Sapa travel, sapa tour, travel to sapa Vietnam, tour sapa Vietnam

Overview:
The markets in the Northern Vietnam are always the colorful meeting places for the hill tribes of Vietnam. Minority people come down from the mountains to sell their products, or just for catching up on the latest news or gossip. The package is a combination of a stay at Topas Ecolodge, where you can explore the pure nature, peace and unique views over the mountains, with an unforgettable experience of encountering the various tribes in their colorful traditional dress, enjoying the fresh smell of exotic herbs and spices, sharing the abundant rice wine and purchasing some local souvenir products in their food stalls.

Short Itinerary:
Day 1: Night train from Hanoi to Lao Cai.
Day 2: Full day visit at the market. Overnight at Topas Ecolodge.
Day 3: Free day. Back to Lao Cai. Train to Hanoi.
Day 4: Tour ends in Hanoi.

Detailed Itinerary:

Day 1: Hanoi - night train to Lao Cai (-,-,-)
You will take the night train from Hanoi Station to Lao Cai.

Day 2: Full day visit to a Market - Topas Ecolodge (B,L,D)
The train arrives at Lao Cai Station approx at 5h30 where our guide and driver are waiting. You will enjoy your breakfast at your own expense at a local restaurant in Lao Cai.
You will then go from Lao Cai to one of the markets, depending on which day today is. There are the markets of Coc Ly (or Ban Cam on Tuesdays), Lung Khau Nhin (Thursdays), Can Cau (Saturdays) and Bac Ha (or Muong Khuong or Muong Hum on Sundays), all located in the surrounding mountainous area, 70 – 90 km from Lao Cai. All of the markets are colorful with many different hill tribes living around the market, gathers in a morning of the week. They come to the market not only for purchasing their local products, but also for their special social event.
In the mid afternoon you will be transferred to Topas Ecolodge. You check in to your bungalow and enjoy the view of the valley and dotted mountain surroundings.
Dinner and overnight at Topas Ecolodge.

Day 3: Topas Ecolodge - Sapa - Lao Cai (B,-,-)
The morning is at your leisure at Topas Ecolodge. If you would like to buy a half day excursion to the beneath valley, where the friendly ethnic minority people lives, the Lodge staff can assist you with tours and information.
It is at your choice to take either the shuttle bus departing at 9h00 or at 14h00 to Sapa.
At 17h30, you will take the shuttle bus to Lao Cai for the night train back to Hanoi.

Day 4: Arrival in Hanoi (-,-,-)
The train will arrive in Hanoi around 4h30 am. End of trip.

Note: It is possible to change the market day to day 3 if there is no market on day 2. In that case you will take the Topas Ecolodge shuttle bus directly from Lao Cai Station to Topas Ecolodge, and have the whole day 2 relaxing at the Lodge.

Inclusive:

• English/ French Speaking Guide during excursions
• 1 night at Topas Ecolodge (twin shared Deluxe bungalow)
• All indicated meals (B as breakfast, L as lunch, D as dinner)
• Return train ticket Hanoi – Lao Cai – Hanoi (soft sleeper in 4-berth AC cabin)
• All land transfer as indicated.
• All entrance fees to the indicated places.

Exclusive:

• Insurance
• Pre and post trip accommodation
• Private expenses
• Drinks and Beverage
• All other services not mentioned as inclusive

Note: Other meals in Topas Ecolodge are recommended to be booked in advance

Location: In center of Sapa Townlet, Sapa District, Lao Cai District; 33km from Lao Cai City

Characteristics: Ham Rong Mountain is an attractive tourist area in the center of Sapa Townlet

Legend has it that in the distance past, all animals lived together in a chaotic environment. One day, Jade Emperor gave an order that every species of animal had to find for them an area to live. Having heard the order, they scrambled for a place to reside. The three brothers of dragon who were living in a large lake hurriedly ran to the east but could not find any place; they then ran to the west. The two older brothers ran fast and came to the destination first. The youngest brother ran slowly and strayed into the crowds of lions, tigers and big cats. Fearing that these animals would attack it, the dragon opened its mouth to defense itself. At that time, the order of Jade Emperor was no longer available, so the three dragons petrified. The two older dragons, which were waiting for their brother, face Lao Cai City, and the youngest one raising its head and opening mouth faces the Hoang Lien Mountain Range. So the mountain is named Ham Rong (Jaw of Dragon).

Visitors to Ham Rong have chances to climb up the San May (Cloud Yard) to enjoy the panorama of Sapa Townlet, visit the orchid gardens with beautiful and colorful flowers.

Location: Bac Ha Market is in Bac Ha District, Lao Cai Province; about 80km from downtown Sapa.

Characteristics: It is a trading centre and meeting place for couples, friends, and relatives every Sunday.

There are many trees around Bac Ha, and in the spring the countryside is white with blossoms.

Every Sunday, Bac Ha hosts the biggest fair near the mountainous highlands and the Chinese border. It is a trading centre and meeting place for couples, friends, and relatives, and it is a typical weekly activity for the H’Mong and other minority groups living in the locality. Local products for sale or barter are carried on horseback.
At the fair, adventurous gastronomes can try thang co blood porridge, a popular dish of the H’Mong and other local people.

Leaving Sa Pa early Tuesday morning or picked up in Lao Cai arriving with the train from Hanoi, we drive with land cruiser to Coc Ly Market. The drive from SaPa will take us approx. 2 1/2 hour. We visit the market with all it's colourful ethnic people such as Flower Hmong, Phu La and Dao Tuyen who gathers to buy and sell.

Before lunch we go on a short trek to the nearby village of Sa Koun Ho which is inhabited by the Flower Hmong and Black Dao minority.
We enjoy lunch in a local restaurant before we leave Coc Ly and drive to Trung Do village - inhabited by Tay minority. From the village we go by boat down the river, where we experience the magnificent sight of the beautiful caves and bustling life on the riverbank. The boat trip takes us about 2-2 1/2 hours before we are picked up by our jeep. The jeep takes us back to Sa Pa or to Lao Cai train station depending of your wishes.

Sa Pa District is located in Lao Cai Province, north-west Vietnam, and 350 km north-west of Hanoi, close to the border with China. The Hoang Lien Son range of mountains dominates the district, which is at the eastern extremity of the Himalayas. This range includes Vietnam's highest mountain, Fan si pan, at a height of 3142m above sea level. The town of Sa Pa lies at an altitude of about 1600 m. The climate is moderate and rainy in summer (May—August), and foggy and cold with occasional snowfalls in winter.

Sa Pa is a quiet mountain town and home to a great diversity of ethnic minority peoples. The total population of 36,000 consists mostly of minority groups. Besides the Kinh (Viet) people (15%) there are mainly 5 ethnic groups in Sapa: Hmong 52%, Dao 25%, Tay 5%, Giay 2% and a small number of Xa Pho. Approximately 7,000 live in Sapa, the other 36,000 being scattered in small communes throughout the district.

Most of the ethnic minority people work their land on sloping terraces since the vast majority of the land is mountainous. Their staple foods are rice and corn. Rice, by its very nature of being a labour intensive crop, makes the daily fight for survival paramount. The unique climate in Sapa has a major influence on the ethnic minorities who live in the area. With sub-tropical summers, temperate winters and 160 days of mist annually, the influence on agricultural yields and health related issues are significant.

The minority people can only yield one crop of rice annually, which leads to food shortfalls in many communes at specific times. This shortage of food contributes to malnutrition and other related health problems. The climatic conditions also contribute to many health issues including coughs, colds, and bronchial and respiratory problems that are commonplace throughout the community.

The geographical location of the area makes it a truly unique place for many interesting plants and animals, allowing it to support many inhabitants. Many very rare or even endemic species have been recorded in the region.

The scenery of the Sa Pa region in large part reflects the relationship between the minority people and nature. This is seen especially in the paddy fields carpeting the rolling lower slopes of the Hoang Lien Mountains. The impressive physical landscape which underlies this has resulted from the work of the elements over thousands of years, wearing away the underlying rock. On a clear day, the imposing peak of Fan Si Pan comes into view. The last major peak in the Himalayan chain, Fan Si Pan offers a real challenge to even the keenest walker, the opportunity of staggering views, and a rare glimpse of some of the last remaining primary rain forest in Vietnam.

Geology, climate and human activity have combined to produce a range of very distinct habitats around Sa Pa. Especially important is Sa Pa’s geographic position, at the convergence of the worlds 14 “biomes” (distinct biographic areas), producing an assemblage of plant and animal species unique in the world.

About the climate of Hoang Lien Nature Reserve is unique to Vietnam. It is highly seasonal, with a subtropical climate in the summer and a temperate climate during the winter. Mean annual temperature for Sa Pa town is 15.4°C, with a maximum of 29.4°C and a minimum of 1°C. The warmest months are July and August, and the coldest months are December and January. Snow falls in some years on the highest peaks.