We have received a lot of questions about Sapa as “is it possible to Sapa trekking on your own/ without a tour guide?” or “Where can I get the latest Sapa trekking map?”. Sapa is so famous for its fancy and wild landscapes, therefore trek-lovers definitely want to discover Sapa by themselves. Below are some guides for Sapa trekking on your own.
Best things when choosing Sapa trekking on your own
There are reasons why you choose Sapa trekking on your own, but below are the most three common ones. Check out if yours are the same or not.
- Free to schedule your trips: Okay, back to the thing of freedom. Sapa trekking on your own and your backpack means you do not need to care about time to wake up or to join the team. All is your decision.
- Take the risks, take the bests: if you are young and adventure-addicted, sapa is the dream place for trekking alone. You may face problems during the trip, but get a unique experience and memorable moments at the same time.
- Enjoy the privacy: The trip just so warm and privacy when there are just you and your loved ones. It is also a super interesting way to discover Sapa in a peaceful way.
Sapa trekking on your own
Sapa tours with a tour guide is already a safe way to enjoy those trips, but you are a real risky person and want to jump to Sapa trekking on your own? Okay, in that case, you need to spend the time to prepare the following checklist:
Sapa trekking map
You should know that Sapa is a hard place to trekking by yourself with or without a map. However, the best thing you can prepare in advance is an updated Sapa trekking map. Based on the map, you can find the way and also ask local people in case you get lost. With a Sapa trekking map, you just simply point your fingers to the place you want to go, no need to pronounce many different Vietnamese words.
Some experience from other trekkers
– Book the Sapa train tickets in advance a month or two. Also noted that the tickets in Vietnamese holidays and weekends are higher than normal days.
– Things for a nice trek: good trekking shoes or rubber boots, a walking stick and extra clothing kept in a waterproof bag.
– In case you get lost even with a Sapa trekking map, try to catch other small tourist groups with their guides nearby, and pretend to walk in their directions till you are back to the main roads.
– Do buy some handmade items from the ethnic minorities, so that you can easily receive the welcome attitude from them, and a lot of beautiful pictures, of courses.
– In the train to Sapa: the road is incredibly curvy. If you’re prone to motion sickness, take medication with you. Also, bring instant noodle cups or foods, because foods and drinks offered in the train are not really nice.
Other things you need for Sapa trekking on your own
- Sapa train tickets
- Suggested Sapa day tours
- Suggested Sapa trekking tours
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