One of my only regrets from my last visit to Vietnam was not making the time to get to the Sapa region in the North to witness and hike among the stunning rice terraces. This region is remote and tough to get to, which was the reason we did not make it here that visit. This time, we made this the central focus of our time outside the city.

EXPERIENCE

Getting to Sapa is no small feat. Our adventure began in Hanoi with an overnight train ride leaving from Tran Quy Cap Station. This train looked like it was straight out of a Wes Anderson movie, but quite luxurious for being from teh 1970’s on the inside. We had a relatively comfortable nights sleep in both directions. The times are great on the train and allow you to board around 10 PM and arrive at 6 AM in time to have a full day.

Upon arrival in Sapa we met our local guide to begin our trek through the countryside. We were very impressed with Ethos Travel and their organizations mission to preserve the way of life for local cultures and invest in programs around education, women’s health and sex trafficing prevention. Our guide So, was one of their best and lead us through a wonderful three day trek of Sapa. The town of Sapa has a picture-postcard setting, located in a valley with a small lake and surrounded by majestic mountains often enchantingly blanketed in mist.

When the clouds and mist decide to clear off, the views of the surrounding mountains are simply jaw-dropping. We did a trek through the Muong Hoa Valley to start, which is part of the Hoang Lien National Park. There 8 different hill tribes that live in mountain settlements and villages around Sapa. The Black H’mong is the most common of the ethnic minorities that you’ll see, the women easily identified by their black skirts and leg warmers, accented by flashes of silver from their jewelry. the Black H’mong, Red Dao, the Giay (‘Zay’), Xa Pho, White H’mong, and Flower H’mong. Around the entire region, rice terraces are carved into impossibly steep mountains, including Vietnam’s highest peak, Mount Fasipan.

We spent our final day in Sapa relaxing and taking in the local scenery and friendly faces with a new indigeous group, the Black Thai people. Here we cooked an incredible meal with another local family despite the heat and enjoyed it on the floor of their elevated home. Our trip ended with a special request for me to pass my fertility onto the family pig, by feeding it some slop. This was such a special part of our trip and I hope to spend more time in this region someday photographing the indigineous cultures in their traditional dress. 

EAT

The regional cuisine in Sapa is great. We had the good fortune of cooking most of our own meals with local families. We spent time in many markets picking up an array of local vegetables like morning glory vines, tomatoes, squashes, and mushrooms. We cooked this over an open fire in the homes and served it with the local family’s rice and usually some sort of spicy peppers to taste. For protein we did lots of tofu since there was a pork disease ravaging much of the local meet that our guide warned us to avoid.

STAY

In Sapa, we did a combination of local home stays and one night in a very nice hotel. The homestays experience was very special and memorable. Our guide’s name was So and her home was a two hour hike from Sapa town. The home was open air with a dirt floor and extremely simple, which is a nod to the Black Hmong community’s nomadic routes. The home had three beds with mosquito nets: one for us, one for the parents and one for the four children to share. The home had an outdoor outhouse with a bucket flushing system and running water in the home. So was fortunate enough to also have gotten a propane fueled burner and refrigerator. The house had electricity as well which was very handy. The home was also a rice farm and home to many animals like five pigs, two dogs and many chickens. Some of the wealthier families with more boys to help, also have a small herd of water buffalo to help with farming tasks.

The hotel we stayed at was the Aira and it was spectacular. We had a great view from our room patio, a spacious suite and comfy clean bed. This was a welcome refuge after days of hiking and homestay. We also took advantage of the lovely spa here, with massages that were as impressive as the facility. The restaurant on site is rated number one in Sapa and quite tasty as well.

Overall, Sapa was a highlight of our trip and a very special experience we will never forget. I love nothing more than spending time with indigenous cultures while traveling and this was no exception. Traveling here while five months pregnant was a powerful force that unites even the most distant humans. While there are some inherent risks, visiting with remote families while pregnant, it is something I always thought would be a powerful experience after spending time in Papua New Guinea and Ethiopia. this week we had the opportunity to do just that, and it was really special. the joy of babies and customs of childbirth make for easy and fascinating conversation that transcends culture. while infant mortality rates are high, women in these parts are tough as hell and their kids are some of the most independent and happy I’ve ever met. so much wisdom to take with us as we go. I loved that our visit with this Black Thai family ended with a request for me to feed their pig in hope that the fertility will pass along and there will be lots of bacon to go around in the future.