missionary in the early 20th Century until its the French defeat at Dien Bien Phu in 1954 when the Vietnamese took over. Here you can visit the church, museum and take a walk up Dragon's Jaw Hill offering excellent views of the town. Dinner will be held in a local restaurant and then overnight in Sapa. Lunch and Dinner.
Overnight at Chau Long Hotel in Sapa. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner included