Sapa (Vietnam)

We are currently touring South-east Asia and just left Luang Prabang in Laos, heading eastward to Vietnam, a Communist state of around 93.5 million people. After three decades of war, Vietnam is now a unified country proudly showing off its villages, forests, beaches, and cuisine, and we were really looking forward to spending some time there.

Village in Vietnam

Our first stop in Vietnam was Hanoi, the capital. But we were only staying in Hanoi for one night, as we had purchased bus tickets to take us into the mountains of Sapa for a few nights to see the famous rice terraces there.  Sapa is in the far north of Vietnam in the Tonkinese Alps, not far from the Chinese border.

Marg on the bus and passing scenery to Sapa, Vietnam 

So the next morning, we left Hanoi very, very early to make the 6-hour bus trip north to Sapa. The drive was really interesting. We passed people working in rice fields, farmers with their cattle, home-made roof shingles drying in the sun, women carrying goods on poles, and many other activities that are carried out in the villages and surround fields here.

Women who grabbed our cases, Sapa, Vietnam

Arriving in Sapa was an exercise in constraint for us! The bus stopped and about a gazillion women in traditional clothing buzzed about the bus tapping on windows and yelling, hoping to get us to buy something. Then when the driver lifted our suitcases out of the bus boot, two small women grabbed them and took off, leaving us no choice but to follow. They stopped after a while to ask for the name of our hotel, then carried on at a brisk rate. 

Women waiting outside our hotel, Sapa, Vietnam

We had forgotten that Sapa is at a high altitude and we were puffing along behind them. Fortunately, they were very good and waited for us and got us to the hotel ok. Payment for this service was a tip for the main guide, and buying something from the second guide that she had made. No problem. Then when we looked out of our hotel window later, several women were waiting (possibly for us) to sell their wares.

Hill tribes shown in Sapa Museum, Sapa, Vietnam

The next morning, we walked to the local information centre seeking a guide who would take us through the local hill villages and rice terraces that Sapa is known for. We wanted to hire a local guide so that our money would benefit a local family, rather than booking an organised tour where our money would go to a global or Vietnam-wide organisation. After booking our trip for the next day, we visited the museum and learned that there were several hill tribes in Sapa, and that our guide would come from the Hmong tribe.

Street in Sapa, Vietnam

Leaving the museum, we walked around to see more of Sapa city. The houses and shops are mostly two-storey and colourful. But it was so foggy in the high altitude, that it was difficult to get a real overview. Our next stop was the market. Now, that was really very interesting. 

Meat in the market at Sapa, Vietnam

The market sold all sorts of meat including dog, plus herbs and vegetables. While there, we noticed that many women had blue-stained fingers. Apparently, it’s from the indigo dye they use to colour the material that they weave and work with. Leaving the market, we wandered around Sapa’s attractive and hilly streets for some time, before heading back to our hotel.

Us with Mimi, our guide through the hills of Sapa, Vietnam

The next morning, we headed off to the information centre to meet our guide, and were introduced to Mimi. Mimi turned out to be a real gem. She had a new baby, so bought along two of her friends. Their job was to look after the baby while she was guiding, and help us out if necessary. And what a fantastic day we had.

Rice terraces in Sapa, Vietnam

At that time of the year, the terraces were full of water and there was mud everywhere. Mimi and her team cajoled us, held us up, helped empty our shoes of mud, and generally slid around in the mud with us. We slipped and slid so much that the whole time was spent laughing at, and with each other. We had such a great time.

Rice terraces in Sapa, Vietnam

The area is absolutely covered in rice fields that cascade down the many hills and fill the lush Muong Valley that sits between Sapa and Fanispan Mountain. Fanispan is the highest mountain in Vietnam (and in Laos and Cambodia as well) at 3,147 metres, so its foothills are pretty steep. Mimi explained the importance of the terraces in those foothills and how they were painstakingly constructed and maintained by the hill tribes. 

Women from various hill tribes in Sapa, Vietnam

She also outlined the diverse cultures of the different hill tribes whose villages we passed through on our walk. The main tribes are Hmong (especially Black Hmong); Red Dao (or Yao, who are known for their vibrant clothing and textiles); and Tay, Giay, and Xa Pho. All grow rice, corn and vegetables on these terraces, with rice being the main crop. 

Marg on overlooking some rice terraces in Sapa, Vietnam

The terraces, water, cloud cover, and colourful locals, combined to present a mystical picture of life in the mountains. It is very beautiful. Then, at about the time we should have been dropped off at the local tourist centre for a communal lunch, Mimi invited us to eat at her house instead of with the dozens of other tourists.

The cooking area in Mimi’s house, Sapa Vietnam

We of course said yes, and what a good decision that turned out to be. We entered Mimi’s house through a small yard where a pig and some chickens were housed. Then we were shown into a simple wooden house with a rammed earth floor. On one side of the house was a fire pit, with lengths of bamboo constantly being fed into the flame to keep it burning. This was the cooking area. 

The food prep and washing area of Mimi’s house, Sapa, Vietnam

On the other side, her husband had diverted the local stream through an open pipe system, so that there is running water through the house. This was used for preparing food, and washing dishes. Washing people and clothes was done outside. 

Marg in Mimi’s smoky dining area, Sapa, Vietnam

In the middle was an open space, with a low table and seats where we sat for our meal. As we sat there, we became a little concerned about what we were eating. But we needn’t have worried. The food was fresh, beautifully prepared by Mimi, and very delicious. We, Mimi, and friends enjoyed ourselves so much that the meal went on and on. 

A Ruou Can toast to friendship at Mimi’s table, Sapa, Vietnam

Eventually, Mimi bought out her cherished Ruou Can. This is a wine traditionally made by Vietnam’s hill tribes and used for special occasions. It’s made of black or sticky rice, tree bark and natural flavourings, packed in a ceramic jar and allowed to ferment for several weeks. It was sweet and very much appreciated. 

Mimi pointing to our bus back into town, Sapa, Vietnam

After a few hours around the table, it was time to catch the local bus back to Sapa and then the big bus to Hanoi. Mimi walked us to the bus stop and we exchanged hugs, then we jumped on the bus feeling very privileged that Mimi had shared her home, food, drink, and friends with us – what a fabulous stay we’d had in Sapa day. Next we visit Hanoi for more sightseeing.

This post is the sixth in a series about our travels through Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia in South East Asia. The first post was about Bangkok and you can read it here: Bangkok post.