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Sa Pa is a highland town, also is a famous resort of Sapa district, Lao Cai province, Viet Nam. Its contain many hidden wonders of nature, landscape, natural terrain of mountains, green forests make up the picture, lay out harmony with the romantic scenery. Especially, this is the only region have snow in Viet Nam
I THE INTRODUCTION SAPA Sa Pa is a highland town, also is a famous resort of Sapa district, Lao Cai province, Viet Nam It's contain many hidden wonders of nature, landscape, natural terrain of mountains, green forests make up the picture, lay out harmony with the romantic scenery Especially, this is the only region have snow in Viet Nam History Sa Pa is a frontier township and capital of Sa Pa District in Lao Cai Province in northwest Vietnam It was first inhabited by people we know nothing about They left in the entire valley hundreds of petroglyphs, mostly composed of lines, which experts think date from the 15th century and represent local cadastres Then came the highland minorities of the Hmong and Yao The township is one of the main market ones in the area, where several ethnic minority groups such as Hmong, Dao (Yao), Giáy, Pho Lu, and Tay live groups, as well as by smaller numbers of Tày and Giay These are the four main minority groups still present in Sa Pa district today The Kinh (lowland Vietnamese) never originally colonised this highest of Việt Nam’s valleys, which lies in the shadow of Phan-Xi-Pǎng (Fansipan, 3143 m), the highest peak in the country It was only when the French debarked in highland Tonkin in the late 1880s that Sa Pa, or Chapa (from Chinese Xa Pa, the "sandy place"), as the French called it, began to appear on the national map In the following decade, the future site of Sa Pa township started to see military parties as well as missionaries from the Société des Missions Etrangères de Paris (MEP) visit The French military marched from the Red River Delta into the northern mountainous regions as part of Tonkin's ‘pacification’ In 1894-96 the border between China and Tonkin was formally agreed upon and the Sa Pa area, just to the south of this frontier, was placed under French authority From 1891 the entire Lào Cai region, including Sa Pa, came under direct colonial military administration so as to curtail banditry and political resistance on the sensitive northern frontier The first permanent French civilian resident arrived in Sa Pa in 1909 With its attractive continental climate, health authorities believed the site had potential By 1912 a military sanatorium for ailing officers had been erected along with a fully fledged military garrison Then, from the 1920s onwards, several wealthy professionals with enough financial capital also had a number of private villas built in the vicinity At the end of the Second World War a long period of hostilities began in Tonkin that was to last until 1954 In the process, nearly all of the 200 or so colonial buildings in or around Sa Pa were destroyed, either by Việt Minh sympathisers in the late 1940s or in the early 1950s by French air raids The vast majority of the Viet population fled for their lives, and the former township entered a prolonged sleep In the early 1960s, thanks to the New Economic Zones migration scheme set up by the new Socialist regime, new inhabitants from the lowlands started to migrate to the region The short 1979 occupation of the northern border region by Chinese troops had little impact on Sa Pa town, but did force the Kinh (lowland Vietnamese) population out for a month In 1993 the last obstacle to Sa Pa's full rebirth as a prominent holiday destination was lifted as the decision was made to open the door fully to international tourism Sa Pa was back on the tourist trail again, this time for a newly emerging local elite tourist crowd, as well as international tourists Sa Pa is now in full economic boom, mainly from the thousands of tourists who come every year to walk the hundreds of miles of trekking trails between and around the villages of Dao villages of Ta Van and Ta Phin In 2006, the Chairman of The People's Committee of Sa Pa Province was elected to The Communist Party Central Committee as the youngest ever member (born in 1973) Geography Sa Pa District is located in Lao Cai Province, north-west Vietnam, and 380 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 3143 m above sea level The town of Sa Pa lies at an altitude of about 1500 meters (4921 feet) above sea level The climate is moderate and rainy in summer (May— August), and foggy and cold with occasional snowfalls in winter 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 world's 14 “biomes” (distinct biographic areas), producing an assemblage of plant and animal species unique in the world In 2014, Sa Pa ranked in the top 10 rice terrace destinations of the world by Spot Cool Stuff The people 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 ethnic groups in Sa Pa: Hmong 52%, Dao 25%, Tay 5%, Giay 2% and a small number of Xa Pho Approximately 7,000 live in Sa Pa, 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 