SAPA – A MOUNTAIN CULTURAL EXPERIENCESAPA - 2007
To see this slide show on a larger format CLICK HERE! Then use the F11 Key for a full screen presentation. After viewing the homes of several mountain tribes (known as “Minority People” in Vietnam) and fantastic scenery you will be convinced that you have “seen something unique and different” culturally and geographically. The most common method of travel from Hanoi to Cao Lai is by over-night train. The Vietnamese National Railroad has added several private passenger carriages to this train. These vary in cost depending on your choice of tourist accommodation – from US$40.00 for a berth in standard 4 berth cabin to luxurious 2 berth private cabins charging up to US$340 for guests of the $200+/- a night Victoria Hotel.
You might also consider hiring a 4 wheel drive for one of several overland routes. The shortest is about 375 kilometers. You’re assured of a scenic drive once you leave the environs of Hanoi. Dien Bien Phu, the site of the battle that ended French colonial rule in Southeast Asia is about 280 kilometers south southwest. Flights are available from Hanoi to Dien Bien Phu. It’s about 475 kilometers from Hanoi to Dien Bien Phu by road. If you’re a fit and accomplished bicycle rider you might consider the North by North West Tour. 750 kilometers of unforgettable mountainous beauty and friendly mountain tribes. Check BICYCLE VIETNAM. You can go the self-guided route or take advantage of any of the organized tours offered. One organized tour sounds enticing – take the train from Hanoi to Lao Cai, support vehicle to Sapa, on to Dien Bien Phu by bicycle, then fly back to Hanoi. Rooms can be had for $12.00 - $25.00 for the budget minded traveler. Recent travelers have reported varied experiences when it comes to hotels and "customer service". It is advised to have a back-up plan for accommodations. It will cost you about $5.00 (less if you're a good bargainer and can "hold out") to get from the Cao Lai train station to Sapa by tour bus. Check Out HOPVIET TRAVEL'S Sapa Tours!
Awesome Valleyin SAPA region. Photo by Tom Barocan. Here are a couple of tips regarding traveling to and around Sapa: 1) Taxi fare from the Old Quarter to Hanoi RR station - no more than $3. Negotiate first and have the right change. Don't use meter. No taxi driver in Vietnam has the right change. 2) There are no porters at the Hanoi Railway Station. DO NOT let anyone take your luggage or ticket until you get to the door of your car. The conductor (male or female) will be wearing a Vietnam RR cap. All others wandering around the railway station are "impostors" and will try to rip you off for $2 US for each bag they carry. If you're not sure of where you're going just ask for directions - nothing more. You'll save a lot of arguing unless you want to pay $2 a bag. (we settled for $2 for 2 bags - still too much!!) 3. Hang on to your train ticket for dear life. It's the first place I've ever had to show my ticket to get off the train!! 4. There is NO "Western" friendly restroom in Lao Cai Railway Station. They charge 1000 Dong for a "squatter". As you walk out of the main exit of the station there is a restaurant to the right about half way up the block across the square. It's called the Nha Hang Restaurant. It has two clean co-ed toilets. There's also an ATM nearby. The atmosphere is much nicer than the RR station, order a coffee, tea or cola and relax if you're early. Don't know about the food, we had a fruit plate. There's an internet cafe on the opposite corner of the square to the right just left of the Yamaha dealer. 5. Be sure you know the name, address and phone # of your hotel at hand. Especially if you take a bus. (Our experience!!) The driver will assure you that he will deliver you to your hotel. If your hotel is "on the way" you'll get there, if not you'll end up at the end of the line - likely the Royal Hotel or which ever hotel he serves. He'll try to "pimp" you into that hotel. We had to argue for 10 minutes until he finally called the ATI Rose Garden and they came and got us. 6. If you take a motorized tour in Sapa be sure ask condition of the road if its been raining (or not). Our short ride to a local waterfall (10KM) was gruesome - mudslides, washouts, massive construction. My fellow traveler got "carsick" from being tossed around. Latest SAPA Info? Try the VIETNAM TRAVELER Newsletter!Check today's weather in Lao Cai.
Return to DESTINATIONS. Return to YOUR VIETNAM TOUR GUIDE HOME PAGE from SAPA.
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