SaPa
Lao Cai Province
Sa Pa is a city located in the Hoang Lien Son Mountains in the northwest of Vietnam. Founded as a hill station by French settlers in 1922, Sapa is today the tourist center of the northwest.
The city of Sapa stands at the head of a deep valley of beautiful terraced rice fields that are still cultivated today as they have been for centuries.
The highest peak in the region and the tallest in Vietnam (3143 m), Mount Fansipan, crowns the jagged ridge line above the city.
A popular starting point for hiking, the city “in the clouds” overlooks the rice terraces of the Muong Hoa Valley and attracts visitors with majestic mountain views and many unique experiences exploring the lives of ethnic minorities. .
The best time to visit Sapa
Sapa has an invaluable resource which is a cool climate with many diverse shades. Located at an average altitude of 1500m-1800m, the climate of Sapa is more or less temperate.
Spring (March to May) is an ideal time to hike, explore markets, taste local delicacies in Sapa. The weather is stable with sunny days and cool nights. In summer, it is not as hot as other parts of Vietnam. Between April and May, you can admire the marvelous scenes of many colorful flowers and green fields.
From September to November, the rainy season is over. It is harvest season in Sapa. You can see the rice paddies crossing the mountains like golden ribbons. It is a picturesque landscape!
The province enjoys tropical and moderate climatic conditions. The average temperature in the mountainous regions varies between 18ºC and 28ºC, with an average temperature of 15-18°C.
What to see, what to do…?
Sapa offers you beautiful landscapes, enriching experiences and unique photographs. The paths are calm and you can enjoy the beauty of Sapa while stepping out of everyday life.
Sapa is also an opportunity to take beautiful photos and go camping, hiking, admire the rice terraces.
Attractive ribbons of road lead the eye to the bottom of the valley, rivers of white water rush among the rice fields and green mountains stretch in the distance as far as the eye can see.
Top 12 things to do in Sapa:
- Admire the rice terraces.
- Hike and/or trek to remote mountain villages.
- Do unusual activities such as camping, canoeing, mountain biking.
- Visit ethnic minority villages (Ta Phin, Ta Van, Lao Chai, Cat Cat).
- Go to the Col de O Quy Ho.
- Admire the Silver Cascade.
- Visit of the stone church of Sapa.
- Hike to Ham Rong Mountain.
- Take a trip to the covered market (be careful, you will quickly be spotted and harassed by minorities, but it’s worth going there).
- Eat the local specialities, in particular the Com Lam (tube of rice fried in bamboo) and the Banh Hat De (made with chestnut flour, a delight!).
- Climb to Fansipan, the highest peak of the Hoang Lien Son range, more than 3000 m high, which is considered the roof of Indochina and it is also the most famous mountain in Vietnam.
- Stay in a mountain lodge, with an ethnic minority family (H’mong or Dao).