labourintensive crop, makes the daily fight for survival paramount The unique climate in Sa Pa 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 is significant Many older women make items such as ethnic-style clothes and blankets, to sell to tourists Striking up a conversation with them can be very rewarding and their spoken English is impressive Visitors to Sa Pa will meet many of these women both in the market, and along the paths and roads during daily treks up and down the valleys Children from these ethnic minorities often begin to support their families financially by selling trinkets to tourists Do not encourage this by buying from children - Buy from adults They peddle small metal or silver trinkets, embroidered pillow cases and friendship bands in the main town, and often walk for several hours from their surrounding villages to reach the town At the end of the day, some take a motorbike ride back to their village, some walk home and some sleep in the market Ecological life The Hoang Lien Mountains are home to a rich variety of plants, birds, mammals, amphibians, reptiles and insects, many only found in northwestern Vietnam For this reason, the Hoang Lien Nature Reserve was made a National Park in 2006, and covers much of the mountain range to the immediate south of Sa Pa Forest type and quality change with increasing altitude At 2000 meters the natural, undisturbed forest begins to be seen Above 2500 meters dwarf conifers and rhododendrons predominate in the harsh “elfin forest”, so called because a lack of topsoil and nutrients means that fully mature trees grow to measure only a few meters in height Higher still, only the hardiest of plant species are found At over 3000 meters, Fan Si Pan's summit can only support dwarf bamboo II TOURIST SITES IN SAPA Love flowers valley Sapa Rose Valley Referred to as "a beautiful flower garden in Sapa tourism" It is becoming an exciting destination of localand foreign tourists the opportunity to visit the resort in Sapa No need to go to the country of Bulgaria distant land of love flowers, where the plains, valleys teemed with multicolored roses Now just come to commission Sapa valley visitors can also see firsthand the brilliant roses, inhaling the scent of flowers charming love in white fluffy clouds Rose Valley is arranged into several areas to create a new and attractive tourist area of over 20 thousand visitors With hectares, lies the peaceful foothills of the majestic Fansipan, surrounded by a forest, the clouds, the valley smog commission has embellished poetic scenery for Sa Pa Located in the valley full seasons fluffy white clouds created by two Ham Rong Mountain and Hoang Lien Son This is an important point in the painting of SaPa tourism Flowering season lasts from March 11 to the valley roses this season will immerse visitors in the world of flowers: roses just blossoming, the blooming flowers spread, cotton, it has to meet the all radiate out to an ecstatic charming fragrance From the rose garden, panoramic away, guests will admire the grandeur of the "roof of Indochina" -top Fanxipan Looking down the valley, the Muong Hoa like a beautiful brocade painting fresh with a warm roof is peace in the white cloud mountain Further, rolling untouched green eye mountains With the advantage lies at the cross roads leading to the minority villages from where tourists will visit Cat Cat, Sin Chai, Ta Phin, O Quy Ho, Ta Van, Lao Chai, Thanh Phu to learn life and as unique culture of ethnic Hmong, Dao, the Xa Pho, Tay visited natural attractions such as Ham Rong Mountain, Ancient Stone, Silver Falls – Heaven Gate Hoang Lien National Park Hoang Lien National Park - one of the important special-use forests of Vietnam with a total area of 29 845 core area, including a high mountain system of Hoang Lien Son range, including high Fansipan peak 3.143mand an area of 38,724 buffer zone, including the town of Sa Pa, some communes in Sa Pa district Hoang Lien National Park mainly primary forest vegetation with an evergreen tropical mountain forest fauna and a rich and diverse The scene Hoang Lien National Park About flora forest, where there are more than 2,000 species of plants with typical wood such as military service, linden, rhododendron, alpine-mu, plum forest , of which about 66 species are listed in Vietnam Red Book as: blue cypress, set sam, through bamboo, red pine, nail spare parts chestnut , 32 rare species such as the green cypress species distribution in karst Ban Ho (Sa Pa) , red pines are found in Sa Pa, species of the Hoang Van Sam - Sam cold) distribution in the core national parks (three species are the main materials used to extract a variety of rare medicine) and hundreds of herbs such as rules, independent, Eucommia, venture royal crow's feet, azalea, needle With rich forest ecosystems such, the Hoang Lien National Park is considered one of the centers of biodiversity in our country the most In particular, it was preserved, keeping many traditional cultural beauty of the ethnic communities living in the core zone and buffer zone of the National