Sapa is one of the most popular destinations in Vietnam, which is famous for its superb green terraced fields. This is very interesting in all the trekking lovers who want to admire the spectacular beauty of nature. In the article, the most detailed plan of best valley trekking is offered for you.
About Sapa
Climate: Sapa is the mountainous town of Lao Cai Province, and is on an altitude of 1600 meters. The temperatures in Sapa can range a lot during the different seasons. Sapa’s climate is moderate and drizzly in the summertime and cold and foggy in the winter time.
Ethnic minorities: Nowhere in Vietnam can you find the local ethnic minorities like in Sapa. There is a great diversity of ethnic people, including five main groups of Hmong, Yao, Zay, Tay and Xa Pho. They live throughout the valleys of Sapa, but they come to the center to trade or sell their products. This varies from rice, corn, fruits and handicrafts.
The best experience: you would have a chance to walk along the terraces and admire the nature beside the streams. During the trek, you will pass by various villages, meet the local minority groups, and get to know about their culture. You will also know how the local people conduct their daily business, and see the exclusive stilt houses that are built by these people.
What to bring the necessary items during a trek in Sapa
- Water. Take 1.5 L per person and finished it all.
- Food. Also, we took some breakfast and lunch which we bought back in town. Because it didn’t taste well at all, we eventually decided to have lunch in one of the local restaurants among the rice fields. Together it was only 5 USD, so we actually recommend to eat lunch there so you don’t have to carry around food! But of course, it’s good to take some snacks with you.
- Sunscreen. It was really sunny when we were there, so we had to wear enough sunblock not to get burned.
- Hat and sunglasses. If it’s warm and sunny, it’s essential to protect yourself!
- Camera. Take lots and lots of photos.
- Map. We went without a map, but we didn’t have a specific place we wanted to see. We recommend taking a map if you want to see a certain village or find a specific homestay.
The attractive villages during sapa valley trekking
Cat Cat village
Cat Cat village is an ideal trekking route for trekking lovers as you should hike Ham Rong Mount route. This village is a home of Black H’mong people so you are easy to find out their ordinary life as well as culture and architecture. Thus, it is an ideal place of traditional clothing, hemp being dyed and women weaving colorful. In Shin Chai village, local people will spend the time to teach textile weaving and dying and they take the group on a locally built trail. Coming to Sin Chai you will have a chance to take pleasure flowers as peach blossom, plum blossom, gladiolus, pear blossom, rose, chrysanthemum.
Y Linh Ho village
Continuously, A suspension bridge will lead you uphill to Y Linh Ho village, which is a small commune composed of many small hamlets scattering on the very tough mountain terrain with high and steep mountains. The Black H’mong lives in this village, H’mong women wear the dark clothing and navy dyed with indigo. Their houses are built on their farmland on the steep hillsides.
Ta Phin Village
You are easy to trek Ta Phin Village where is home of Black Hmong and Red Dzao. Variable, as you could easily spend a whole day here. It is easy to moderate in spots, especially in the caves. You can take photos with the Red Dzao. This mountain valley has an idyllic feel to it, but keep in mind that tending those rice paddies is backbreaking work barely sufficient to feed local families.
Giang Ta Chai village
Another Sapa valley trekking is the beautiful terraced rice fields. You will cross the bamboo forest located in Hoang Lien National Park. The opposite to Muong Hoa stream, Giang Ta Chai village was hidden by old trees and bamboo groves. Come here, you can know the life of ethnic minorities and admire the spectacular natural scenery with the terraced rice fields. Approaching the life of H’mong local people, you can know how they make their clothing. Their many crafts, their embroidery is stunning.
Lao Chai and Ta Van village
The tour will continue visiting Lao Chai and Ta Van village. Especially, you can get the spectacular mountain scenery and walk through traditional villages and their surrounding rice paddies. Lao Chai is a village of Black Hmong ethnic people thus, you will be caught up their daily life and how to make their traditional clothes, handicraft, indigo… Moreover, it is the best Sapa valley trekking so you admire the best views of the golden rice terrace field in Vietnam. Then you walk to Ta Van. It is a village of Giay people which is a small group of ethnic people living in Northern Vietnam. They still preserve a rich and traditional culture. After that, you can have a short sleep in the local people.
Muong Hoa Valley
Hiking through Muong Hoa Valley, you can catch up other tribal villages such as Ta Van Village and Ho Village. Muong Hoa valley is famous for lots of colorful flowers in a wide range of various beauties. It is the time that the rice terraces are full of water at which you can contemplate one of the best scenery like the reflection of the sunshine on the fields’ surface. Silver fall is located about a half hour from Sapa town that offers stunning views over surrounding mountains and lush forests belonging to Hoang Lien National Park. Tourists take the fresh nearby a waterfall, you will start climbing uphill to a road, the car and your driver are ready for your journey back to Sapa.
Ham Rong mountain
Ham Rong botanical garden is the mainstream place for many foreigners, which is located not very far from the center of Sapa town. Ham Rong is one of the most attractive places owning many types of flowers and orchard gardens. Stones appear on the path, which leads tourists to wild peach forest, then orchid gardens with more than 6000 orchid plants belonging to 194 kinds. There are a lot of indigenous flowers grown along the paths such as Lily of the Nile, hydrangea, geraniums, ox-eyed daisy and cheery blossom. In there, you will find some fruits like peach, plum, and pear are also found here. The scenery was hidden in the fog and echo sound from bamboo flute of Mong minority boy change this place into a heaven on the earth.