Located in Vietnam's remote north west mountains, Sapa is famous for both its fine, rugged scenery and also its rich cultural diversity. Sapa is an incredibly picturesque village that lies on the Hoang Lien Son mountain range near the Chinese border in northwestern Vietnam, known as "the Tonkinese Alps". Sapa and its surrounding region is host to many hill tribes, as well as rice terraces, lush vegetation, and Fansipan, the highest peak in Vietnam. However, as a result of a recent surge in popularity Sapa has rapidly become a tourist hot-spot where money is the drug of choice. Don't be put off by the rush, your explorations of the surrounding countryside will be worth the trouble.

Ethnic Minorities

Many ethnic minorities, such as the Hmong and the Dao, live in and around Sapa. Many older women in particular make ethnic-style clothes, blankets, etc. to sell to tourists. Striking up a conversation with them can be very rewarding. Sadly, however, doing this in Sapa town itself will sometimes lead to a scrum as a multitude of vendors taste a potential sale.

Children from these ethnic minorities begin to earn a living as soon as they are five years old. They often peddle small metal or silver trinkets, embroidered pillow cases and friendship bands in the main town, which like their older villagers, walk for about 3 hours from their village to reach. Some of the "richer" ethnic women sometimes take a one-hour motorbike ride back to their villages at the end of the day.

Within the ethnic minorities, girls as young as ten years old can get married and often have two children by the time they are 20 years old. This is especially the case for the beautiful girls. Poverty has led to majority of girls who leave their villages each day to go to Sapa town to have only one meal per day.

Weather

In winter, the weather in Sapa often gets cold, wet and foggy (temperatures can drop to nearly freezing). Travellers have rolled into town on a glorious clear day and proceeded to spend a week trapped in impenetrable fog. In winter, bring along warm clothes or prepare to be cold and miserable, as many hotels do not have especially efficient heating in their rooms. It rains very often during the month of August, especially in the mornings.

Travel Tips

Bear in mind that some of the minorities do not wish to have photos taken of them. Ask permission beforehand.

Bring along a poncho. Otherwise, it can be bought cheaply at the many shops around.

Rubber boots and trekking shoes can be rented from some shops or perhaps at the hotel you are staying in. However, do bear in mind that there are limited sizes.

Do buy some items from the ethnic minorities, especially if you have enjoyed a good conversation or received help from them. Though they do charge slightly more than the shops, bear in mind that majority of them are very poor and depend on such tourist dollars to survive.

Teambuilding Tips
A trekking to an Ethnic Village (Cat Cat) combining with a teambuilding adventure program is a wonderful experience that your team would remember for a lifetime. Small teams with members who love adventuring and have perfect health can choose a 3-day teambuilding program to conquer Fansipan mount (3143 m), the highest peak in Indochine.