The long-awaited trip to Sapa was finally realised. While I didn't have high expectation on the trip (as I wasn't a huge fan of trekking, especially after the traumatizing experience in Mount Ijen last year), I have to say that I enjoyed the trip very much! The trek was not as difficult as I anticipated, in fact, it was a comfortable trek with sufficient rest points and cooling temperature. The only downside was the foggy weather on the days we visited Sapa that hindered us from fully admiring the scenery.
Itinerary
Day 1
- Arrival in Hanoi and luggage deposit at Whale Lo
- Lunch at Xoi Yen and egg coffee at Cafe GianGiang
- Water Puppet Show at Thang Long TheTheatre
- Dinner at Bun Cha Dac Kim
- Rest and shower at Fansipan main office
- Overnight sleeper train from Hanoi to Sapa
Day 2
- Trek with Sapa Sisters
- Stay at Zen Homestay
Day 3
- Trek with Sapa Sisters
- Return to Sapa town and check in Sapa Diamond Hotel
- Dinner in Cinnamon Restaurant and massage
Day 4
- Breakfast in hotel and explore Sapa Town
- Lunch in hotel
- Sleeper bus from Sapa to Hanoi
- Check in Sapa Authentic Homestay
- Dinner at Artisee Cafe
Day 5
- Breakfast at homestay and coffee at Cong Caphe
- Departure to Singapore
Transport
Fansipan Sleeper Train
Once in a lifetime experience perhaps? All four of us found that sleeper bus (will be elaborated further later) was more comfortable than an overnight train as the journey was less bumpy. Some of my friends who were light sleeper had difficulties to fall asleep during the rough and jerky train ride.
The journey itself took 9 hours (9.30pm to 5.30am). We strongly encourage you to take a hot shower before the ride as you might have the chance to do it before the trek and have to wait till you reach the homestay (at least for our case and we were so thankful that we paid to bathe prior boarding the train.)
We opted for a 4-berth cabin with shared toilet. It's almost impossible to lay and open your big luggage. However, toothbrush and toothpaste are provided, which is a plus point. Therefore, we suggest to change into your pajamas and put your essential stuffs like charger in a small backpack for ease of retrieval. :)
Cost per person = USD 51 or SGD 55.28 per pax (One-way; payment was done in USD)
Showering facility = 60,000 VND/pax
(+) Responsible staff who guides you to your cabin, on time, shower facilities (with surcharges) in the ticket office (but not on the train)
(-) Unable to lock the toilet door, the toilet gets stinky after a while (likely due to the inefficient flushing system), bumpy ride, limited charging ports
Sapa Express
Our return journey to Hanoi featured a daytime sleeper bus with Savannah Express. Given that the 6-hour journey was less bumpy, I actually kinda enjoyed the ride. There are 2 stops in between for toilet breaks, for your information.
Cost per person = USD 12 or SGD 16.66 per pax (One-way; payment was made in USD)
(+) Shorter journey than train ride, (6 hours versus 9 hours), comfortable berth with blanket provided, on time, free Wi-Fi
(-) Seats not allocated (first-come-first-serve) - please try to avoid seats neat the washroom
Accommodation
Sapa Diamond Hotel
Highly value for money is the best term to describe Sapa Diamond Hotel. We booked city view room but was offered a free upgrade to mountain room! In fact, this seems like a common practice for this hotel from the reviews we read online :) Very spacious room. The hotel also offers free vouchers for 1 set lunch/dinner and 1 free drink for each room. That's pretty much covered our lunch on the next day.
Cost per night = SGD 20.10 per pax (2 persons sharing a room)
(+) Potential free upgrade depending on occupancy, well equipped spacious room (toiletries and hairdryer are provided), friendly staffs with good service, vouchers for free meal and drink
(-) Located at the end of the street (approximately 10-min walk to the town centre), limited selection of food for breakfast buffet
Attractions
Trekking in Sapa with Sapa Sisters
Cost per person: 81 USD or ~115 SGD per person
Route: Sapa Town > Y Linh Ho > Lao Cai > Ta Van (Homestay) > Giang Ta Cai > Transport back to Sapa Town
Accommodation: Zen Homestay, Ta Van
Day 1
Please allow me to elaborate further about the trek. First of all, bring a pair of hiking shoes with good trip. The road can be muddy and slippery, especially on a rainy day or after a wet day. Otherwise, we have seen people buying rain boats with the locals and they seem to work just as fine. Next, travel light. Pack only what you need (a clean set of clothes for changing, charger, toiletries etc, towel is not needed as it will be provided). Leave your big luggage at the office and only carry a small backpack with you for the ease of travelling.
