Place to see: Sapa, Sa P?, Vietnam

Postcards about Sapa:

• 

  14 August 2008
  From:
  Sara Spears

  After arriving in Hanoi at 2am and sweating through a sleepless night, I got up, had some signature Vietnamese coffee and got to planning. I only had a couple of days to see Sapa so I needed to get there as soon as possible. Luckily, my new 'friend' at the hotel was able to get me a train ticket on the black market to leave that night for Lao Cai. So I took that evening's overnight train, sharing my cabin with both bugs and fellow travelers, and arrived surprisingly well-rested in Lao Cai. Even the hour long ride from the train station to the Sapa village was breathtaking (admittedly partly due to the perilous mountain roads). Two days of trekking merely whet my appetite for color, sky, fresh air, quiet. Neither pictures nor words could accurately describe the vastness and splendor of the Sapa mountains and valleys. This city dweller found herself in awe of the beauty this world has to offer, and will forever look back fondly on this particular corner of the Earth.

• 

  1 July 2008
  From:
  Aaron Santos

  A lazy breeze whirled around us and then made its way down the sloping rice terraces and slanting mountainsides, disappearing into the paddies below. Pang, our Hmong guide, had earlier offered to take us through Sapa’s countryside via roads less traveled to the Red Dao village where we would spend the night amidst a sky littered with stars and the quiet sounds of being tucked away in the middle of nowhere. It was an unforgettable experience, and upon leaving we felt that the vastness and beauty of the land was matched only by the warmth of its inhabitants.

• 

  24 June 2008
  From:
  Scott Cejka

  I really miss Sapa. It was cool at night, almost cold at times. The air was clear, and fresh. I really miss my friends Chung and Vu who I met there. If anyone sees them, please say hi for me and buy a few trinkets. They took me all over the town and villages and I'll always remember that. "You buy from me?" Yes, of course I will, anytime. The young girls all speak a handful of foreign languages which gives them a distinct advantage over the older ladies who can't. The weekend Sapa markets are a great place for people watching..but don't just watch..interact! That's what travel is for! Talk to people, if you don't know the language, smile a lot and gesture...every little try helps you both. Enjoy this little slice of heaven while it lasts. It seemed it was building up fast when I was there. But who's to say which is better? Maybe they'd like a tv to watch, while I want to get as far away from it as possible.

• 

  7 February 2008
  From:
  Frans & Claire van der Lee

  When trekking through Sapa make sure you get a good guide who will lead you away from the established routes. Our guide took us the back way on some popular treks and across the valley we could see a line of tourists being followed for hours by persistent hill tribe women hawking trinkets. On our virgin route we did have to balance beam it across some rice terrace walls, but the peace and solitude made it well worth the risk of going knee deep in paddy. We used Topas Adventure and would highly recommend their excellent guides: http://www.topas-adventure-vietnam.com/