Sapa travel

Sapa is among the highest places in Vietnam and among the most recent additions to the Vietnam tourist trail. Sapa's commercialization began in earnest in the early part of the 2000s, according to Footprint Vietnam, a Vietnam travel and tour company. Compared to other small-town tourist stops -- most notably Hoi An on the Central Coast -- Sapa is still relatively undeveloped and rough around the edges, which is particularly refreshing when travelling in Vietnam.

Getting to Sapa
Sapa is in North Vietnam, close to the Chinese border. Travel to Sapa begins in Lao Cai, which has train and bus service to and from Hanoi. The train takes about 10 hours, so booking an overnight ticket on a soft sleeper may be more comfortable than sitting upright in the hard, though cheap, seats. From Lao Cai, air-conditioned mini-buses run frequent trips to Sapa. This trip takes about an hour and a half, depending on traffic. Book tickets for all travel from tour companies in Hanoi to save hassle, though separate arrangements can be made at each step of the trip.

Sapa Tourist Information Center
The developing tourist trade in Sapa has made getting around the city easier. The Sapa Tourist Information Center is adjacent to the mini-bus station in the north of town. The Tourist Center has free Internet access, and can help you arrange local tours and return travel to Hanoi or Lao Cai. You can also rent bicycles and motorbikes from the center, the two preferred means of getting around in this mountain town.

What to See
The Sapa area is highlighted by its natural beauty and its ethnic history. Sapa is nestled in the mountains, in regions known for rice production, and sunrise and sunset trips to layered rice fields will make any photographer's mouth water. Vietnam's famed karst formations -- ancient limestone cliffs and mountains eroded by millennia of inclement weather -- can be found near Sapa too, most notably a Ham Rong mountain. The nearby villages of Ta Phin, Lao Chai and Cat-Cat are sometimes described as "crumbling" centers, as modernization and spreading urbanization threaten the traditional way of life in the mountains, but these villages remain Hmong minority centers. Visits to each of these towns and stops to their local markets help local economies immensely.

Organized Tours
A handful of tour companies operate trips to and out of Sapa, offering trips that try to highlight the natural wonder and cultural heritage of the area. Sapa Mountain Trail Travel (sapamountaintrail.com) has tours departing from Hanoi or Sapa, ranging from mountain trekking adventures to homestay tours. First Choice Travel's Sapa tours (travelsapa.com) often depart Hanoi and include overnight train rides. First Choice's tours are upscale compared to Mountain Trail Travel, and focus more on comfortable hotels and sight-seeing than deep cultural interaction, though not exclusively. Footprint Vietnam (footprintsvietnam.com) focuses exclusively on trekking and backpacking trips to remote areas around Sapa.