Vietnam offers impressive and very different landscapes from one region to another. In the far north of the country, the Hoang Lien Son mountains and the rice terraces attract many visitors. Fair enough: the region of Sapa abounds in breathtaking views, and allows you to meet the many ethnic minorities who still live an authentic way of life at the rhythm of their traditions and beliefs.
Here are some pictures of Sa Pa, its rice valleys and its inhabitants. I am also sharing my tips and advices to travel to Sa Pa and organize a trek in the region > Check them all at the end of this post
When we planned our trip to Vietnam, there were many places on our “bucket list” that we absolutely wanted to visit. Sapa was one of them.
We spent three days in the mountainous region of Sapa, in northern Vietnam – just a few kilometers from the border with China. An absolutely unique moment marked by a lot of meetings with the villagers, young and old. There are several ethnic minorities who still live in the region of Sapa (Hmongs, Daos, Tays, Giays and XaPho). Most of them still wear their traditional costumes and maintain the way of life of their ancestors… A simple, community way of life where being brave is one of the fundamental values.
In spring, the rice terraces are filled with water. This process is necessary to sow rice on fertile land. The villagers of Sa Pa work mainly in rice cultivation. Whether the land belongs to them or not. Their only tools are their hands, their bare feet and their buffalo (that is very expensive for the locals – as it costs three times the price of a motorbike).
You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.”
– Gustave Flaubert
Here comes the sunset…
You can reach Sapa by bus (5h30) or with a sleeper train – by night (8h00) from Hanoi. It is also possible to travel from other cities such as Ninh Binh or Haiphong, for example.
Where to sleep?
Downtown Sapa is absolutely not beautiful and I wouldn’t recommend spending more than a day there (or even few hours). We slept a little out of town in a Bed&Breakfast in the middle of nature: the Sapa Garden Bed and Breakfast
When to go?
- From March to May the rice fields are in “water”, i.e. it is the time when the inhabitants begin the transplanting work on the terraced rice fields. So you can see incredible scenes of life.
- To see the rice fields green, you need to go in summer (July – August) and to see them yellow, you need to go in September, before the harvest.
Hiking on your own or with a local guide?
It is possible to discover the region alone (ideally by motorcycle). We did it for a few hours and it was a great adventure, even if we could only take the more or less passable roads and therefore we did not venture on small paths.
How many days should you spend in Sapa?
The answer depends on you, on what you would like to do and especially on the time you have. Two days hiking in the middle of villages is really not “too much”. It is, I think, the minimum to soak up local life.
Are there a lot of tourists?
Personnaly, in April, we did not see many tourists/visitors/hikers during our 3 days in the region. Yes, the sleeper train was full and in the town of Sa Pa there were a lot of people, but once we started the hike… there was nobody left! That was awesome!
