Top 3 Things to Do in Sapa & How to Get There

Sapa was a breath of fresh air from the crazy streets of Hanoi, and I mean that literally. The capital of Vietnam, as you already know as the city of motorbikes, was a stark contrast to the peaceful town of Sapa. The mountain air was cool and refreshing, and despite the constant drizzling, we felt energised after the 5 days we spent there.

Was it the clean air? Perhaps. Or maybe it was the beautiful scenery we woke up to every morning, or the general quiet of life in a small town. Whatever it was, we didn’t want to leave Sapa!

Other than exploring their gorgeous terraced rice fields which they’re known for, there’s plenty of other things to do in Sapa. Here’s what we strongly suggest you try:

#1 Trek to and explore Muong Hoa Valley

You’ll find the largest strip of rice fields in Sapa in Muong Hoa Valley right at the bottom of Fansipan’s northern flank. Dotted with villages of several minority groups, you can get a glimpse of the daily lives of the folk living within the gorgeous landscape.

Rent a motorcycle and ride down to the valley, or join one of the trekking tours that bring you through the paddy fields and villages. We booked a tour through our hotel, Sapa Eden Hotel, for VND$380,000 (S$23.24) each.

Other than WJ and I, there were 2 other couples on the same trekking tour. I am embarrassed to say that I was the slowest in the group. Some paths were a bit slippery and hard to climb down, but the locals were walking the route like it was a flat road. Two of them were even carrying babies with them!

Address: Sapa 333108, Vietnam

#2 Find out what’s above the clouds at Fansipan

Trek up the mountain to 3,143 metres and find yourself above the clouds! Or if you’re short on time or lazy like we are, get aboard the new cable car for a 15-minute ride up Fansipan. It costs VND$700,000 (S$42.81) each, a small price to pay for such a beautiful place.

On the journey up, the bird’s eye views were incredible. But when we were at the peak of Fansipan, the views were spectacular. We were above a sea of clouds and we couldn’t see the end of them. This was definitely one of the highlights of our trip to Sapa!

 
On another note, please remember to slather on plenty of sunscreen because you’re totally exposed to the sun at the peak! You might also feel a bit breathless while climbing the stairs to the peak because of the higher altitude! And also, no drones are allowed!

Address: Sapa 330000, Vietnam

#3 Take a stroll around Cat Cat Village

Even though Cat Cat Village is obviously meant for tourists and commercialised, it’s still a must-go to experience the Vietnamese village life up close. Most people stay in the main areas, but follow the trails and walk further in to leave the crowd behind.

To get to Cat Cat Village, walk! We were staying at Sapa Eden Hotel which was along the road that led to the village, and so we walked the 20-min journey to the entrance of the village. You’ll have to walk on the road next to the cars and motorcycles driving along as there aren’t any pathways, so be careful!

The ticket booth was rather inconspicuous and we missed it on the way to the entrance. We had to turn back to get the VND$70,000 (S$4.28 each) tickets. There are some tours offering to guide you around Cat Cat Village, but getting around the village is super easy and you can definitely do it on your own!

On a side note, the name Cat Cat has nothing to do with cats! We barely saw 2 cats while exploring the village!

Address: Sapa 330000, Vietnam

How to get to Sapa from Hanoi & Vice Versa

There are 2 ways you can get to Sapa from Hanoi and vice versa. This, of course, excludes hiring a private driver or taking a taxi, which you could do at a much higher cost (so let’s not get into that).

We took an 8-hour night train ride from Hanoi to Lao Cai, then arranged for a hotel pick up from the train station to Sapa. After researching the different train companies, we decided on Chapa as it was reasonably-priced and had good reviews online. Besides, we realised that although there were different train companies, most of them were cabins fitted onto the same train!

 
We booked the ride from Sapa Sisters and they were prompt in their email replies and kept us updated on the landslide situation, which happened a few days before we were going to take the train. Luckily for us, the train tracks were cleared before our journey so there wasn’t any delay!

The train cabin was quite clean and comfortable enough that I managed to fall asleep! I’m a light sleeper and it usually takes me forever to fall asleep, so this is quite a feat. WJ, on the other hand, kept waking up throughout the journey. I guess he wasn’t tired enough!

After reaching Lao Cai, we hopped on the shuttle bus to Sapa. The roads were winding, but the views were gorgeous. You’ll get to see the paddy fields from the base of the mountains up to the top!

The Chapa train left Hanoi at 10pm and reached Lao Cai station at 6am. It cost us USD$75.50 (S$105.70) for the one-way journey each in a 2-berth cabin. The 1-hr shuttle bus ride from Lao Cai station to our hotel cost USD$3 (S$4.11) each.

On the way back from Sapa to Hanoi, we booked a sleeper bus from Eco Sapa. Even though the bus departed at 8.30am, it was fitted with bunk beds and it was quite a comfortable 5.5-hour ride! And because shoes aren’t allowed on board (you have to carry them in a bag) and even in the toilets, the bus was surprisingly clean.

Unfortunately, there were 2 tourists who didn’t want to follow the rules and wanted to wear their dirty sandals into the toilet. Since I was lying on the bottom bunk very closely to the toilet (we were one of the last to board), I felt it was my duty to ask them to take their shoes off! I get that some buses are filthy and who would want to walk barefooted into a grimy toilet? But this bus was spotless because of the no-footwear rule, so let’s continue to keep it clean!