Crossing Vietnam Tour promote tours to Sapa
The Cloud city of Vietnam by Crossing VietNam Tour
Nestled among the Hoang Son Lien
Mountains, Sapa is an excellent gateway to the H'mong and Dao villages that dot
the landscape of Vietnam
The first thing travelers should know about Sapa is that it is one of highlands
in Vietnam - 1,600m above sea level. That means a leisurely stroll to the
nearest tribe village is more like an hour-long trek up and down some steep
slopes. It is not a destination that travelers should tackle without some mental
and physical preparation.
Having said that, Sapa is a sight to behold. The Hoang Son Lien range of
mountains, which dominates it and includes Fansipan - Vietnam's highest peak at
3,143m - is the eastern extremity of the Himalayas.
On a good day, travelers' view is a myriad of colors merging onto textures of
landscapes as vivid sky hues blend into the browns and greens of the mountains
before cascading back into the blues as rivers and streams mirror the skies.
Even on wet days, the landscape is not a total washout: Rolling mists blanket
the valleys and lowlands, giving it a veil of mystery.
When travelers were there in October, the temperature hovered between a cool 160C and 190C but travelers were told it could dip to zero in winter and push the
mercury to 290C in summer.
The best time to visit this quaint town is from March to June, when it's warmer
and drier - making the mountains easier to scale - or from September to
December, if travelers want to escape the heat.
When it's wet, escape into the many cafes about Sapa town where a piping hot
coffee or rich hot chocolate will return the color to traveler's faces. Once a
French colony, Sapa's pastries and breads are the softest and fluffiest
travelers've ever had, with toasty crusts to thaw traveler's frigid fingers.
Myriad cuisines, from Indian to Italian, can be found in Sapa town. The
adventure of tourism has ensured that different palates from all over the world
are catered to. Although, personally, nothing warms the tummy like slurping up a
hot bowl of pho.
Take a short walk from Sapa town to the bus station and travelers find
themselves surrounded by eateries proffering steamboat, grilled meats and pho.
The clean air and water give the mountain greens an added crunch and a delicious
natural taste, that even non-vegetable lovers will leave their plate bare.
Sapa is located at the Lao Cai province in north-west Vietnam, bordering China.
Lao Cai is also a station to cross into China from Vietnam. Treks into the
neighboring hill tribes of Black H'mong (say "her-mong") and Red Dao ("zhao")
are a must. The Black H'mong is characterized by the indigo vests they wear
while the Red Dao is identifiable by their red headgear.
A local guide from the hill tribes can be hired for expeditions into the
villages. English-speaking guides can be found easily at the hotels or tour
offices around town. The level of spoken English is pretty good, with many of
the guides sporting British, Australian and even American accents.
A fee must be paid at guardhouses located at the entrance of the tribes before
entering the village. These go towards development of the villages, with a
budget set aside for schools which kids attend for free.
A guide we met at a tour office warned us against going into the villages alone
as authorities have been known to penalize unaccompanied travelers. Besides,
having a guide offers some insights into tribe culture.
A trek through the Black H'mong village took travelers four hours, at a
leisurely pace. The cool weather and the friendly Black H'mong villagers made
the experience a very enjoyable one.
Travelers learnt the hard way that travelers should ask before travelers take
pictures as some of the tribes' people may not be receptive. But the locals are
more than happy to pose for travelers if travelers ask nicely.
GETTING THERE
To get to Sapa Vietnam travelers need to take a train from Hanoi to Lao Cai.
From there travelers will take a mini bus up in to the town of Sapa.
Transportation from Hanoi to Sapa can be arranged for a reasonable price.
Travelers might also be able to take a bus but it takes much longer. Railway
tickets can be bought locally, via travel agents or at train stations.
GETTING AROUND
Local hotels and travel agents offer daily bus and private car between tourist
attractions in two ways.
PACKAGES
Crossing Vietnam Tour (0439381493; http://www.crossingvietnam.com)
offers package trips in Sapa, Vietnam with some activities like trekking &
hiking include accommodation, meals, guide, activities and return ticket from
Hanoi to Lao Cai and vice versa and transfers.
Sapa Budget Tours
- Sapa Day Tours - Sapa Day Excursions - Day Trips Sapa Vietnam
- Sapa Walk and Bac ha Market
- Sapa Hard Trekking Two
- Sapa Hard Trekking One
- Sapa Medium Trek Two
- Sapa Medium Trek
Sapa Trekking and Adventures
- Fansipan peak conquering VIP tour (3 days - 2 nights)
- Fansipan peak conquering VIP tour (2 days - 1 nights)
- Fansipan peak conquering Deluxe tour (4 days - 3 nights)
- Fansipan peak conquering Deluxe tour (3 days - 2 nights)
- Fansipan peak conquering Deluxe tour (2 days - 1 nights)
- Fansipan peak conquering Standard tour (4 days - 3 nights)
Sapa Cycling Options
- Sapa - Binh Lu - Lai Chau(with biking)
- Sapa - Lao Chai - Ta Van - Ban Ho
- Sapa Biking Tour - Ban Ho Village
- Sapa Biking Tour - Binh Lu - Lai Chau
- SaPa - Bac Ha Market with biking
- Pedalling The Remote Sapa\'s Northwest
Sapa Luxury Holidays
Traditional Minority Discovery Packages
- Green Sapa bus (Hanoi – Sapa)
- Eco Sapa Limousine Van (Hanoi – Sapa)
- Private car Hanoi Sapa
- Hanoi Sapa Private Cabin bus
- Coc Ly market with boat trip
- Cao Son market -boat trip on Chay river- Sapa Tours
Sapa Classic Trips
Northern Mountain Discovery Packages
Topas Ecolodge Sapa tours
- Topas Ecolodge and Market Package 3D/4N
- Topas Ecolodge and Market Package-2D/3N
- Topas Ecolodge and Victoria Sapa Package – 4D/5N
- Topas Ecolodge and Victoria Sapa Package – 3D/4N
- Topas Ecolodge Package – 3D/4N
- Topas Ecolodge Package 2D/3N