Trekking in the Sapa Valley

Just up after a great sleep in the Sapa valley ... no hurry this morning, two choices for breakfast - either pancakes or traditional rice & local fare, of course we opted for the latter & just as gorgeous as the night before. Thankfully dry weather today & cloudy so not too hot which will enable us to trek on the tracks rather than having to take the sealed road. We walked through rice farms, bamboo forest, up & down hills through to the town where Lan's parents live, where we were able to walk through the rice terraces, watch the locals cutting & 'banging' the rice (which we had a go at too, what a labour intensive process it is harvesting the rice). We stopped for lunch & Lan cooked for us, which again was delicious, we also met her family. Following lunch we walked a little longer up to the road where we cheated a little & got picked up for the 9km up hill ride back to Sapa. Lan was kind enough to get the driver to pick our luggage up & drop us off at out hotel - the Sapa Dragon hotel, which is lovely & so welcoming. A very well deserved shower & rest, then headed out for tea at a local restaurant & home for another early night.Read more