Hanoi – Sapa

Our transfer to Sapa came with the hotel reservation. There are other options to get to this quite remote place close to the Chinese border, all of which take longer. We wanted to make the most of it and enjoy the next days to the fullest, so we are quite lucky to have this „5 star transfer“ service. The hotel was pricy enough, I have to admit. All in all in takes about 4-5 hours, not to be beaten by an overnight public bus service or a train.

Our 11-seater even has wi-fi.

We arrive around 01:00 pm and join a private, guided bike tour shortly after unpacking. Hit the road!, I thought. Unlucky this is literally what I did on one of the first steep down-hills… Great start.

The stunning views and the landscape make up for it in minutes. I haven’t seen anything comparable before. On the 2-hour ride we pass rice fields, hit remote villages, wave at cheering children on the side of the road and scare chicken away who cross our way. At the end we feel we have deserved the wonderful valley view at the porch of our own cabana. There is warm water which doesn’t seem to be a problem, though it can get really hot and boiling. We had to be careful with that.

With no alternatives at hand because there is simply nothing but rice terraces around, we dine in the hotel. Endeavoring, friendly like always, but a bit slow we finally get to enjoy Northern Vietnamese cuisine.

I fall asleep with a content feeling that I have not had in a long time.

// a cabin a couple: Topas Ecolodge