Another thing to note is the locals will follow you during the trek, up to hours. I am not lying, they are really persistent. The locals are friendly and will offer help to hold you for the more difficult paths. However, they are also expecting you to buy their handicrafts in return. The price ranges from 10 to 30 USD. Most people will feel obliged to purchase considering their kind acts (though they come with a clear motive behind). My take is if you do not intend go buy, you may tell the person not to follow you or offer help in the very beginning, so you don't waste their time and disappoint them.
Our first day didn't offer us the best view as the town rained on the day before. The weather was foggy and we couldn't enjoy the view fully. The second day was better. I particularly love the panaromic view from the top of waterfall, definitely one of the highlights of the trip.
Overall, I think the trek is quite manageable as long as you have a good pair of trekking shoes. The journey is free and easy, and you can always lower the difficulty (we did medium level) but this might come with some compromises on the scenery. Lastly, tipping is an unspoken rule in Vietnam.
Exploring Sapa Town
We spent another night in Sapa and managed to explore this little town further. We did massage, visited Sapa Station and had some comforting food.
Food
No particular recommendation for food. The review below should serve as reference in the event that you have also shortlisted Cinnamon Restaurant for a meal.
Cinnamon Restaurant
Address: 11 Mường Hoa, TT. Sa Pa, Sa Pa, Lào Cai 333100, Vietnam.
Opening hours: 7am to 10pm daily
We ordered salmon hotpot and set menu for 2 pax each. I have to admit that we over-ordered this time. In contrary to most people's perception towards the mountainous area, the chilly weather in Sapa actually makes it an ideal place to rear salmon fish. Drinks wise, the quality of egg coffee here was far off compared to the one we had in Cafe Giang back in Hanoi.
While we enjoyed our dinner very much, however, my friend had minor food poisoning on the next day, probably because the salmon was not cooked properly. :(
Itinerary
Day 1
- Arrival in Hanoi and luggage deposit at Whale Lo
- Lunch at Xoi Yen and egg coffee at Cafe GianGiang
- Water Puppet Show at Thang Long TheTheatre
- Dinner at Bun Cha Dac Kim
- Rest and shower at Fansipan main office
- Overnight sleeper train from Hanoi to Sapa
Day 2
- Trek with Sapa Sisters
- Stay at Zen Homestay
Day 3
- Trek with Sapa Sisters
- Return to Sapa town and check in Sapa Diamond Hotel
- Dinner in Cinnamon Restaurant and massage
Day 4
- Breakfast in hotel and explore Sapa Town
- Lunch in hotel
- Sleeper bus from Sapa to Hanoi
- Check in Sapa Authentic Homestay
- Dinner at Artisee Cafe
Day 5
- Breakfast at homestay and coffee at Cong Caphe
- Departure to Singapore
Transport
Fansipan Sleeper Train
Once in a lifetime experience perhaps? All four of us found that sleeper bus (will be elaborated further later) was more comfortable than an overnight train as the journey was less bumpy. Some of my friends who were light sleeper had difficulties to fall asleep during the rough and jerky train ride.
The journey itself took 9 hours (9.30pm to 5.30am). We strongly encourage you to take a hot shower before the ride as you might have the chance to do it before the trek and have to wait till you reach the homestay (at least for our case and we were so thankful that we paid to bathe prior boarding the train.)
We opted for a 4-berth cabin with shared toilet. It's almost impossible to lay and open your big luggage. However, toothbrush and toothpaste are provided, which is a plus point. Therefore, we suggest to change into your pajamas and put your essential stuffs like charger in a small backpack for ease of retrieval. :)
Cost per person = USD 51 or SGD 55.28 per pax (One-way; payment was done in USD)
Showering facility = 60,000 VND/pax
(+) Responsible staff who guides you to your cabin, on time, shower facilities (with surcharges) in the ticket office (but not on the train)
(-) Unable to lock the toilet door, the toilet gets stinky after a while (likely due to the inefficient flushing system), bumpy ride, limited charging ports
Something unrelated, but the limited edition of sakura-flavoured honey butter chips from Korea was so good!
Sapa Express
Our return journey to Hanoi featured a daytime sleeper bus with Savannah Express. Given that the 6-hour journey was less bumpy, I actually kinda enjoyed the ride. There are 2 stops in between for toilet breaks, for your information.
