My 2-day trip to Sapa

I am sort of a wanderluster who loves traveling and exploring things of my own accord www.helloVietnam.com. Working hard and traveling hard is my motto; even there was a time that I was off work for 4 months to ease my thirst for discovering new places. To date, I am well into my last forties. Kind of weary, but to the bottom of my heart, I know that my energy is still kicking to fuel my next adventurous tour. Last month, when I got to know I was made redundant, a bit of distress of course but without much thinking, I had the idea of what to next. Unsurprisingly, it’s another chapter of my traveling life. After a while of searching here and there, I made it a point to take Vietnam as a tick in my traveling’s hit list.

Moutainous landscapes in Sapa

My buddies who have been to Vietnam give me some clues about what to visit, with some suggestions such as TrangAn, Da Nang beaches or Hoi An Ancient Town and some other hotspots that I can’t remember. Yeah, I won’t say that these places of no interests but they are not to be high on my adventurous traveling. What I am always seeking for is kind of offbeat attractions, not well-traveled touristy hubs. With this in mind, I bucked the trend and made my way to Sapa, a place far from the chaos of scenic spots that draw the crowds. Things that I was treated during a 2-day trip to Sapa were a lot more fantastic than I expected. After a 5-hour train ride from Hanoi, crossing through winding passes packed by misty landscapes, I found myself wandering in a heaven of meandering mountains. Mountains upon mountains that are dotted with lush valleys. As of the scenery, I had to say it’s beguiling beyond my wildest dreams and I thought,turbulent cultural lives of hill tribe ethnic minorities blew my mind away.

Walking around hill tribe villages

Sapa is tailored with stunning mountainous terrains by nature, making it favorable for those who love trekking. That’s to say, trekking was the highlight of my trip to Vietnam. Before I started, I was well-prepared to conquer Fansipan Mountain. Trails leading to the peak were full of wild grasses and trees. I was also blessed to glare some wildlife species that I’d not seen before. Mountain goats gnawing at some far away pastures caught my sight and as usual, I took out my camera to capture such a moment of picture-perfect views. But my will couldn’t defeat challenges of this towering mountain. After about 4 hours of hiking, I made my way back as it’s raining so heavily.

Hiking to the peak of Fansipan

Afterwards, I sampled some delicacies of Sapa to recharge my running-low energy. As many other tourists, I took Thang Co as my first dish to try. It’s sort of a soup made of a cluster of ingredients. Hearing about the ingredients gave me goose bumps. Then I plucked all my courage to savor this horsemeat soup and it turned out that there was no single dip of soup left. Besides Thang Co, I also sank my teeth into quite a few other legendary dishes such as Cap Nach pork roasted on charcoal, or bamboo sticky rice (Cơm Lam, sticky rice cooked in bamboo sections)

Sample Thang Co in Sapa

When my rumbling gut eased up, I continued my exploration of Sapa by taking a scooter hire, costing me some $5. I really liked this part of my trip as the traffic was pretty light and clear. Crossing winding roads with a scooter put many off due to safety concerns, but for me, it’s a bit of a reward to compete for. When I was at the top of Tram Ton Pass, I was surrounded by a panoramic view of below valleys, saying “How breathtaking it is”.

Breathtaking view from Tram Ton Pass

I wrapped up my days in Sapa by a relaxing walk around hill tribe villages. I was stunned by the fact that many locals could speak English. People in exotic and colorful costumes were quite friendly and ready to stop for a conversation with tourists. The only downside was that you would be touted to buy their stuff. But just ignore it; you would feel more at your ease. I headed to a market to buy some local handicrafts and ethnic clothes. Stalls along the way displayed a wide range of choices. As any other touristy place, being scammed is a common thing so don’t get surprised if locals try to charge you with an over-costed price.

Now, I’ve started my new job but I think I will definitely come back if I have time.  Sapa recently has caught up that many tourists flock here as a vocation. But if compared with other well-trodden places, I think Sapa opens up a lot of fresh things that are little-known, making it top what to visit in Vietnam. www.hellovietnam.com

A market selling enthic fabrics