Sa Pa, Vietnam

The best way to Sa Pa (or Sapa) is by train. Don't bother to even think about taking a car or a bus since Vietnamese highways are not that good. 

From Hanoi, take a Livitrans tourist train (http://www.livitrans.com/en/index.php) at 8:35 pm. The cost is around US$33 for tourist class accommodations, which is not bad and quite comfortable. But if there are only two of you traveling, don't be surprised if you end up sharing your cabin with strangers (there are 4 bunks). If you want privacy, get on the VIP class which costs US$72, which I think is a waste of money for just one night on a train. 

You'll arrive in Lao Cai station at 5:00 am. Make sure to make pick-up arrangements with your hotel in Sapa since the town is 45 minutes to an hour's drive from Lao Cai. If you don't have arrangements, good luck with the buses because they don't look too comfortable. At least the ones that I saw.  

Our hotel was an additional 18 kilometres away from Sapa so it took almost two hours--oh it was raining hard--so it took more than that until we were able to relax and rest. More on our hotel later. 

Sapa is a nice, quiet town in the northwest of Vietnam, located quite close to the Chinese border. We were there in July, which is a good time to visit, but be prepared for some rain. 

Also be prepared for a lot of hill tribespeople persuading tourists to buy their wares. They are pleasant and mean no harm but very persistent to the point of annoyance. So if you don't want to buy anything, be firm and act uninterested. One show of interest or even a short glance will send them going after you again. 

But if you want to buy some souvenirs, their stuff (caps, silver accesorries, handphone trinkets, bags, etc) are very pretty and well-made. You get to help the local economy, too!

Best souvenirs are pillowcases made of silk and hand-embroidered by some of the tribespeople. 

Aside from shopping, you can also spend the day exploring this town.  It's so small that you can see every nook and cranny for less than a day. Use sturdy, comfortable shoes as the town is very hilly.  Go check out the Sa Pa Market

Take pictures of the nice architecture 

or have a beer in one of the local taverns overlooking the main street.  

And if you're adventurous enough, you can take a hike (with a guide, of course) in the surrounding areas to visit local villages inhabited by the tribes. 

If you want to go further, you can rent a motorbike for a few dollars a day. Make sure to get a local guide because the roads are quite dangerous and mostly cliffside so if you're not really that good on a motorbike, don't drive. 

If you want to stay in Sapa town, Victoria Hotel is the best and most expensive choice. We didn't stay there so I'm not familiar with their rates but you can visit their website at http://www.victoriahotels-asia.com/eng/hotels-in-vietnam/sapa-resort-spa

It's located on a hill overlooking the town. To get there, you have to drive up the hill or go up a flight of stairs. We had lunch there and the food was excellent. 

If you want cheaper accommodations, there are a lot of small hotels on the main street like the Auberge. A lot of them have websites for reservations but make sure you check tripadvisor.com first for recommendations. You wouldn't want to end up in a rathole. 

OUR HOTEL - TOPAS ECOLODGE

I don't know how my husband found this place (maybe at http://www.topasecolodge.com/ haha!) But it was quite a find and has a unique concept. It is located in the middle of Hoang Lien Son National Park where a lot of the tribes live and is 18 km away (about 30 mins) from Sapa town. It was raining heavily when we arrived so the road was scary with waterfalls from the mountains spilling into it (literally).

I wanted to scream at my husband for taking me to a godforsaken place but decided that his intentions were pure and not some plot to take me away from the comforts of civilization to make me the next 'Survivor' winner.  So I kept quiet.  And was so relieved when we got to the beautiful Topas Ecolodge

and whisked away for breakfast at the second floor.

A word on the breakfast.  The bread they served was homemade and delicious, hot and soft. Yummmmm...

Now for our bungalow.  This is where we stayed. 

Our lovely bungalow was very clean with a big toilet, wooden floors, comfortable beds and a spacious balcony. Electricity and the water heater are all solar powered although regular electricity kicks in when needed. There's no aircon so it could be warm and humid when the day is hot so better not stay here during the summer months. Winter also could be quite cold but every cottage is provided with a portable heater. Staying there in July was just right.  

The best part of the bungalow is the balcony. The view of the Hoang Lien National Park is breathtaking. You can actually see two mountain ranges from our balcony. 

and also some non-environmental stuff like this eroded land. 

The Ecolodge also offers free rides to Sapa town and back, you just need to book the van. Since it's far away from the main town, this place is great for relaxing and just appreciating nature. They have  garden chairs overlooking the valley were you can just lounge around.  

There's a cute gazebo on a hill where you can see the whole compound, plus the valley and the mountains and beyond.  A very romantic area (sigh).  

They have one computer with internet connection that guests can use, board games, racquets, balls, and they arrange numerous hikes to the valley and tribe villages near the Lodge. 

We hiked, met three tribeswomen (more on them later) and saw this view, 

a Red Dao tribe family,

a water buffalo that can't stop looking at the camera,

and the view of Topas Ecolodge from afar. 

We paid US$217 per person for a 3 day/2 night stay including meals and the train ticket from Hanoi to Lao Cai and back. So it's quite a good value.

Some points to ponder on Topas Ecolodge. Although the Vietnamese staff members were very gracious, the managers (or owners) were German and a bit cold. They won't talk to you unless you talk to them.  No suggestion of what to do. No asking how we are, whether we enjoyed our stay, if we need anything, etc. 

They had friends staying in the lodge while we were there and they just socialized with their friends, which I think was quite not right for people who were in the hospitality industry. I hope they become friendlier because they have a really good place.

Our meals were included in the package (because there's nowhere else to eat) and although the breakfast was excellent (the bread!), lunch and dinner was only so-so.  I was expecting more Vietnamese dishes but most of the food were kind of pan-Asian (not quite Chinese, not quite Vietnamese, not quite Thai).  They did not even serve my favourite fresh spring rolls and Pho.  

But if you ask me if this place is worth coming back again, I'll say that it is.  If only for the view and the bread.