City Info: Sa Pa

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As Vietnamese love to tell you, Sa Pa is the only place in Vietnam where it snows. It's also renowned for the terraced rice fields and astounding beauty of the surrounding mountains, including Mount Fan Si Pan.

Most people travel to Sa Pa as part of a tour group from Hanoi and it's a perfectly acceptable way to go. Generally the tours will take care of all the necessary reservations, including train tickets, hotel room, meals, and walking tours of the area. Expect tours to range from $50-$200, all-inclusive. Of course, you can always find tours like those through Victoria Hotel which are more luxurious (and spendy) .

There are trains that run from Hanoi to Sapa every night, leaving around 9 and arriving at the Cao Lai station early in the morning. If you want the swanky berths, make your reservations a week or so early. Other reservations need to be made at least two days in advance, four or five days is preferable for better bunks and for earlier departure (rather than waiting at the station for hours).

Most hotels offer a variety of walking tours, both short and long, so get the information about the length and difficulty of the tours before deciding which you will take part of. You will be able to get a ride back from the end of the trek from either a motorbike or coach, depending on how far the trek ends from the hotel.

Be sure to pack warm clothes; generally the temperatures are dramatically cooler than Hanoi. Bring shoes with good support and a small backpack to keep your water and poncho.

Outside resources:

• Sa Pa in Wikipedia
• Reid On Travel: Sa Pa basics
• Sa Pa travelog with photos