Park; activities such as music and dance of the Hmong, Dao, Giay with instruments such as pan, flute, trumpet, herd size; the residential architecture of the nation as: The Hmong upper, lower floor and often windy an draw materials mainly wooden houses, home of the Tay in low areas should normally be architectural floor, roofs made of reeds or straw, today has been replaced with tile At Hoang Lien National Park, visitors are environmentally attractive ecotourism Here; Guests will feel the moment spring delivery -lowered - collection - frozen within hour; see the sunshine through every dense foliage, through the mist coming down the carpet of lush grass; been watching the dwarf bamboo clump swaying whenever the wind swept through Fansipan Fansipan is a mountain in Vietnam, the highest in Indochina (comprising Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia), at 3,143 metres (10,312 ft) It is located in the Lao Cai, km southwest of Sa Pa Township in the Hoang Lien Son mountain range Fansipan is dubbed "the Roof of Indochina"; it is to be approved as one of the very few ecotourist spots of Vietnam, with about 2,024 floral varieties and 327 faunal species 10 The topography of Fansipan is varied Muong Hoa Valley, at the lowest altitude (950 to 1000 metres), is created by a narrow strip of land at the base on the east side of the mountain It can be climbed in a steep and fairly strenuous hike Tour companies in the area will arrange hikes to the summit taking from one to three days Most will recommend taking the two- or three-day options and few guides will take tourists on the round trip in a single day A very small village is located at around 1,500 m (4,920 ft) where accommodation and food is offered Further up, at 2,800 m (9,190 ft), is an overnight camp Most booked trips will include the use of these facilities in their price should they be required Stone Cathedral Sapa 11 This church is located in the center of town In front is a large stadium Every day, ethnic heavily concentrated in this sale, barter This is where the weekly 7th melodious voice calling your praise of the couple in the bazaar is full of culture and ethnicity breath mountains Old church, also known as stone church or church of Our Lady of the Rosary lies in the heart of Sapa town, the French built in the early 20th century Before placing the first brick foundation for this work , the French architect was carefully selected to build the terrain Cathedral of Our Lady of the Rosary is located on a prime location with Ham Rong mountain behind the shield, the front area is broad, flat, can develop many cultural facilities catering for activists Assembly, standing at the four sides can be observed relics, along with two other structures built by the French villa owners Bridge (now the Hoang Lien Hotel) and the former District Commissioner (now headquarters of the Tourist Information Centre Lao Cai) forming a symmetrical triangle with distinct architectural style of France Stone church in Sapa Choosing the direction of the church has an important spiritual significance for Catholics: First relics returned to the east, the direction of the sunrise, the light source direction God welcome At the end of the church (the bell tower area) is to the west, where the birth of Christ 12 The shape and architecture of the Cathedral was built in the shape cross Gotic Roman architecture Architecture shown in the roof, bell towers, arches are created for building pyramids fly elegant strokes The whole church is built of hewn stone (walls, floors, steeple, church yard, embankments around) are linked together by a mixture of sand, lime and molasses Part of the wall on the right side of the cross is made to flow down rough like stalactites add natural beauty to the monument Roof tiles, lime straw ceiling (now refresh) Especially in the steeple ceiling (near the bell)is a mixture of lime, straw, iron, not fix time Beauty of Muong Khuong Where old people say, Muong Khuong's new Vietnamese names from French colonial rule In fact, the local people called the Good Khang (Muong Gang) by folk legend: "In the old days, there is a geography teacher brought his horse gallbladder student body selected land to settlers On arriving here, he suddenly saw below ground is a vast sea, with two iron columns in the middle and outer four iron columns supporting four corners make this land a solid existence Go to Muong Khuong, guests are immersed not only the fresh air of the mountains, but also enjoy the natural beauty of the limestone mountains From a distance, the village in Muong Khuong flickers blue mixed in vast mountains of the same message Mixedin a beautiful natural setting that is the sticky floor, lovely ground floor; 13 The rice paddies Tung Lau - Bu Na vast wide Emerged as Ham Rong caves apopular tourist destination was vestige Country, just 1.5 km from the district center Doors to work as the source of the stream, "Tung Lau" forming cascade "Tung Pao" 14 Main place has discovered a drum Pha Long dating4,000 years ago Along with up Ham Rong, there are caves "Mushroom OC" (communal Mushrooms