Sapa – A major resort

Sapa is a beautiful small town in Lao Cai province, located northwest of Vietnam about 370 km from Hanoi. Sapa was discovered by the French in the 20th century and has become a holiday spot for French officials because of its cool climate all year round and beautiful scenery.
This is also the gathering place of ethnic minorities with their own identities creating a brilliant cultural beauty. Currently, Sapa has been renovated and developed into a major tourist center of the northern region of Vietnam. Let’s explore the attractions in Sapa:
1- O Quy Ho Pass
Dubbed as one of the four great pass of the Northwest region, O Quy Ho is a destination that any backpacker wants to conquer. O Quy Ho pass is also known as Hoang Lien pass (due to the pass of Hoang Lien Son mountain range) or May mountain pass because it is covered with clouds all year round. Located on the national highway 4D crossing Hoang Lien Son mountain range, O Quy Ho pass connecting Lao Cai and Lai Chau with the top of the pass is also the boundary between these two provinces, of which 2/3 of the way is in Tam Duong district , Lai Châu; The remaining 1/3 are located in Sa Pa and Lao Cai. This is probably a mountain pass that holds the record for the length in the mountains of Northwest Vietnam, with a length of nearly 50 km longer than the Pha Din pass (32 km long, located on the boundary of Son La and Dien Bien provinces. ) or Khau Pha pass (nearly 40 km, belonging to Yen Bai). The elevation, ruggedness and length of O Quy Ho make the pass unorthodoxly dubbed the “King of the Northwest Pass”.
The beauty of O Quy Ho Pass always changes: Lao Cai is misty, Lai Chau is sunny; In the winter, there is snow and ice, in the summer there is usually cloudiness, creating an attraction for domestic and foreign tourists.
2- Sapa sky gate
For a long time, when mentioning the sky gate, people often think of Ha Giang, where there is Quan Ba ​​sky gate. But few know that Sapa also has a sky gate. This is the highest road peak in Vietnam that can be reached to admire the peak of Phan Xi Pang – the roof of Indochina.
Leaving Sapa town in Lao Cai, going to the North for about 18 km, the road to the zigzag sky gate meandering halfway through the mountain coincides with the same message with the long-running sun shadow. Only the wind makes the vegetation have to stick to the rocks. This pass road named Tram Ton, weaving between majestic Hoang Lien Son range. And the sky gate is the peak of this pass.
3- Mount Fansipan
Phan Xi Pang, Fansipan, or Phan Si Phang is the highest mountain in Vietnam, also the highest among the three Indochinese countries, so it is dubbed the “Roof of Indochina” (3,143 m) in Hoang Lien Son mountain range. Sa Pa town about 9 km to the southwest, bordering Lao Cai and Lai Chau provinces of Northwestern Vietnam. According to the local language, the mountain is called “Hua Xi Pan” and means that the huge stone is protruding. Phan Xi Pang is currently the meeting place of many climbers or those who want to trekking to challenge themselves.
4- Sapa stone church
Located in the heart of Sapa town, it is easy to see when coming to town, this church was built by the French from 1895 until now and has become the most complete architectural feature remaining in Lao Cai. Located on an empty area, behind the back is Ham Rong mountain, from the four sides can see the ancient church.
5- Coc San
Located about 7km from Lao Cai city, Coc San has long been known as an ideal tourist destination for townspeople. From Highway 4D, a small dirt road with a length of over 1km leads to Coc San. The two sides of the road are small fields and villages of local people. When still about 300 – 400m from Coc San, you can hear the murmur of the stream. Coc San is a system of waterfalls and caves of different sizes, so one can call this the Coc San cave or Coc San waterfall.

6- Ham Rong Mountain
Ham Rong Mountain is located in the majestic Hoang Lien Son range, located in Sapa district, Lao Cai province, about 33km from the center of Lao Cai city. Standing on the top of Ham Rong mountain, you can enjoy panoramic views of Sapa, Muong Hoa valley, Sa Pa, Ta Phin hidden in the smoke. Currently, with human embellished hands, Ham Rong is truly a fruitful landscape of Sapa. On Ham Rong, visitors seem to be lost in the fairy garden, the clouds cover the body, brilliant flowers on the ground. Especially orchids including many rare orchid species of Hoang Lien mountains and the northern mountains of Vietnam have been acclimatized here.
7- Waterfall of love
Love Waterfall has an altitude of nearly 100m. The waterfall originates from the peak of Phan Si Pang and carries the coldness of the mountains and forests flowing through the high and sloping terrain; pouring torrentially, rushing down the stream and tossing white foam. From a distance, visitors will see the waterfall resembling a hat.

