I just spent 30 days in Vietnam while backpacking through South East Asia and Vietnam quickly has become one of my favorite countries that I have ever visited. One of the main reasons being Sapa, a great hill town in the northern Vietnamese highlands.
I did the usual touristic stops that everyone visiting Vietnam must do such as an overnight cruise on Ha Long Bay, took a day trip through Tam Coc in the Ninh Binh Province, had clothes made in Hoi An, checked out the night markets and visited several museums in Hanoi and Saigon.
Needless to say there is a lot to do in Vietnam, and by no means is it a quick breeze to get from one area of Vietnam to another. Distance and travel time unfortunately is a major reason so many people skip Sapa, which is 10 hours northeast of Hanoi on sleeper train. However, if you find yourself in Vietnam from March to August, I highly recommend making a Sapa tour, especially a Sapa trekking tour.
Sapa beauty in March.
There are a few things I try not to take for granted in life. Some of those things are a good hike, fresh air and a chance to learn about different cultures. In the US, we have a melting pot of cultures and traditions from around the world, at least depending on where you live, but the beauty of them is usually kept under wraps, enjoyed with family and friends from similar backgrounds because once you step foot on campus or the work place there is no platform to express traditions with the exception of a few instances like a holiday potluck.
Travel allows you to experience local customs, traditions and ways of life, but it can be hard to get a true impression when so many of the major cities and even some smaller ones have become westernized and cater to tourism for various reasons. The highlands of Sapa offer that opportunity and while so many people decide to bypass Sapa because of the distance and cost to get there, at the same time the city depends on tourism and a lot of tourists that do make their way there. There are eight ethnic groups in Sapa: H’mong, Tay, Giay (pronounced Zai), Muong, Thai, Hoa (ethnic Chinese) and Xa Pho so you can imagine the amount of diversity. Here are some reasons that I highly recommend a travel to Sapa to you:
- You have the opportunity to learn about ethnic minorities within Vietnam first-hand
- The landscape is one unlike you most likely have ever seen before
- There are miles and miles of trekking trails from village to village
- The air is fresh and the temperature is much cooler than in Hanoi or Saigon/Ho Chi Minh City
- There is no traffic (i.e. no unnecessary and excessive honking) so you feel comfortable walking and even renting a motorbike for the day
Sapa ethnic minority people
Sapa is known for its expansive highlands covered in rice terrace fields, although there is a large amount of corn being grown there as well. The rice terraces work as a great irrigation system to prevent flooding of the rice fields and thus creating mini waterfalls throughout the valley. It is absolutely beautiful and if you are standing above the terraces you will most certainly see nothing but rice terraces and locals houses made of wood even—for miles and miles
When you first arrive in Sapa with your minibus, you will get dropped off either outside of your hotel or near your hotel, but regardless of where you are let out, you will be welcomed by a swarm of H’mong women dressed in traditional clothing made with hemp and dyed with natural indigo. They will offer to show you where your hotel is, ask you to buy from them later (a pinky promise may be required), and offer to take you on a trek to their nearby village. Welcome to Sapa!
A H’mong women
You will see the women waiting for you to get out of the van as they crowd around the door and honestly it can make getting out a very intimidating experience. But in truth, you will soon come to love these women, they are extremely kind people and have a sense of humor, but they are trying to make a business selling their beautiful handcrafted work to tourists. One may walk you to your hotel to show your where it is whether you ask for help or not, but she does not expect anything out of it.
They will also be quick to claim you as a customer by gifting you with a bracelet so that you will not buy from the other women. You can trek with someone else, but you have to pinky promise that you will only buy from them. They are quite the hustlers. Of course you never have to commit to anything, but you will easily build a relationship with these women.
The H’mong women are known for their embroidery skills that they master by the time they are 10 years old, garments designed with plant-based dye sometimes using the batik dye method, silver jewelry and other handcrafted items they make such as hats, sashes, belts, and the most beautiful baby carriers.
Guided Treks to Nearby Villages with H’mong Women
There are about 13 villages you can walk to within the different districts of Sapa and although you can easily access them by yourself, you will be persuaded into believing you need a guide to get to them. If you do not want to get lost, you may want a guide, and I do recommend a guide if you want to homestay with a H’mong family or at least be invited into their home so that you may see what true village life is like. You can negotiate about $15-30 for a trek down to the guide’s village as well as to other villages with the option to have dinner and spend the night in their home. Your stay can either be a positive one or negative one depending on how open you are to different walks of life.
A village of ethnic minority people in Sapa
We decided not to do a homestay, but we walked down to our guide Bo’s village which took about 4-hours. If you are hiking to villages which are farther out, you will most likely have to do a homestay for a night or two.
The trek could have easily been done on our own and at our own pace, a guide is not so necessary, but it offers a unique experience and at the same time you are contributing to their house hold income. If you absolutely do not want a guide, no problem
But I still suggest bringing money with you to purchase goods from elderly women selling handcrafted goods from their homes, by that way, you somehow help for their poor lives, and by the way have a unique souvenir when coming home, right!
I purchased a beautiful blanket from a H’mong woman made with hand.
Well, how do you think? Curious? Exciting? Attractive?
But let me tell you something! This is just a part of my memorable experiences. There’s so many things that I really want to tell you, but I guess too much at once will just make you feel bored, right!
So why don’t we just continue to find other fantastic experiences in my NEXT post?
