Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Mai Chau Lodge
( 0218-386 8959;
www.maichaulodge.com
;
Mai Chau; r US$150; )
Contemporary ac-
commodation with wooden floors and designer lighting, all trimmed with local textiles;
most rooms have balconies with rice-paddy views.
HOTEL
$$$
Getting There & Around
Direct buses to Mai Chau leave Hanoi's My Dinh bus station at 6am, 8.30am and 11am
(100,000d, 3¾ hours). Alternatively, catch a regular Son La or Dien Bien Phu bus to Tong
Dau junction (100,000d, 3½ hours). From the junction
xe om
charge 25,000d.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Lao Cai
020 / POP 46,700
One of the gateways to the north, Lao Cai lies at the end of the train line, 3km from the
Chinese border. The town has no sights but is a major hub for travellers journeying
between Hanoi, Sapa and the Chinese city of Kunming.
There are ATMs next to the train station, plus internet cafes close by. You'll find inex-
pensive hotels around the station including
Nga Nghi Tho Huong
( 020-383 5111; 342A P
Nguyen Hue; r 180,000-300,000d;
)
.
Getting There & Around
Nine daily buses (250,000d, nine hours) ply the Hanoi-Lao Cai route, but virtually every-
one prefers the train.
Minibuses for Sapa (50,000d, one hour) wait by the train station while services to Bac
Ha (60,000d, 2½ hours) leave at 6.30am, 8.15am, 9am, 11.30am, noon, 2pm and 3pm
from a terminal next to the Red River bridge.
Rail tickets to Hanoi (8½ to 10 hours) start at 135,000d for a hard seat (bad choice) and
run to 515,000d for an air-con soft sleeper, rising by about 15% at weekends. Several
companies operate special private carriages with comfortable sleepers, including the af-
Search WWH ::
Custom Search