In spite of numerous comments about commercialization in Sapa, this destination still fascinates visitors thanks to beautiful spectacles and wonderful climate.
Once in Sapa, everyone always want to stay as long as possible or come back here when they are back home. Some inhabitants in Sapa comes from Hanoi and some others are from the west of Vietnam, no one knows why they want to live here. Evenly, many foreigners choose to live here with their own booths.
Sapa climate is partly like in Da Lat, but the local scenery and people’ life creates a very different world. The end of April-early May is the least attractive period in Sapa when the terraced rice fields turn up with colour of soil and water only because this is also the starting time of growing, nothing special for landscape. However, the pretty H’mong girls in their colourful brocade costume with patterns look so surprised.
Villages in Sapa
Sapa is at its best in the winter, specially the time right before the Tet Holiday. Just believe that you sometimes cannot see each other who stands 3m from you through the poetic Sapa mist. The winter here is quite cold (around 0°C at night). Be careful if you intend for a motor-driving exploration.
Do you believe that 4 seasons are included in one day here? It’s quite cold at the morning (12°C -18°C) but mild sunshine turns up at noon. Remember to bring jacket always!
Honestly, Sapa is not far different than before. It is still a noisy town with more hotels and better services. But, difference is avoidable due to the tourism industry.
It can be said that tourism changes the life here. You can see many Black H’mong and Red Dao people scattering around the center of Sapa Town. Nevertheless, the local hotels and restaurants are owned by Kinh group, some of additive bars are of foreigners who love living the life here.
You may be impressed that the H’mong girls here can communicate in English fairly well, even old women chatting with visitors to sell something like “two dollars” or “one dollar one photo”. It’s so funny when right at that moment, she take the phone to talk to somebody by ethnic language. Or you can see a Red Dao vendor with an I-phone in front of the church.
Cute children in Sapa
Those things may be a good mark for their life, which is now better. But some problems such as “having to pay money for photos-capture” or “selling something at higher price than usual” are obviously made by tourism. Sapa is now dominated by Chinese products, including brocade bags and many things else, which are made by machine and originated from China; just few are handicraft.
Sometimes you can meet several crossbred children whose father is foreigner. And “Where are their fathers?” is a million-dollar-cost question.
Anyway, Sapa is loved by many travelers from all over the world. Not only the picturesque landscape in harvest time but also the peaceful feeling with a cup of coffee at the main street is attractive to any travel lover. Relaxing at a restaurant and looking over to the mountainside, you feel that the magical mist is going to touch you. If you feel interested, take walking excursion at night with many choices: Drop off at a nice pub for Beatles music or enjoy beer among the noisy DJ at a club.
(Collection)