Lu), cave "Ten Horses" (Ta Ngai) are pretty much hang preserved vestiges of the past This is also the hub of activity we Gem Lo infamous libel, was the military units destroyed in 1952.Facing up Ham Rong mountain "Fairy" spectacular beauty It is said that: Since ancient times, the Fairy down to enjoy the spring, see majestic mountains, charming beauty should not discourage the sun On top of the mountain is made of, stone carving up about 1m wide, shaped table, a bench and sat enlarge Fairy, chairs around a small, lean figure boys dragons flanking reporter vision around protection a valley, Muong Khuong border The town of Muong Khuong Go to Muong Khuong, visitors not only to explore the beauty goods, but also admire the beauty of the many waterfalls such as Ham Terrace 15 Seven beautiful terraces in the world including: Banaue (Philippines); Yuang yang (Yunnan, China); Ubud (Bali, Indonesia); Annapurna(Nepal); Mae Rim (Chiang Mai, Thailand); Sapa (Lao Cai province, Vietnam) and Long ji (Guilin, China).About the terraces and the famous tour of Sapa Vietnam, Travel and Leisure says: "With great scenery looks like a ladder to climb up the sky of the terraced rice fields, Sa Pa has become one of the tourist attractions of Vietnam Guests participating in the journey by train from Hanoi to Lao Cai city and then take the car to visit the tourist resort of Sa Pa, before the scenery of rice fields in the fall and admire the girls Mong, Dao the page colorful dress and hospitality ".As a sub-tropical climate and monsoon rain poured down to wait (here called people pour water season), in Lao Cai province, as well as a number of Northwestern 5-6 months every year to new services seeded This is the time appeared the most beautiful summer on the terraced fields circling the high mountains of Sapa, Bac Ha, Bat Xat, Si Ma Cai Terraced fields in Lao Cai from hundreds of years and are run by the talented hands of the Dao, H'mong, Ha Nhi, Giay, Tay and Xa Pho this life serial create another life The terraced fields is not only masterpieces but also the boyfriend of rice cell ethnic hill tribes This method is efficient agriculture, contributing to the unique tourism products to Lao Cai for many years Terraced fields in Lao Cai is also a destination of international travelers and tourists every southern provinces to the North West of the world 16 Love Waterfall in Sapa 17 Love Waterfall, located about 4km to the North-West of Sa Pa Town in San Sa Ho Commune From far sight, the waterfall looks like a twinkling pyramid under the sun It has a height of about 100m, and starts from the peak of Fansipan Mountain and rush noisily into the Gold Stream like a never-ending song Under the waterfall, the Gold Stream runs along with green grass plots and bamboo clusters, forming a poetic image Love Falls is the name by which it kept the area a romantic love story The story tells that long time ago, this waterfall was the bathing place of fairies from heaven One day, a fairy was mesmerized by flute sound of a young boy near the fall, so she spent every night listening to his melodies Not long time after, her parents came to know the secret, and forbade her from coming back to the fall The passionate fairy transformed herself to a bird so that she could live with her love forever From then on, the name Love is born This is one of the most beautiful destinations that the tourist love the most III SAPA TRAVEL 18 Travel to Sapa By sleeper bus from Hanoi The bus station in Sapa is in the center of town, near the lake While you are more likely to pay between 250,000 to 350,000 VNDs (December 2014) for a sleeper bus to Sapa from Hanoi,you can book sleeping buses to Hanoi for only 300,000 dong from SaPa (Dec 2013) Most buses you can book through travel agents for almost the same price Minibuses to Lao Cai drive around looking for passengers, if you get on empty minibus it could take up to one hour They drive very slowly, so it could take one hour for a 35 km journey Price for locals seems to be around 50,000 dong I agreed for lower price with them, but in the half way they started to collect money and asked for higher rate I paid just agreed amount and they forced me out of the bus half-way A good option to get between Lao Cai and Sapa is to go near the beginning of the road and hitchhike for private car Many Vietnamese tourist traveling by their car in this route, and will take you for free or 30-40 thousands dong, it is faster even including time needed to walk to the road By express bus from Hanoi The Sapa Express Bus, Hanoi - Sapa - Hanoi departs daily at AM via the newly built (September 2014) Hanoi - Lao Cai highway It takes about hours of driving from Hanoi to Sapa, depending on traffic and weather (they say hours, but it averages hours) You will enjoy the view of the Vietnamese countryside along the road and it is by far the quickest and easiest way to travel between Hanoi and Sapa The buses are also brand new and very comfortable - they include a bottle of water and a small snack Note that there is no toilet, and they only make one rest stop along the way (but can apparently stop for you if you give them a few minutes notice) Most travel agencies in Hanoi can arrange the ticket, costing about USD 16/person/way - or you can book through Sapa Express directly If you book through your hotel it should cost less and include a free pickup from your hotel in the Old Quarter By bus from Lao Cai 19 Local minibuses leave from in front of the Lao Cai train station (there's a big blue sign saying Bus Station Lao Cai - Sa Pa) at 5:40, 6:00, 7:00, and every 30/60 minutes until 18:00 Price is 28.000 VND, stated on the bus door, and it includes bags The ride is about 1h 15min, the minibus has AC and the road is fine There are several stops in Sapa, ending at the stone church By bus from elsewhere The road to Dien Bien Phu is in bad condition, bus costs around 200,000 dong (Dec 2012) It is small and crowded Journey takes more than 10 hours If you take night bus to Dien Bien Phu, there is connecting bus to Oud om Xay in Laos, which seems to wait for arrival of Sapa bus even if it is late By motorcycle Sapa can also be reached by motorcycle from Hanoi by a variety of routes The most direct route takes at least ten hours for first time riders, though local expats often brag about making it in less Bikes can be rented in Hanoi for unguided passage, or local guides can lead the way Along the way be sure to top up with fuel regularly, as petrol stations sometimes prove few and far between It's also useful to note that fuel vendors in small towns often mix the petrol with other liquids such as alcohol or bio-fuels, and such fuel should be bought and used only when there are no alternatives Travel Tips Bear in mind that some of the minorities not wish to have photos taken of them ask permission beforehand Smile, lower your head down and raise your camera up to show them is the good mannered way for asking permission After that, showing them their pictures is the very good manner too If they allow, their allowance is free and they expect no money back at all Bring along a poncho, or you can also buy a cheap one in the many shops around Rubber boots and trekking shoes can be rented from some shops or perhaps at the hotel you are staying in However, bear in mind that they have limited sizes If you are going trekking these are highly recommended, particularly if it has been raining Do buy some hand made items direct from the ethnic minorities, especially if you have enjoyed a 20 good conversation or received help from them Though they charge slightly more than the shops, bear in mind that the majority of them are very poor and depend on tourist money to survive If you want to support the ethnic minorities, try to hire a guide directly instead of doing it through your hotel This way all your money goes directly to the minorities instead of the 50% they get if booked through a hotel or agency Some hotel asks for $30/people for private trekking of group of 2-4, but pay $10 to a guide If you want to save money you can bargain with minorities a 4h hike to their village (including a lunch) for 600 000 VND (30$) for a people group but keep in mind that this very cheap price does not includes return and you will have to come back by your own or ask a lift to a motorbike (around 50 000VND or 3$) Get around Anywhere in the main village of Sapa can be reached on foot, and the town is small enough that you're not likely to get lost A basic map will be good enough for most travelers The way to Cat Cat is taxed at 40,000 dong, while the way to Ban Ho & Lao Chai villages are taxed 40,000 dong in one ticket The way to Ta Phin village is taxed at 20,000 dong as well Tourists intending to trek to the various villages through the paddy fields should be prepared with good trekking shoes or rubber boots, a walking stick and extra clothing kept in a waterproof bag These treks are best done in groups as the guides know where they are going and can help you if you get lost or fall over Depending on the season, the rice fields, which are build in terraces, can be very muddy and slippery If one does not wear shoes which enables a good grip in the mud, one is likely to keep slipping and falling or even sliding down the slopes! As the paths are also taken by water buffalos, excrement can be found everywhere Walking sticks can be bought from children from the ethnic minority groups at about 5,000 dong These enterprising children cut sturdy bamboo and sharpen one end to turn them into sturdy sticks You'll also find local people offering to hold your hand throughout the trip, buy some souvenirs from them at the end for their help 21 For the less adventurous, some of the villages, such as Lao Chai Village, is accessible via jeep, motorcycle Renting a motorcycle in Sapa is a real challenge The operators (1820 year old boys) will want your passport as the guarantee, or a $250 deposit However, be careful about handing out your passport You can usually rent motorcycles from your accommodation aswell The price of renting is around $4 - $7 depending on whether they are manual or automatic, engine size, new/old model, etc One day rental time is from morning until evening of the same day You must return the motorcycle around pm, though 7pm can be agreed in advance Be very careful when you're driving - these are not the roads that you're used to Mountain Dirt is not delicious There are no doctors or emergency services And if accident occurs while you're out of town, no one will know where you are Drive slowly Downhill at 15-20 km/hour is the safest bet - use your horn at every corner 22 [...]