Sapa Rice Terraces

A Hill Station Founded Under French Rule Beneath Fansipan, Vietnam'S Highest Peak, Surrounded By Terraced Rice Fields In The Muong Hoa Valley And Villages Of The Hmong, Dao And Tay Peoples. Reached By Overnight Train To Lao Cai And A Bus Uphill. · Sapa, Lao Cai

Sapa is a hill town at about 1,600 m in Lao Cai province, close to the Chinese border, below Fansipan, the highest peak in Indochina at 3,143 m. Around it the Muong Hoa Valley is cut into rice terraces farmed by Black Hmong, Red Dao, Giay and other peoples. The terraces are green from June to August, GOLDEN in September and October at harvest, flooded and mirror-like in May and June, and bare in winter. Most visitors come by night train to Lao Cai plus a bus uphill, or by expressway van from Hanoi. Honestly, the town itself is now busy and commercial, with hotels, a cable car and constant building, and the village trekking is touristy, with women guides who walk with you and then sell handicrafts. The best views come from a homestay in Ta Van or Lao Chai, and from walking away from the road. Fog and rain are common, so the view is never guaranteed. The mountain weather turns fast: a bright morning can be cloud by noon, and in winter the town can be cold enough for frost, with hotels that are poorly heated. Plan some slack.

Mountain town at about 1,600 m near the Chinese border in the north-west, with the Muong Hoa Valley terraces and Hmong and Dao villages below it, Sapa, Lao Cai, Vietnam

The terraces, villages and trails are open at all hours and cost nothing to see, though Cat Cat Village and some waterfalls charge a small entrance fee. The Fansipan cable car runs through the day but may CLOSE in high wind or storm. The market is busiest in the morning. The Saturday evening gathering is a cultural tradition, now partly for tourists. Confirm every opening day before you go.

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