8- Hoang A Tuong’s mansion
Hoang A Tuong’s Palace in Bac Ha is a superficial ancient mansion, isolated in the center of the town, once the castle of the once most powerful clan of the Northwest, now becoming a tourist attraction domestic and foreign tourism.
Hoang A Tuong Palace was built in the style of Asia – Europe with a rectangular layout that is completely closed. Its owner is the father and son Hoang Yen Chao and Hoang A Tuong of the Tày people but ruled over an area of ​​70% Mong people, so they are still called “Cat king”.
9- Bac Ha Market
Bac Ha Market is a destination for domestic and foreign tourists whenever they go to Lao Cai and Sa Pa. In particular, Bac Ha market will never come if you do not try the Thang Co dish, drink with bowls of corn wine, fragrant rice scented with heaven and earth, or savor the bitter, sweet se-iron taste of ventricular teapot …
10- Muong Hoa Valley
Muong Hoa valley is in Hau Thao commune, about 8km southeast of Sapa town. From Sapa town, passing a mountain pass along a high mountain range (with a charging station of VND 75,000 per person), Sapa tourists will come to Muong Hoa valley. What is special in this valley is the ancient rock with many different shapes, interspersed between grass and terraced fields of ethnic minorities. Hundreds of sandstone with engraved drawings and strange characters have not been identified yet. Today, this ancient carving area has been classified as a national monument, a unique heritage of ancient Vietnamese people. In Muong Hoa valley, there is also a beautiful small stream stretching about 15 km, passing through Lao Chai, Ta Van and Hau Thao communes and ending in Ban Ho.
11- Ancient rock field
Ancient Sapa rock field stretches over Muong Hoa valley, about 8 km from the center of Sapa town and has an area of ​​about 8 km2 with nearly 200 stone blocks. Ancient rock was discovered in 1925 by French archaeologists, considered as a testament to the appearance of prehistoric people. Sapa ancient rock is a valuable heritage of the Northwest and Vietnamese land. Over nearly 100 years since being discovered, the ancient rock has increasingly attracted a large number of domestic and international visitors to admire.
12- Ta Van Village
Ta Van is located about 10 km from the center of Sapa town, in the Muong Hoa valley. You can move here by taxi or motorbike. With a mountain topography, facing the Muong Hoa stream, Ta Van is an ideal place for you to have moments of mingling with nature in a true way.
13- Lao Chai village
Lao Chai is located about 7km from the center of Sapa town, is a commune with more than 100 households of the Black H’mong ethnic group. With the majestic beauty of terraced fields, mountains or waterfalls, it is no exaggeration to say that Lao Chai and Ta Van villages are extremely ideal places for trekking activities. Walking around the villages not only helps you fully feel the natural beauty, but also helps you better understand the life, lifestyle and culture of the local people when traveling to Sapa.
14- Cat Cat village
From the center of Sapa town, follow the road towards Fanxipan mountain about 3km, you will reach Cat Cat village. Nearly 80 households in the village are mostly located along the stone pathway in the middle of the village, some are scattered on the mountainsides. Walk a few hundred meters to the center of Cat Cat, where the convergence of three murky streams day and night is Tien Sa, Vang and Bac streams and Cat Cat waterfall (also known as Tien Sa waterfall) rumbling, tossing white foam. Besides the waterfall, there are two suspension bridges, Si and A Lu, which attract lots of tourists to admire and take souvenir photos.
15- Sin Chai village
Sin Chai is one of the seven villages of Ta Giang Phinh commune, located at the northernmost tip of Sa Pa district. Among 127 Hmong families with 624 people, there are quite a lot of elderly people, especially women. Coming here, tourists are often curious about the secret of longevity of the villagers, especially why the women here live longer than men but the people here only know how to explain the genes, the fresh climate, Pure water, vegetables and fruits are not contaminated by nature in the year-round.
16- Sapa love market
Traveling to Sapa, any tourist wants to not only see the beautiful scenery but also discover the unique culture of the indigenous people here. Sapa Love Market is an extremely unique cultural feature of the Mong and Dao people, the meeting place for the affection of young men and women in the Northwest villages, attracting a large number of Sapa tourists find out every year.
17- Y Linh Ho village
Located about 7hm southwest of Sapa town, next to Muong Hoa stream. Y Linh Ho is a commune of many small neighborhoods dispersed on very difficult mountainous terrain with high and steep mountains. Only a few hundred black H’mong people live in this commune. They built rudimentary houses made of soil or bamboo 

18- Fansipan Legend
Sun World Fansipan Legend is located in the southwest of Sapa town, is a complex of cultural tourism works, cable cars, entertainment and resort hotels, located in a majestic natural setting. Become a legend – Fansipan peak. With this cable car service, most people can conquer Fansipang peak easily.
Fansipan is the point that anyone who wants to watch the snow and ice cannot ignore. To get to Fansipan Legend, you will have to take a 15-minute cable car, the ticket price is 600,000 VND / 1 way. Imagine each cabin submerged in a sea of ​​clouds, experience the feeling of hovering on thousands of meters above the ground will make you a little scared, but extremely interesting.
19- Valley of roses
Sapa town is always a destination to please the tourist lovers. Not only has the beautiful scenery but this place also makes visitors immersed in a dreamy, poetic world, especially when visiting the beautiful Rose valley in the first neighborhood, Muong Hoa street, Sapa town . With a total area of ​​about 22 hectares, the valley is made up of two ranges Ham Rong and Fanxipan.
When visiting the Rose Valley, visitors feel like they are lost in a fairy garden with hundreds of thousands of original persimmons Sapa, French rose, crunchy pink USA … According to experience, the most beautiful month to come here to visit the exhibition is from November to March every year, when hundreds of flowers compete to show off their beauty to create a wonderful picture.