by Katherine
The one thing you must do in Sapa is go trekking. Yes, it's what everybody does, but it would be a real waste if you didn't take advantage of the beautiful hikes; they're the best way to see the rice fields, villages, and mountains. There are hikes at all different difficulty levels, and you only need to go on one that's as long as you can handle. It is advised that you get a guide because often you are literally walking through someone's land and rice fields. The only hike that I've heard people do by themselves is to the nearest village, Cat Cat Village, but keep in mind, you do need to get a permits to go to the village. I think we probably could have hired any one of the tons of local village women parading through the streets of Sapa, trying to sell you their arts and crafts. I would think that would have been a cheap option, but their English isn't always the best.
Probably the easiest way to hire a guide would be through your hotel, but the profits don't necessarily go to your local guide or her village people. We decided to book through Sapa Sisters, since 100% of the money went to the guide, a local Black Hmong woman. It was a little pricey at $28 per person, but the money went to the right place and our guide ended up being really great. We also got a van ride back at the end of the hike, since the hikes are not in loops. This was great, because it allows you to see a lot more without having to double back.
Probably the easiest way to hire a guide would be through your hotel, but the profits don't necessarily go to your local guide or her village people. We decided to book through Sapa Sisters, since 100% of the money went to the guide, a local Black Hmong woman. It was a little pricey at $28 per person, but the money went to the right place and our guide ended up being really great. We also got a van ride back at the end of the hike, since the hikes are not in loops. This was great, because it allows you to see a lot more without having to double back.
We decided to do a trek that involved going to three villages. It was advertised as 13-14 km, but we think it was probably closer to 10 km, so it was a great length and allowed us to see a sufficient amount (it took 6 hours with lunch). The hikes were described as easy, medium, and hard depending on how many villages you went to, but the trek to the first village was by far the most difficult. Multiple day treks are also popular, where people stay in the villages, but those cost more ($68 here, though I'd read online people paying twice that) and there was no way in hell that I was giving up our luxuriously cheap hotel for a bed on the floor (also, we didn't have time for an overnight trek). Oh, we were also able to rent shoes, which was great because we didn't pack tennis shoes because it seemed pointless for one day in a 3+ week trip. They were only $2 and there were also boots available (which are particularly useful if the ground is really muddy and wet).
The most important thing to know about these treks is they go right through the rice fields! Weirdly, when I was doing research this fact was not clear, and no one ever seemed to post pics to suggest that you are smack dab in the middle of the rice terraces. You literally can't do it any better than being right there! It's crazy that you go right through them, though I wonder if the paths change when growing season starts. Being that Sapa has a growing season similar to ours, they plant in May and harvest in September, so being that it was March, there was no rice at all. I was a bit disappointed that I missed out on the beautiful bright green, but of course that lovely sight coincides with monsoon season. The rice terraces were still really cool, and it was also unique to see how water sometimes collects in them. You certainly don't see anything like this in the US!
Like I said, the first part of the hike was the most difficult. It was basically a steep descent from town down through the terraces. It was slippery, though thankfully, it had not rained recently so it wasn't very wet. Our guide found me a perfect bamboo walking stick that helped me survive this tough section. Throughout the hike, our guide let us stop whenever we wanted and was very knowledgeable and able to answer any question we through at her. She was perfect, talked just the right amount to give us info about the area and answer questions, but didn't over talk or give us too much information to make us feel overwhelmed. It was so interesting to learn about her life and Sapa in general.
We walked by Cat Cat Village (though we didn't see the heart of the village), Lao Chai Village (where we ate lunch), and Ta Van Village (where our guide is from). We encountered lots of farm animals along the way - water buffalo, pigs, ducks, and more. For lunch we had a hearty plate of fried noodles (two of us got a plate of fired rice instead). We had a view of the little river in the valley and offered us a much appreciated break from the heat. It was in the low 70s but the sun and the humidity made it feel much hotter (definitely apply sunscreen!). I used deet and, thankfully, I didn't get any mosquito bites. Overall, the trek was amazing and the best way to learn about the area and see the scenery!
We walked by Cat Cat Village (though we didn't see the heart of the village), Lao Chai Village (where we ate lunch), and Ta Van Village (where our guide is from). We encountered lots of farm animals along the way - water buffalo, pigs, ducks, and more. For lunch we had a hearty plate of fried noodles (two of us got a plate of fired rice instead). We had a view of the little river in the valley and offered us a much appreciated break from the heat. It was in the low 70s but the sun and the humidity made it feel much hotter (definitely apply sunscreen!). I used deet and, thankfully, I didn't get any mosquito bites. Overall, the trek was amazing and the best way to learn about the area and see the scenery!
Thanks to Laura for letting us use some of her photos.
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