Sapa – a former French Hill station in the cool highlands (1600m) is home to various ethnic minorites. Enjoy day walks to visit villages of Black Hmong, Dzay ( Giay) and Red Dao (Zao) communities.

Accomodations:
Lots of small and reasonable guesthouses in Sapa town. Check them out on Booking com or Agoda

A few suggestions include:

Sapa Paradise View-  small family hotel and David Le Duc Tho can help with arrangements.
www.sapahorizonhotel.com
email: davidsptour@gmail.com
or:  info@sapahorizonhotel.com

Chau Long 2 Hotel:  4 star with great view and quiet location. www.chaulonghotel.co

Victoria Sapa Hotel:  beautifully appointed but not much of a view from rooms
https://www.victoriahotels.asia/en/hotels-resorts/sapa.html
Victoria Hotels also found in the Mekong Delta, Siem Reap and Luang Prabang

Dragon Mountain Family
Trekking guides Ying and Sa, ethnic Hmong girls can introduce you to the area and to the local culture:
https://dragonmountainfamily.com/

Trains to Lao Cai for Sapa:

Most visitors take the overnight train from Hanoi- approx 9 hours.
There are several private train carriages of higher standards linked on to the government train including the Victoria Express Carriage.
Check out the various options:   www.traintosapa.com

The train travels north along the Red River arriving at the train station of Lao Cai which is right on the China border.  There is an option to continue by train right on to Kunming.

With an early morning train arrival in Lao Cai-  if on a Sunday, most visitors opt for a breakfast in Lao Cai and then head eastward first to see the traditional market at Bac Ha, or the smaller CocLy Market on Tuesdays, where ethnic Flower Hmong gather wearing elaborate dresses with colorful bands and leg wraps.  Also on this side of Lao Cai is the Chay River where a nice local boat trip can be done to visit the Fairy Cave.  Then, drive back through Lao Cai and up into the highlands to reach Sapa town.

Below breakfast and shopping at the Bac Ha market:

Rewards of travel in and after the rainy season are the views of green fields outside of Sapa

Red Dao villagers in Tai Pin village near Sapa.

View from hotel in Sapa and contemplating an adventure further into the mountains…
West of Sapa, is the road that leads to Dien Bien Phu–
where the French finally lost their battle to the Vietnamese under Ho Chi Minh back in 1954.
Amazing how the Vietnamese dug secret tunnels and surprised the French
Read:  Battle of Dien Bien Phu

Today the drive from Sapa takes about 9 hours on a road that can be rough, far away from the commercial scene of Sapa Town.  Have an adventure on the local bus or hire a car with driver and guide.
You will pass through villages of Hmong, Dao and Tay ethnic groups.
Check in Sapa about special market dates.  You may also wish to take time to stopover a night enroute. Lai Chau has some local hotels and restaurants and nearby is the Dong Thieu Cave.
The once picturesque town of Muong Lay and valley may be now flooded with a reservoir.
Dien Bien Phu is a place of historical interest along with a great food market.
There is an airport at Dien Bien Phu with flights back to Hanoi.
Or continue along the loop overland to Hanoi via  Son La and Mai Chau.
Lots of homestays around Mai Chau- very popular with visitors.

Morning mist over the road to Dien Bien Phu

From Dien Bien Phu- you can also travel overland into Laos bringing you Muang Khua on the Nam Ou River.  Travel down the Nam Ou may still be possible by local boat bringing you to Nong Kiau. Definitely off the beaten track and river travel.  Check to see conditions on the Nam Ou as it may not be navigable all the way down to Nong Kiau
see:  Nong Kiau River Resort
and by now the road across the border into Laos may have improved!

Happy Adventures! 

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