Trekking in Sapa for 2 day was the most memerrable experience I had in Vietnam. Before I imagined was a wild, isolated mountainous area in the northern border of Vietnam.
My two friends and I searched on the internet and saw eye to eye that we would go for a two-day trekking trip as all three of us enjoy walking and exploring nature.
Day 1: Bus to Sapa then a short trek to Cat Cat village
Our trip started in Hanoi and we had to wake up at 5 am to prepare as the bus would come and pick us up at 6.30.
As soon as we settled our back down our lovely seats, we had a short nap as we were all tired and sleepy. We stopped in Lao Cai for a while before we finally made it to Sapa at 13.00.
Much as I had expected, Sapa in real life was a vibrant, peaceful and beautiful town. Contrast to the hustle and bustle of Hanoi, Sapa is not so big but it fits so well with the magnificent landscape.
As it was already mid-noon, we quickly moved to the hotel we booked and went to a local restaurant for lunch. The food was awesome.
I had worried that the food wouldn’t be so good but I was wrong. The traditional grilled pork we ordered was heavenly and it was served together with very fresh herbs.
Grilled pork
After having lunch, we gathered again and moved to Cat Cat village by bus. On the bus, we met our tour guide who is a humorous guy.
He provided us with some very fascinating information of the place we were about to visit like the meaning of the village’s name, some interesting traditions of the people resided there.
At 15.00, we reached Cat Cat village. The village is situated at the bottom of a breathtaking valley, near the foot of the Fansipan peak.
The view was wonderful and my friends and I took loads of photos to make sure that we would have something to share back home.
Our trekking track was about 2.5 km and it took about 2 hours to finish. Going along the trekking track, we were all amazed by Sapa’s stunning nature.
The almighty Fansipan was high above while endless green fields of rice stretched to the horizon. That will be something I never forget.
And finally, we made it to the waterfall which is our final destination. The beauty of the waterfall was overwhelming.
“The water falling from above resembled an enormous dragon plummeting from heaven”, said Helen, one of my friends.
We took more photos at the bridge nearby and waited for the bus to come back and drive back to the center of Sapa.
Love Water Fall
It was 17.00 and we were enjoying out evening at the hotel. It was amazing. We had campfire and we grilled our dinner ourselves.
Although I am not a good cook, I was so proud for all of the grilled corn and chicken that I made. Delicious!
Finishing diner, we had a wonderful overnight chat with other tourists. Despite coming from different countries, we felt so close and Sapa was like our home.
Day 2: Lao Chai- Ta Van trekking- Back to Hanoi
The second day was a bit unlucky for us. It rained cats and dogs and we almost thought that everything would be canceled.
We went for breakfast feeling bitter as our trip would not come up to our expectations. But all of the sudden, the rain stopped and we quickly packed our backpacks to head for the next trekking site- Lao Chai.
At around 8.00, our bus was driving through Y Linh Ho heading to Lao Chai, where we would stop and start our trekking track.
Refreshingly green rice terraces stretching over our eyesight, fluffy white clouds floating above like a herd of hungry sheep.
View from the top of the mountain
After 3.5 hours of non-stop trekking, we finally reached Ta Van. The village is unique among many villages in Sapa thanks to its beautiful old houses. They reminded me of Hanoi’s old quarter but with a very different architecture.
A local farm offer us some peaches. The taste of the fruit was amazing. Although I had tried many types of peach before, the type in Ta Van was very special, sweet but not mushy.
Church in Sapa
It was 11.30 and we were back again to Sapa town where we would have our last lunch before going back to Hanoi.
The lunch was amazing with roasted duck in soy sauce but I couldn’t help feeling so sad. It was not because the trip was bad, it was the opposite.
Sapa had so much to offer but we really didn’t have time to enjoy all of it. I really missed our super friendly tour guide, our delicious meals and the breathtaking landscapes of Sapa.
I looked at my cell phone and it was already 16.00. We were enjoying our last minutes in Sapa on our lovely bus. T
he bus was moving slowly and Sapa gradually became smaller as I was looking through the bus’s window.
At 21.00, the trip was officially over and we were in hotel in Hanoi, recalling our amazing moments in Sapa.
As many of you guys would wonder about the trip, I would like to provide some essential information that I took from my own experience so that you might have an easier time preparing for your own.
When to travel
The most suitable time for travelling to Sapa is perhaps the dry season which often lasts from October to April of the next year.
The reason is that during these months it is not too wet or muddy, which would make it easier for trekking.
However, as from December to February it might be freezing, it is essential to bring some clothes with thick layers.
Where to book your tour
Actually, you may have many options regarding choosing where to book your trip and in fact choosing an authentic and trust-worthy can be quite tedious. So here are my recommendations.
Book through your hotel
Many hotels would love to offer you tours and it could be quite convenient as you don’t need to do much searching.
However, as many hotels receive interest from tour providers, these tours could not come up to what hotels promise you, leaving you disappointed. So be careful!
Ask your Vietnamese friends
It’s best to have Vietnamese friends as your consultant. They know their country much better than you and you don’t even have to pay them.
However, not everyone has Vietnamese friends and in many cases they may not know much about good travel agencies.
Book through Vietnam’s online travel agencies
This way can be quite convenient as you can do everything online. It’s quick. But the problem is you don’t know which website is the best one so you might end up choosing something too expensive compared to the average or if worse choosing some agencies that are unreliable, making you trip a disaster.
Therefore, I highly recommend you guys try a21tours. They are one of the best travel agencies in Vietnam, providing authentic and trust-worthy tours for different ranges of budget.
How to get to Sapa
Your trip package usually include transportation. In my case, we receive a offer to choose among 3 types of transport from a21tours: Bus, train and private car.
Bus
Cheap and very comfortable. However, sitting around strangers in a small space could be quite irritating for some.
Bus to Sapa
Train
A little bit more expensive than other means. Other than that, going by train is a much more interesting experience as you can look though the train window and have a much livelier look at the landscape as you go.
The interaction with other travellers could also be much less coward and you could know more about the others as train offers bigger space thus a better chance of hanging out with other groups.
Train to Sapa
Private car: The most expensive. But that’s also understandable as you would receive much better service.
Private car
What to bring
Clothes: Bring enough clothes and remember to choosing suitably according to the weather. Winter months can be quite freezing while summer months are very timid and hot.
Shoes: Trekking involves long and tiring movements. Therefore, putting on a pair of comfortable, fit sport shoes will assist you a lot during the trekking process.
Money: Bring enough cash. It’s hard to find a money withdrawer in Sapa and local restaurants and hotels often don’t accept credit card.
Camera: Sapa is a great place for taking photos. Being photogenic involves many other factors but having a good camera is obviously a decisive one.
For ones who are considering Sapa, I hope that my post would be of great help to you guys. Don’t hesitate to write a comment if you want to ask for more details of our trekking trip.
