Directly from Vietnam, an article by our collaborator Le Thu Phong on a particularly suggestive region of its charming country.
The city of Sapa is located in the province of Lao Cai, northwest of Vietnam, and 350 km northwest of Hanoi, near the border with China. Sapa is famous both for its landscape beauty and its rich cultural diversity. The French believed Sapa as the summer capital of North Vietnam in the early 20th century. Its native beauty continues to attract more and more people to spend their holidays there.
To visit this romantic city, take a night train from Hanoi to Lao Cai, then continue for another 45 minutes from the city of Lao Cai by bus. The city of Sapa looks like a fantastic vision in the fog. Thanks to the height of 1,600 m above sea level, the average temperature of the area is always 15-18°C, cool in summer and colder in winter.
Sapa has a unique climate in Vietnam, determined by the seasons: subtropical in summer and temperate during winter. The hottest months are July and August, while the coldest are December and January. Sometimes snow falls on the highest peaks. Here you can experience all 4 seasons in one day. This is, in fact, a unique advantage, making the city of Sapa different from any other part of the nation.
April – May and September – October are the best moments to visit the city and admire the picturesque views of the surroundings, such as Ham Rong mountain, silver waterfall, rattan bridge, bamboo forest and Ta Phin cave. The city is also the starting point for many mountaineers and researchers who want to discover Fansipan, which with 3.143 m high is the highest mountain in Vietnam. In the shape of a pyramid, it is covered with clouds all year round.
Sapa is also famous for its special cultural diversity, expression of the presence of numerous ethnic minorities, and visitors have the opportunity to discover the unique customs of local residents. Local markets are typically cultural elements of the city.
Always crowded and joyful, they immancably attract the attention of visitors, who here can find the rare and precious specialties of Sapa, such as the products of the forest (natural honey, mushrooms, medicinal herbs), handicraft products and typical delicacies (the smoked meat, the "thang co" – the organs of horse, the liquor of "san lung" and of souvenirs, minority groups) sold by the original people.
