Climate
by Willettsworld
When I arrived in Sapa in January it was pretty cold with night-time temperatures only a few degrees above freezing. As there's very little in the way of any heating, I had to hire an electric fire for my room in my hotel. To go with the cold, expect fog. I arrived early in the morning after taking the overnight train, and walked around the town where the weather was overcast and grey. Then the fog blew in very quickly, so quickly in fact, that I could hardly see 25 metres in front of me in the space of a few minutes. The fog (or maybe it was low cloud) also hung around at the start of my trek which hampered the views of the rice terraces. However, as we made our way down into a valley, the fog disappeared and the sun came out and it was beautiful. When I returned to Sapa after my 2 day trek there wasn't a cloud in the sky. Expect very changeable weather up here!
Cau May Street...Central Street Sa Pa...
by Greggor58
This is pretty much the main drag or one of the main streets in the town of Sa Pa…It starts up the hill beside the Quacg Truong Square, where the Weekend Market happens, and runs down the hill, connects with Muong Hoa Street and will take you out of town.
From this street you can access the Vegetable Market that will be on your right hand side going down the hill. You’ll find more than a few souvenir shops, restaurants, stores, and one of only two banks in town. It’s really a busy spot most of the day well into the evening as people come and go, both locals, and tourists. One day while we were having lunch in Little Sa Pa 2 a funeral procession for a young man killed in a motorbike accident even paraded down the street.
On this street you’ll easily find the restaurants noted here on my pages, the store where I found a GREAT deal on a North Face Winter jacket, I found a GREAT little spot here to have a foot massage along here also. It really is the Heart of the commercial activity of Sa Pa..
Im sure when you venture to Sa Pa some of your time will be spent walking UP…or walking DOWN the street. You’ll have heard about it here at VT!! Watch the motorbikes and good luck dodging the Hmong and Dao vendors!!!
Hill-tribes: Black Hmong
by Willettsworld
The Black Hmong are by far the largest ethnic minority group in and around Sapa and you'll see them walking between Sapa and the surrounding villages. In Sapa, you'll see them playing in the square in front of the church and along the main tourist road buying large sticks of sugarcane which they particularly like to chew on as a snack like we would a chocolate bar back home. They're called Black Hmong due to the colour of the clothing they wear which is actually hemp that's dyed violet from a plant that grows locally. The dye stains the hands and transfers to their faces which gives them a rather dirty look. When I was in Sapa at the end of January, I was told that they were dressed in either their best or new clothes in order to attract a mate. Young girls were checking out the boys playing on a huge swing in the square. Girls as young as ten years old can get married and often have two children by the time they are 20 years old. This is especially the case for the more beautiful ones.
If you decide to do an organised trek, expect to have several girls and women tagging along with you. A few of them started chatting me up on my trek and a young French girl came over to rescue me by claiming that I was hers!
Hill-tribes: Flower Hmong
by Willettsworld
The Flower Hmong are like a rare type of tropical bird - pretty, colourful but hard to find. I only saw two during my stay in Sapa. One was in the towns market while another, a young girl, sat down next to me on the street and was having her photo taken every couple of minutes by tourists as she was wearing a very colourful head-dress.
Sapa means 4 possible seasons a day!
by Oda_
A day pack to bring on your treks is a good idea. But these can also be baught in Sapa Bring clothes to suit the local weather! In January to March it can be quit cold, foggy and rainy. A fleece, raincoat/windbreaker, and good trekking shoes is advisable! These items are available here, but at not so fair prices... Rubber boots are cheap in the market, though! It is always smart to have a first aid kit, at leat when you go trekking. And ladies, tampons are hard to find here... Bring your camera! Any camera will do. You will regret it if not bringing one!
Ban Ho is famous for its many dog meat dishes
View down hill from hotel
Soft trek to Cat Cat
My overnight homestay
