Trekking: A Not-To-Miss Experience In Sapa
To the northernmost of Vietnam, amidst the significance of the Tonkinese Alps, Sapa looks like a hidden gem with brilliant colors from ethnic minorities. The breathtaking nature and the hospitality of the locals make trekking in Sapa, an enjoyable experience for foreign tourists.
4 Things That Make You Want To Go Trekking In Sapa
Stunning Rice Terraces
Sapa is prestigious for its rice fields. Perhaps this is one of the most beautiful places in not only Vietnam but also Asia. In Sapa trekking tour, you will follow narrow paths among the paddy fields, leading to best-kept secrets of the valley. On this journey, it's easy to come across a multitude of different ethnic villages, where you feel like traveling back in time. Most of the local hill tribes live closely to nature. Their stilt houses are built from wood with unique decorations from the handwoven fabric. As they live much on agriculture, each family possesses a large farming area. Due to the particular topography, rice is grown around the mountains, creating stunning rice terraces. You can meet some water buffaloes which are working hard on the field. And surely this is a great place to save the moment and take some photos.
A Rich Ethnic Diversity
Sapa would be of considerably less interest without ethnic groups, which play an indispensable role in its unique culture. Many highland markets will engross you. These not only the places to exchange goods but also the performing stage to show unique cultural characteristics such as ethnic minorities, exceptional culinary, food, costumes, traditional customs. Some names can be taken into account if you want to discover variously colored Sapa such as Bac Ha, Can Cau, Lung Khau Nhin market,…
Sa Pa is home to many ethnic minorities; the majority is Hmong. When you come here, local villagers will accompany you along the trekking trails and introduce their traditional customs and other brocade items that they make themselves. To your surprise, the English skills of the ethnic people in Sapa are pretty good as they were exposed to the Western world since the French colonial period. So, there is no reason to have a foreign guide instead of a local guide. This is an excellent opportunity to explore the culture and life of the local people.
Spectacular Nature
The natural landscape of Sa Pa is such a highlight for the trekking tour. You will be captivated by the majestic beauty but also charming and poetic here.
If you want a mountain climbing tour, definitely can't ignore the Hoang Lien Son which features the highest peak of Indochina, Fansipan. At the height of more than 3,100m above sea level, Fansipan is a must-visit for those who want to conquer nature. You will get firsthand experience with the majestic views of the mountains. Beautiful sceneries open up after every step.
Not only blessed with the fresh, serene atmosphere with ranges of mountains stretching surround, Sapa is also impressive with majestic and marvelous waterfalls. One of the most well-known is Silver Waterfall (Thac Bac), the upstream of Muong Hoa Stream. With the height of 200m high, the waterfall looks like a white dragon looking down from the sky. You will have an opportunity to immerse yourself in the romantic natural scenery majestic but exceptionally poetic. The sounds of murmuring streams blending with bird singings inevitably bring you to the so-called heaven on earth.
One of the places that you should never miss out on your Sapa Itinerary is Ham Rong Mountain situated in the center of Sapa. With the area of roughly 150 hectares, Ham Rong is an ideal destination for sightseeing and relaxation with the beautiful Orchid Garden, Peach Garden, and the Cloud Yard. Shaped like a 'dragon's head in the clouds with green trees and over 400 species of colorful blooms almost all year round, it is a truly fine combination of human-made and natural landscape.
Enchanting Myths Of The Muong Hoa Valley
As a crucial part of Hau Thao Commune and located 8 kilometers away to the Southeast of Sapa, Muong Hoa Valley is also a special feature that attributes to the popularity of this Northwestern region. It has 196 strange carvings of the ancient inhabitants dated back to thousands of years ago which archaeologists 'haven't been able to decrypt yet. On the main road leading to Muong Hoa Valley, you will be enchanted with ancient alien rocks, bamboo forest, picturesque terraced fields as well as the villages of weaving and dyeing cloth of the Hmong.
Useful Guides To Sapa Trekking
Situated above 1600 km from sea level in the North - West of Vietnam, as a part of Lao Cai Province, Sapa is considered an attractive destination when tourists visit the S-shaped country. Quiet and modest as it may seem, Sapa undoubtedly owns a host of natural wonders and distinctive culture.
Engulfing in clouds, Sapa bears a striking resemblance to a dreamland. Sapa offers cool weather throughout the year, and just one day here, visitors could experience all the seasons from spring to winter. Therefore, it is a perfect location for visiting at any time of the year but preferably from March to May when local ethnic groups transplant rice seedlings and the flowers are in their season, or at the end of September when the rice fields are in their beautiful yellow color, and some of the significant festivals are held. At both the mentioned-above time, weather in Sapa is relatively constant, which would ensure your better experience there.
For a worry-free journey in Sapa, you are recommended to check your luggage twice to ensure you have all the things you need. As to outfits, they should be light and warm enough in winter while refreshing in the summer (yet you should still bring a coat due to day-night temperature difference). Sneakers or sandals will be the perfect footwear for you. Identity papers are required for hotel booking or motorcycle hiring. Cameras should not be excluded from your luggage as you do not know what you could capture in the middle of the immense nature here. You could also prepare some snacks or buy some there to energize while walking or hiking. Some sweets as gifts for local children would be adorable. And a map of Sapa is also necessary, 'isn't it?