Sapa

Early in the morning, we took a VIP sleeper bus from Hanoi to Sapa. Instead of regular seats, a sleeper bus contains compartments similar to bunk beds where passengers can lie down (at least if you are not taller than 1.8m. As always, size matters, but shorter is better in this case). It took us around 7 hours to get to Sapa but the time passed by quickly as the bus was very comfy. You even get a pillow, a blanket and a bottle of water. We really recommend trying it out if you are in Vietnam.

Sapa is located in the mountains of northern Vietnam at 1600m altitude, not far from the Chinese border. It's a place that feels like the St. Moritz of Vietnam in that some rich people have invested a lot of money to create this nice vacation resort in the mountains.

It features rice terraces, high mountains, special attractions, a lot of art, and tons of hotels and restaurants. Once we got there, we realized that the difference in temperature compared to Hanoi was huge. Every day of our stay we had to wear long pants and a jacket. Also, the hotel room got quite fresh during the night. It was the first time where we used the AC for heating instead of cooling. Nevertheless, we enjoyed our stay at the “Cherry Sapa Hotel”, a budget-friendly hotel near the center of Sapa. The stay was incredibly affordable, costing only 10 CHF per night, including breakfast. The owners were very welcoming and the breakfast was quite good.

On our first day we just strolled around Sapa to get to know the place a bit. The second and third day we did a trekking tour (see separate footprint: Sapa - Trekking) through beautiful rice fields and villages where we met people from different tribes. Moreover, we visited Fansipan Legend (see separate footprint: Sapa - Fansipan) on our fourth day, which offered beautiful views from the top of the tallest mountain of Indochina. On our last day, we spent our time at Moana Sapa and Cat Cat Village. Moana Sapa is a scenic tourist spot near Sapa featuring stunning mountain views, artistic photo zones, and Instagram-worthy spots. We enjoyed the landscape up here and captured some beautiful photos. Cat Cat Village, near Sapa, is a traditional Hmong village (at least before it became a tourist trap) known for its scenic waterfalls and local crafts. We explored its charming wooden houses, Hmong culture, and enjoyed stunning mountain views. Marina got some nice bracelets in this village which she is still wearing to this day.

Great restaurants in Sapa:
- Anise (delicious and a huge portion of curry)
- Thong Dong Vegan Kitchen & CaféLæs mere