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Welcome to Sapa
Area: 8,057 sq. km.
Population: 639,300 habitants (2003)
Regional code: 0510
Capital: Lao Cai Town.
Districts: Muong Khuong, Bat Xat, Bac Ha, Bao Thang, Sapa, Bao Yen, Van Ban, Si Ma Cai.
Ethnic groups: Viet (Kinh), H'Mong, Tay, Dao, Thai...
Lao Cai is one of several provinces situated on the Sino-Vietnamese border in the northwestern part of the country. Apart from the Kinh people, the province has several ethnic minority groups, including the H'mong, Tay, Dao, and Thai. The average temperature is between 18 and 28 degrees C in the high mountainous area, and between 20 and 22 degrees C in the lowlands. The main industries in the region are fruit growing and cattle breeding.
In winter, European people visiting Lao Cai may feel nostalgic at the site of the picturesque snowcapped mountain peaks. Then when spring comes, white peach flowers burst into bloom everywhere inducing a sense of lightheartedness
Transport: Lao Cai - 340km from Hanoi - can be reached by bus, car or train.
Train: Two trains depart from Hanoi daily. The first leaves at 6.05am and arrives in Lao Cai at 3.30pm; the second departs from Hanoi at 10pm and arrives in Lao Cai at 7.10 the next morning. The first train from Lao Cai to Hanoi departs at 10.20am and arrives in Hanoi at 7.20pm. The second train departs from Lao Cai at 6.45pm and arrives in Hanoi at four the next morning.
Bus: Minibuses leave Sapa for Lao Cai (38 km, 2 hours) and the fare is about US$2 per person. Buses depart from Lao Cai for Bac Ha daily (63km) and the fare is about US$5. The journey from Sapa to Bac Ha (110km) costs US$12. (The Sunday minibus tour includes transportation, guide and trekking to the village of the Flower H'mong). On the way back to Sapa, it is possible to stop in Lao Cai and catch the night train back to Hanoi.
Sapa & the Far North
Sapa, nestling in a beautiful valley on the border with China, is northwest Vietnam's most colorful destination. Vivid green rice terraces are sculpted into the mountain sides while in the fields H'mong and Dao women work dressed in traditional colorful clothes. At the end of the week, the H'mong, Dao and other ethnic minorities trek down from their villages to trade goods at the weekend markets in Sapa, Bac Ha and other small towns. Here they sell silver jewelry, embroidered fabrics and authentic articles of hill tribe clothing.
Sapa and its environs have some of the best trekking in Vietnam and there are many ethnic minority villages that can be reached in day treks from Sapa. For a real hill tribe experience, it is possible to stay overnight in local villages along the way. The scenery is spectacular, especially in spring and autumn when the skies are clear and blue, and the people are welcoming.
Dominating the Sapa skyline is the peak of Vietnam's highest mountain, Mount Fansipan, rising to 3,143m above sea level. To the southwest of Sapa, close to the border with Laos, is Dien Bien Phu, the site of the battle that ended French colonial rule in Vietnam in 1954. The area around Dien Bien Phu is also home to many ethnic minorities. Another interesting area with some good trekking, great scenery and authentic minority villages is Mai Chau, just 135km west from Hanoi. Most of the inhabitants of the villages and hamlets that make up Mai Chau belong to the White Thai minority and one of the highlights of Mai Chau is staying overnight in a wooden stilt house with a local family.
Cao Bang, to the northeast of Hanoi, is surrounded by some breathtaking mountain scenery and the nearby Ban Doc Waterfall is Vietnam's largest. Not far from Cao Bang is another area of outstanding natural beauty, Ba Be Lakes, located within the national park of the same name. Lakes, waterfalls, rivers, caves, lush tropical rainforest and ethnic minority villages are all to be found in Ba Be National Park.
Travel to Sapa
The best time to witness the scenic beauty of Sapa is in April and May. Before that period, the weather might be cold and foggy; after that period is the rainy season. In April and May, Sapa is blooming with flowers and green pastures.
The clouds that settle in the valley in early morning quickly vanish. Located at 1,500m above sea level, Sapa lies on the side of the Hoang Lien Son Mountains, 333 km northwest of Hanoi. Sapa's flora is diverse, ranging from flowers to tropical fruits; among the most popular fruits produced in Sapa are apples, pears, peaches, and plums. Sapa has many natural sites such as Thac Bac, Thuy Cung Grotto, Gio Cave, Troi Gate, and Truc Forest .
Sapa is also the starting point for many climbers and scientists who want to reach the top of Fansipan Mountain, the highest peak not only in Vietnam but also in the Indochina Peninsula. The pyramid-shaped mountain is covered with clouds all year round and temperatures often drop below zero, especially at high elevations. To reach Sapa, one can take a train to Lao Cai and then a bus to Sapa from Lao Cai. On Sundays, Nung, Dao, Tay, Cao Lan, Paxi, and Xa Phong minorities ride down the mountain in their colorful clothes to take part in the Sunday market at the foot of Fansipan Mountain.
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