... of the Tourist Information Centre Lao Cai) forming a symmetrical triangle with distinct architectural style of France Stone church in Sapa Choosing the direction of the church has an important spiritual significance for Catholics: First relics returned to the east, the direction of the sunrise, the light source direction God welcome At the end of the church (the bell tower area) is to the west, where. .. "With great scenery looks like a ladder to climb up the sky of the terraced rice fields, Sa Pa has become one of the tourist attractions of Vietnam Guests participating in the journey by train from Hanoi to Lao Cai city and then take the car to visit the tourist resort of Sa Pa, before the scenery of rice fields in the fall and admire the girls Mong, Dao the page colorful dress and hospitality ".As a sub-tropical... is where the weekly 7th melodious voice calling your praise of the couple in the bazaar is full of culture and ethnicity breath mountains Old church, also known as stone church or church of Our Lady of the Rosary lies in the heart of Sapa town, the French built in the early 20th century Before placing the first brick foundation for this work , the French architect was carefully selected to build the. .. services seeded This is the time appeared the most beautiful summer on the terraced fields circling the high mountains of Sapa, Bac Ha, Bat Xat, Si Ma Cai Terraced fields in Lao Cai from hundreds of years and are run by the talented hands of the Dao, H'mong, Ha Nhi, Giay, Tay and Xa Pho this life serial create another life The terraced fields is not only masterpieces but also the boyfriend of rice cell... hours) You will enjoy the view of the Vietnamese countryside along the road and it is by far the quickest and easiest way to travel between Hanoi and Sapa The buses are also brand new and very comfortable - they include a bottle of water and a small snack Note that there is no toilet, and they only make one rest stop along the way (but can apparently stop for you if you give them a few minutes notice)... VND, stated on the bus door, and it includes bags The ride is about 1h 15min, the minibus has AC and the road is fine There are several stops in Sapa, ending at the stone church By bus from elsewhere The road to Dien Bien Phu is in bad condition, bus costs around 200,000 dong (Dec 2012) It is small and crowded Journey takes more than 10 hours If you take night bus to Dien Bien Phu, there is connecting.. .The topography of Fansipan is varied Muong Hoa Valley, at the lowest altitude (950 to 1000 metres), is created by a narrow strip of land at the base on the east side of the mountain It can be climbed in a steep and fairly strenuous hike Tour companies in the area will arrange hikes to the summit taking from one to three days Most will recommend taking the two- or three-day options... build the terrain Cathedral of Our Lady of the Rosary is located on a prime location with Ham Rong mountain behind the shield, the front area is broad, flat, can develop many cultural facilities catering for activists Assembly, standing at the four sides can be observed relics, along with two other structures built by the French villa owners Bridge (now the Hoang Lien Hotel) and the former District... of a young boy near the fall, so she spent every night listening to his melodies Not long time after, her parents came to know the secret, and forbade her from coming back to the fall The passionate fairy transformed herself to a bird so that she could live with her love forever From then on, the name Love is born This is one of the most beautiful destinations that the tourist love the most III SAPA... few guides will take tourists on the round trip in a single day A very small village is located at around 1,500 m (4,920 ft) where accommodation and food is offered Further up, at 2,800 m (9,190 ft), is an overnight camp Most booked trips will include the use of these facilities in their price should they be required 3 Stone Cathedral Sapa 11 This church is located in the center of town In front is a ... direction God welcome At the end of the church (the bell tower area) is to the west, where the birth of Christ 12 The shape and architecture of the Cathedral was built in the shape cross Gotic Roman... on the bus door, and it includes bags The ride is about 1h 15min, the minibus has AC and the road is fine There are several stops in Sapa, ending at the stone church By bus from elsewhere The. .. from the lowlands started to migrate to the region The short 1979 occupation of the northern border region by Chinese troops had little impact on Sa Pa town, but did force the Kinh (lowland Vietnamese)