Vietnam - The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia on a Budget - page 856

villages, with pot-bellied pigs rooting
around in the dirt. You get great views
of the valley during the walk, which
culminates in a homestay in the Red Dao
village of TA PHIN . Sapa O'Chau (see box,
p.860) work with a particularly welcoming
family who live in a traditional house with
earthen floors and with smoked meat
hanging above the fire. Don't miss the
chance to try a traditional herbal bath,
which involves soaking in a wooden tub;
the fumes make you feel wonderfully
relaxed and a little light-headed. From
Ta Phin, treks take you to the Hmong
village of TRUNG CHAI where hikers get
picked up and taken back to Sa Pa.

groups do the well-trodden hike to Ta Van
along the main road, where they have to
contend with tra c.

Fansipan
Rising dramatically above the rest of the
Hoang Lien Son mountain range is
Mount Fansipan , Vietnam's highest peak
at 3143m. he mountain lies within
Hoang Lien Son Nature Reserve, a
thirty-square-kilometre national park
established in 1986 to protect the forest
habitat. Fansipan's summit is 19km from
Sa Pa and it is recommended to do the
climb in one day, as the rudimentary
camps along the way have been adversely
affected by trash which attracts rats. An
experienced local guide is essential;
organized group excursions with all
equipment can be arranged by reputable
operators such as Sapa O'Chau (see box,
p.860). here are no facilities on the
mountain, so you will need to bring your
own sleeping bag, tent and food supplies
for overnight treks. It is not a technical
climb, but a strenuous one, and
day-trippers have to get up before sunrise
to make it to the summit and back before
dark. he view from the summit on a
clear day rewards those who make it to
the top, taking in the whole mountain

11

Ta Van and Lao Chai
he most spectacular scenery in the area is
in the Muong Hoa valley south of Sa Pa,
with expansive views of rice terraces and
villages below. he best of the guided treks
takes you down into the valley into the
Hmong village of LAO CHAI , from where
you follow the road that meanders through
the fields to TA VA N , a Dao village uphill
from a Giay community. From here, treks
either cross the river and join the main
road for a pick-up back to Sa Pa, or carry
on down the valley to stay overnight in the
Tay village of BAN HO . Note that some tour

HIKING AROUND SA PA
Historically, all the peoples of northern Vietnam migrated from southern China at various times
throughout history: those who arrived first, notably the Tay and Thai, settled in the fertile
valleys, where they now lead a relatively prosperous existence, whereas late arrivals, such as
groups of Hmong and Dao, were left to eke out a living on the inhospitable higher slopes.
More than five million minority people (nearly two-thirds of Vietnam's total minority
population) now live in the northern uplands, mostly in isolated villages. The largest ethnic
groups are Thai and Muong in the northwest, Tay and Nung in the northeast, and Hmong
and Dao dispersed throughout the region. Despite government efforts to forcibly integrate
them into the Vietnamese community, many of the minorities in these remote areas continue
to follow a way of life little changed over the centuries.
It is easy to arrive in Sa Pa independently and organize a local guide from there, rather than
in Hanoi; it's of greater benefit to the local community and yourself if you have a guide from
one of the surrounding villages. While throngs of Hmong women wait outside Sa Pa
guesthouses to escort visitors to the surrounding villages, they only speak a smattering of
English, and while all hotels can also arrange guides, many pay them poorly and send guests
on the well-trodden trek along a main road to Ta Van (see above). Your best option is to join a
small-group tour with Sapa O'Chau, Sapa Sisters, or Topas Travel - reputable operators that
take you off the beaten track, have English-speaking guides and pay them fairly. Expect to pay
from $25 per person for a day hike, from $60 for 2D1N, and from $100 from 2D3N. If you have
four days to spare, you can stay with three different minority tribes during the course of your
hike. Meals and accommodation are included; bring sunblock and plenty of water.