constraints meant we would have to book a pre-planned tour of the area in lieu of our preferred method of traveling independently. After the two-day trip to Halong Bay, we were both ready to set our own agenda but decided to do one final 'package' in order to fit in everything. The benefits being pre-arranged transportation and accomodation as well as pre-scheduled activites upon arrival. Without this type of arrangement we would never have time to make it to Sapa and return in time for our flight out of Hanoi. For the first leg of our trip we took a night train from Hanoi to Lao Cai which is situated inside Vietnam's northern border with China. We arranged to have a mid-range sleeper car aboard the train but arrived to find our four berth car already crowded by three bodies with no English or smiles between them. Matt, never having encountered a mug he couldn't charm, grew frustrated and suspicious after a solid attempt at communicating with the group. Eventually, we both decided to claim two top bunks, sleep in shifts and hope for the best. The ride was long and wearisome after (only) 13 hours but we managed to arrive with all our possesions and a few hours of sleep between us. We headed off the train to find our tour driver and the bus to Sapa.
Once out of the train station in Lao Cai it was clear Vietnam had, literally, changed overnight. From the 
station in Lao Cai we saw portions of China's southern hills accross the border and the surrounding lushness of Vietnam's misty Hoang Lien Mountains. After finding our driver, we traveled via van to Sapa only a few hours southwest of Lao Cai. It was a mystical drive through the hills and into the valley where Sapa lies. The landscapes are marked with terraced rice fields and rolling mountain mist not to mention the beauty of the 
local hill tribe people spotted coming in and out of town. So far, Sapa was proving well worth the trip.
station in Lao Cai we saw portions of China's southern hills accross the border and the surrounding lushness of Vietnam's misty Hoang Lien Mountains. After finding our driver, we traveled via van to Sapa only a few hours southwest of Lao Cai. It was a mystical drive through the hills and into the valley where Sapa lies. The landscapes are marked with terraced rice fields and rolling mountain mist not to mention the beauty of the 
local hill tribe people spotted coming in and out of town. So far, Sapa was proving well worth the trip. Our van eventually dropped us off at our hotel a top one of the steepest hills we'd even thought about climbing for some time. The Royal Orchid Hotel was bustling with travelers even when we arrived at 8:30 in a.m. We soon discovered that ALL pre-booked tours from Hanoi use the Royal Orchid Hotel in Sapa and that our quaint mountain town had just dissolved into a terrible mess of lost reservations and meal tickets. We would eventually (many hours later) sort everything out and check into a room with magnificent views of the surrounding hills and valley below. Packaged tours leave little time for resting so after a short break to grab breakfast and drop off our bags, we were off to meet a local guide and start our first 1/2 day hill trek.
Our guide met a group of us in the hotel lobby and we began our walk back down the hill to visit one of the local hill tribe villages. Sapa is home to a variety of villages including those belonging to the Hmong ethnic 
group, one of the largest in the region. The Hmong group was originally from Southern China and has continued to migrate and settle in many parts of SE Asia including norhtern Vietnam, Lao, Thailand and Myanmar. Our guide walked us through a village located on the outskirts of Sapa where we were allowed to walk through and see members in day-to-day activities. While the walk to the village was scenic and refreshing after so many hours on the train, the village tour was somewhat uncomfortable as we felt like museum attendees paying our entrance fee to gape at the newest exhibit. Certainly villagers enjoy some monetary benefits from selling goods to passersby, but there remained a clear feeling of intrusion for both of us. We were anxtious to pass through the village and return to the scenic mountain trail. The trek would end up with a serious (read uphill) second half and we found ourselves burnt and beat by the end of the trip. We decided to head straight for that awesome hotel room, throw open the windows and crash for a nap.
group, one of the largest in the region. The Hmong group was originally from Southern China and has continued to migrate and settle in many parts of SE Asia including norhtern Vietnam, Lao, Thailand and Myanmar. Our guide walked us through a village located on the outskirts of Sapa where we were allowed to walk through and see members in day-to-day activities. While the walk to the village was scenic and refreshing after so many hours on the train, the village tour was somewhat uncomfortable as we felt like museum attendees paying our entrance fee to gape at the newest exhibit. Certainly villagers enjoy some monetary benefits from selling goods to passersby, but there remained a clear feeling of intrusion for both of us. We were anxtious to pass through the village and return to the scenic mountain trail. The trek would end up with a serious (read uphill) second half and we found ourselves burnt and beat by the end of the trip. We decided to head straight for that awesome hotel room, throw open the windows and crash for a nap. The nap almost made us miss our pre-paid dinner (another pre-booking perq) but luckily we made it to the hotel restaurant just in time for some unsavory stir fry. Despite the fare, we were able to spend some quality time getting to know a few members of our group (Anna and Sebastian from Argentina - the first lawyers on 
our trip!) with whom we would do a full-day trek the next day. Since we had plenty of sleep between us, we also decided to head back down the hill and in to town to check out the sites and shopping. The views were stupendous everywhere and we found a great perch for some tea before heading back to the hotel for bed.
our trip!) with whom we would do a full-day trek the next day. Since we had plenty of sleep between us, we also decided to head back down the hill and in to town to check out the sites and shopping. The views were stupendous everywhere and we found a great perch for some tea before heading back to the hotel for bed. The next morning began early and our group met up with another guide who would take us to three more villages that day. Neither of us were excited about visiting more villages based on the previous day's trek. But, we were excited about hiking through the hills and knew we'd enjoy our group members as well.
Our guide, Lan, was a Hmong villager herself and took us through two more Hmong villages (including her 
own) as well as a Dzao village. Lan was energetic and took a special liking to Matt who she decided to call 'monkey boy' throughout the day. The group enjoyed that. :) Lan took us through many of the terraced rice fields where we learned how locals use the fields to irrigate as well as grow rice to sustain the village throughout the year. It was an amazing day outside and we had a great time getting to know Lan and our group.
own) as well as a Dzao village. Lan was energetic and took a special liking to Matt who she decided to call 'monkey boy' throughout the day. The group enjoyed that. :) Lan took us through many of the terraced rice fields where we learned how locals use the fields to irrigate as well as grow rice to sustain the village throughout the year. It was an amazing day outside and we had a great time getting to know Lan and our group. Neither of us can see many packaged tours in our future as it really detracted from the experience; however, the beauty of the hills of northern Vietnam made the trip hard to regret
Click HERE for a video with more info on Sapa!
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