|
The village of Sapa lies in the Northwest
section of Vietnam on the Hoang Lien Son mountain range. Only miles from the
Chinese border, the area allows visitors a chance to catch the misty
panoramic views infamous to a region that only recently opened again to
tourism. A border skirmish with China closed off the village in 1979 and it
would be another fourteen years before travel to the region was given the
green light to resume. Now, the area is considered a mecca for backpackers
and hikers due to its supreme trekking terrain.
Multi-Day Excursions-Mount
Fansipa
To start off with, about 19 km from the center of town towers Mount Fansipan,
which at 3,143 meters above sea level, makes this the highest peak in
Vietnam. Three routes lead to the top, which can only be reached by foot.
The summit is marked by a metal triangle and you don’t need rope or
technical experience to reach the top, but you will need plenty of endurance
and a guide is essential for the trek.
To make the journey, it is best to allow
from 3 to 6 days round-trip, depending on the level of experience of the
climber. You’ll need camping gear such as tents, sleeping bags, warm
clothing, food, blankets, and more. If you wish, porters are also available
for hire to carry equipment. On the way up, wildlife such as wild goats or
monkeys may be encountered and the Hoang Lien Nature Reserve also lies
nearby. Here, many species of orchards as well as 150 species of birds,
including the white throated laughing thrush, which only lives in the
mountains of northwest Vietnam, can be found.
Village near Sapa (Anne Woker)
You can trek Mount Fansipan year round, but
between March and May or October and November are peak periods to do so as
this is the dry season. Misty scenery can usually be found during the early
winter months and June and August are best avoided due to rain.
Day Excursions
If your looking for a quicker hike, there are plenty of other mountains to
climb in the area with shorter, less demanding trails and guides are
recommended for these routes as well.
The nearest village within walking distance is 3 km away called Cat Cat,
where a good view of Mt. Fansipan is available. Another town, Thac Bac, is
around 12 km away and is home to the Silver Falls Trail, which hosts a 100
meter waterfall. Ta phin Village is another popular destination point as
well.It should be noted that the trails around the area are often steep so
when it’s wet, the terrain can get very muddy and slippery. Low fog and
clouds sometimes cut visibility in the region for days at a time, but when
it’s clear, the surrounding mountain ranges, rich vegetation, and
picturesque rice terraces provide standout scenery.
View hiking through Sapa (Anne Woker)
Sapa is home to a diverse number of hill
tribes including the Black H’mong, Dzao, and Red Dao which make up the
majority of the local population of the area.
During treks, you will have
the opportunity to cross paths with many of them. The most eye-catching are
the Red Dao, who wear scarlet head-dresses decorated with tassels and silver
trinkets. The Black H’mong women can also be seen selling items such as
silver jewelry , embroidered indigo blue bags, and mouth harps.
If you have a car or motorbike, another option is to head out to nearby
towns like Bac Ha, 75 km away and around a 3 hour trip. H’mong villages can
be seen along the route and 10 Montagnard hill tribe groups live there in
the highlands. On Sundays, a local market takes place here where minority
languages can be heard and elaborate outfits seen.
How to Get There
If you board a train in Hanoi, you can get to within 20 miles of Sapa to a
place called Lao Cai, which is 38 km from the Chinese border. The train
journey takes around 7 hours and once you arrive, you’ll need to take a
local bus or car the remaining route to Sapa. This will take another 5-6
hours by car and the road can provide quite a bumpy ride along the way. If
it’s raining, a very common sight is to see trucks stuck in the muddy roads
An airport is still in the preliminary stages so as of now, ground
transportation is the only way to get to the village. The roads have
notoriously made the area hard to get to but they are continuously being
upgraded as well.
If You Go
To get to Vietnam, a tourist
visa is needed. You can enter and exit the country via Hanoi or one of 8
other land borders. If you are flying, Ho Chi Minh City’s airport is the
busiest, followed by Hanoi’s Noi Bai Airport. There is a $10 departure tax
which can be paid in U.S. dollars or Vietnamese dong.
For more information, check
out the
Vietnam Embassy’s website. It’s a good
starting point from which to learn more about the process, but it’s best to
get your visa through a travel agent.
Many tours are available in the area. Some options
to start your research at are the
Auberge-Dang Trung Hotel's site as well as the
Sapa Adventure Travel website.
If you want to check out China on your
journey as well, be aware that the Chinese border is open from 7 a.m. to 5p.m. This
country is separated from Vietnam by a rail bridge over the Red River and
also by a road bridge and a toll fee will be needed to cross.
In short, wherever the day might take you, Sapa provides an opportunity for
many memorable adventures.
Zoie Clift
is a freelance journalist who thrives on traveling, photography,
backpacking, snowboarding, scuba diving, rock-climbing, adventure racing,
and mountain biking through trails or big cities. She can be reached at
zoieclift@hotmail.com.
|
