Sapa, Vietnam

Vietnam has been on my bucket list for awhile. I flew with Korean Air. Very nice airline. Only thing I have a complaint about is there is no wifi onboard. Other than that I will fly with them again! If you fly with Korean Air your lay over will be in Seoul. Plane ride is 14hrs from JFK…STRAIGHT I have to add this piece of information lol.

First stop in Vietnam is Sapa. Sapa is located at the northwest region of Vietnam and they are known for their rice fields. It is also called the city of clouds. The drive is about 5-8hr from Hanoi (depending on traffic). The bus company I used was Govntravel. I booked my tickets with a lady named Linda. Here is her contact +84905843899 on Whatsapp. She suggested I book a “VIP” cabin bus and that’s what I did. The bus was clean and comfortable.

First hotel I stayed at was Aliana boutique hotel. I stayed here for two nights and I enjoyed my stay. Free breakfast came with my stay. Staff was very sweet and professional. The next two days I stayed at Viettrekking Sapa hotel. Free breakfast is included. Both hotels are across the street from one another.

Day 2. Sapa is very easygoing. Not too much hustle and bustle.

I went on a trekking tour. I honestly thought it would be a cute little “hike” but boy was I wrong. It was a HIKE!! and guess what? I wasn’t prepared for a hike, but that’s nothing new. If you do this tour please make sure you have hiking shoes and bring a swimsuit if you want to swim at the waterfall. I purchased the tour through Airbnb. Here is the link: https://www.airbnb.com/trips/v1/a1a2d3af-3ef3-4159-b176-f7cc2873eb45/ro/EXPERIENCE_RESERVATION/12793369. Sung and her sister were very pleasant. Their English isn’t the best I must say, but I’m proud of them learning to speak english and making a coin doing a tour to attract English speaking tourist. They also offer their home as a hotel aka homestays. The name speaks for itself. I forgot the route that I chose but it had the waterfall option. I think it’s the harder option, felt like it. On the tour we saw an indigo plant, learned how dye on clothing is made, basil plant (only used for medicinal purposes), and ate lunch family style. I love a table spread.

Day 3. Moana Sapa

Moana Sapa is a cute little establishment with photo props. They are also known as little bali. Admission comes with a bottle of water. Such a nice touch. I hired a photographer to take photos of me. His facebook profile is Dat Tien Nguyen. I enjoyed my session with him. He knew the angles. Even with the language barrier, we got it right.

Day 4. Fanispan

Fanispan is a mountain in Vietnam. There are two ways to get to Fanispan. 1st option you can trekk. That route takes about 2 days. The 2nd option you can take a cable car. I did the 2nd option. If you’re scared of heights, I do not recommend taking the cable car. At the top of Fanispan there is a Buddah statue that I was interested in seeing. I got my ticket at agoda.com. It’s a website just like expedia and priceline. I recommend getting your ticket online so that you can avoid lines, especially on the weekends.

My ticket came with a one way monorail train ride once you get to Fanispan. This allows you to avoid walking up 650 steps. If you want to take the monorail back down you can but that would be an extra charge. I wouldn’t recommend taking the monorail back down because you won’t be able to stop and see the Buddha statue. I rather walk down then up anyway lol. Be careful walking down though. The stairs are steep.