Jona Bering’s Travel Guide to Northern Vietnam is a 4-part series. Issue 4 gives us a glimpse of Sapa and Halong Bay.
If you’ve been to Batad Rice Terraces, Sapa has that vibe: industrious human hands playing God in the landscape. Rice fields spread and crawl uphill. While I could stare at their beauty for hours, I can barely imagine the labor farmers have invested in the land. The rice fields of Sa Pa are an innocent testament to hard work.
Unlike Batad, Sapa is packed with upscale hotels, restaurants and tourists. But these realities shouldn’t stop you from visiting this place. Sapa is huge and it’s easy to avoid other tourists if you don’t want to chit chat. It can be reached by overnight bus from Hanoi.
If you don’t feel confident walking around alone, the H’mong women, Sapa’s local tribe, will be there the moment the bus doors open. Dressed in hand-woven wardrobes and dangling earrings, local women provide trekking guides and stay in their villages.
1. Stroll through the beautiful rice fields
If you join a tour group, you will most likely follow the usual route. We moved on and just walked around the lovely, lovely rice fields. I prefer that. Be careful around dogs if you do it yourself. Some of them can be aggressive, I mean, very barking.
2. Check the cat cat village
This is not a real village but a replica of villages from years past. It’s like a museum with real people at work, so outsiders can see what life was like back then.
There is even a traditional waterwheel in the village, newly installed for us tourists.
There is also a waterfall, which has been transformed by the locals so that its falls are more diffuse and inviting than the natural ones. There are dance halls, cafes and restaurants in the village. Of course, there are plenty of shops selling trinkets and souvenirs.
3. Check Silver Falls and Love Falls
These may not be the best destinations in Sapa, but if you are staying for a long time, be sure to visit these two beautiful places.
Thac Bac Waterfall (Silver Waterfall) and nearby Love Waterfall (Thác Tình Yêu) are only about 30 minutes away from Sa Pa’s tourist belt.
4. Eat hot pot, the local name is lau
Sapa is not the only place where you can enjoy heaven in a pot.but put it in a cold and foggy place Make it extra special and rewarding. Imagine adding fresh herbs and vegetables to a boiling pot of broth and eating them seconds later.
Eating lau was one of our particularly memorable culinary experiences in northern Vietnam. Liu warms you up.
5. Visit Notre Dame Cathedral
Some H’mong people will take pictures with you in the square if you wish. I think it’s for donations. We didn’t try this because it’s not our thing.
The main square is beautiful, especially when it’s engulfed in early morning or evening fog. It’s also a great place to people watch.
6. Hike Fansipan Peak
Known as the roof of Indochina (Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia), Fansipan (3143m) should be on your list if you like mountaineering.
As much as we love hiking, we don’t have it in our pockets. Hiring a certified guide can be expensive, but prices are no different than for the major mountains of the Philippines.
Halong Bay: The sea speaks with spikes
Unapologetic Filipinos, I find the grandeur of Halong Bay to fall short on my superlative list. We have El Nido and Coron, and the most overused adjective is cool again.IIf you’ve been to both and you have limited time in northern Vietnam, I suggest you remove Halong Bay from your list.
However, if you have the time and more money, you might want to visit this place with its karst formations, caves and short hikes. Located in Quang Ninh Province, Halong Bay is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has to be one of the most visited destinations in Vietnam.
You have two options. You can either go on an expensive 2D1N or 2D2N cruise, or opt for a less onerous day trip. We chose the latter due to our limited budget. To save even more, simply book through your hotel in Ha Long City. Online prices range from $50 (P2,500) to $65 (P3,200) and ours was P1,200, including shuttle bus, hiccupping lunch and entry to all caves and stops.
Another reason we bunk in the bay instead of taking advantage of an overnight cruise is that we like to ride random motorcycles. Ha Long City may look ordinary at first glance, but it has some interesting packaging that might entice you. I’m talking about the lovely cafes, the hike to Bai Tho mountain, and the illuminated buildings at night.
You can also explore further afield and visit Cat Ba Island, a 45-minute boat ride from Tuan Chau. – Rappler.com
Jonah Branzuela Bering, palanca laureate and author of an anthology of poetry for the lost (For the Lost), blog at Backpacking with a Book. She left her good life in Cebu to pursue her long-term goal of traveling abroad. She currently lives in Hanoi, Vietnam. Follow her travels on Instagram @travelingjona.
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