Cost per person = USD 12 or SGD 16.66 per pax (One-way; payment was made in USD)
(+) Shorter journey than train ride, (6 hours versus 9 hours), comfortable berth with blanket provided, on time, free Wi-Fi
(-) Seats not allocated (first-come-first-serve) - please try to avoid seats neat the washroom
Accommodation
Sapa Diamond Hotel
Highly value for money is the best term to describe Sapa Diamond Hotel. We booked city view room but was offered a free upgrade to mountain room! In fact, this seems like a common practice for this hotel from the reviews we read online :) Very spacious room. The hotel also offers free vouchers for 1 set lunch/dinner and 1 free drink for each room. That's pretty much covered our lunch on the next day.
Cost per night = SGD 20.10 per pax (2 persons sharing a room)
(+) Potential free upgrade depending on occupancy, well equipped spacious room (toiletries and hairdryer are provided), friendly staffs with good service, vouchers for free meal and drink
(-) Located at the end of the street (approximately 10-min walk to the town centre), limited selection of food for breakfast buffet
The upgraded roomt came with 3 single beds.
Attractions
Trekking in Sapa with Sapa Sisters
Cost per person: 81 USD or ~115 SGD per person
Route: Sapa Town > Y Linh Ho > Lao Cai > Ta Van (Homestay) > Giang Ta Cai > Transport back to Sapa Town
Accommodation: Zen Homestay, Ta Van
Day 1
- Pick up from train station to Sapa Sisters office in minivan. The journey takes about an hour.
- Breakfast provided. However, no shower
- Tour guide (an aboriginal girl, truly Sapa Sister) will brief you and confirm the route as well as difficulty level before embarking on the trek at 9am.
- Trek from 9am to ~4pm, with a lunch break in between.
- After arriving at homestay, it's free and easy! However, as the homestay is located on top of the hill, you won't be able to explore the town (pretty sure you will get lost!). Dinner is provided.
Day 2
- Start your day with homemade pancakes with bananas.
- Trek about 3 to 4 hours to the waterfall.
- Lunch at the village, followed by a ride back to Saps Sisters office. The entire journey will be completed at 3pm.
Please allow me to elaborate further about the trek. First of all, bring a pair of hiking shoes with good trip. The road can be muddy and slippery, especially on a rainy day or after a wet day. Otherwise, we have seen people buying rain boats with the locals and they seem to work just as fine. Next, travel light. Pack only what you need (a clean set of clothes for changing, charger, toiletries etc, towel is not needed as it will be provided). Leave your big luggage at the office and only carry a small backpack with you for the ease of travelling.
Another thing to note is the locals will follow you during the trek, up to hours. I am not lying, they are really persistent. The locals are friendly and will offer help to hold you for the more difficult paths. However, they are also expecting you to buy their handicrafts in return. The price ranges from 10 to 30 USD. Most people will feel obliged to purchase considering their kind acts (though they come with a clear motive behind). My take is if you do not intend go buy, you may tell the person not to follow you or offer help in the very beginning, so you don't waste their time and disappoint them.
Our first day didn't offer us the best view as the town rained on the day before. The weather was foggy and we couldn't enjoy the view fully. The second day was better. I particularly love the panaromic view from the top of waterfall, definitely one of the highlights of the trip.
Overall, I think the trek is quite manageable as long as you have a good pair of trekking shoes. The journey is free and easy, and you can always lower the difficulty (we did medium level) but this might come with some compromises on the scenery. Lastly, tipping is an unspoken rule in Vietnam.
Local kids made this for us :)
We spent another night in Sapa and managed to explore this little town further. We did massage, visited Sapa Station and had some comforting food.
The iconic Sapa Station.
The instagrammable corridor.
Food
No particular recommendation for food. The review below should serve as reference in the event that you have also shortlisted Cinnamon Restaurant for a meal.
Cinnamon Restaurant
Address: 11 Mường Hoa, TT. Sa Pa, Sa Pa, Lào Cai 333100, Vietnam.
Opening hours: 7am to 10pm daily
We ordered salmon hotpot and set menu for 2 pax each. I have to admit that we over-ordered this time. In contrary to most people's perception towards the mountainous area, the chilly weather in Sapa actually makes it an ideal place to rear salmon fish. Drinks wise, the quality of egg coffee here was far off compared to the one we had in Cafe Giang back in Hanoi.
While we enjoyed our dinner very much, however, my friend had minor food poisoning on the next day, probably because the salmon was not cooked properly. :(
The soup base was slightly sour. Very interesting combination with salmon, in a good way.
All these shall sum up my adventure in Sapa. Guess what's my next destination? Hehe, coming up real soon!
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