Cover Sa Pa, a piece of paradise
Sa Pa, a piece of paradise
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This little-known destination is a delightful plate of surprises—from its magnificent sights to its delectable dishes
Located in Lào Cai Province in the northwest region of Vietnam, the district-level town of Sa Pa, which is six hours away from the capital Hanoi, reminded me so much of Baguio back when green still covered most of the mountain than concrete grey. The natural backdrops couldn’t be any more picturesque, from the golden rice terraces to white-water rivers that snake through the farms and quiet rural territory. The calming sight of this piece of paradise already earned the place enough merit, but as it turned out, Sa Pa was just getting started as it rolled up its sleeves over three short days and showed me why it deserved as much appreciation as its more recognised neighbour, Ha Long Bay.
At first glance, Sa Pa seemed sleepy and void of any activity. But our itinerary proved otherwise.
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Above The sun hides behind a majestic pagoda
The sun hides behind a majestic pagoda
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Even before we dropped off our luggage at the hotel, we headed straight to the Cat Cat Village, two kilometres away from Sa Pa town. Named after a majestic waterfall that earmarks the suburb, Cat Cat was discovered by the French and later, converted into a vacation resort, preserving the tradition of the Hmong tribes that live on the land.
A casual stroll down the village had us immersed in the lifestyle of the locals, allowing us not only a peek into their actual households but also a taste of their food and livelihood. As we made our way through the walkable trail, we had to make multiple detours to appreciate the items that caught our attention—from colourful hemp jute fabrics and a bamboo root carved to look like their god of wealth, to smoked meats including the lon gac bep (pork belly), thit trau (buffalo) and the lap suon, which was akin to the Filipino cured pork, etag.
Along the way, we also took countless photos, aka the modern way of acknowledging the beauty of the lavender field as well as pay our respects to Tong, a 75-year-old lady who has been naturally dying weaves since she was 15.
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Above Sa Pa, a piece of paradise
Sa Pa, a piece of paradise
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From her wooden house, we could already hear the whisper of water crashing into the jungle, a tell-tale sign that the waterfall wasn’t too far away. The sound became more deafening as we drew closer to the two chain bridges, the Si and the A Lu. By the foot of the cascade was a stage where kids routinely performed the bell dance of the zero tribe to the delight of the guests.
Another attraction—one that involved much walking as well—had us going the other direction from the village—all the way up, beyond the clouds and onto the summit of Mount Fansipan. To get to the highest peak in Vietnam, we had to endure a six-kilometre cable car (it takes travellers two to three days of hard trekking) to reach the “Roof of Indochina”.
After the 15-minute car ride, we ended up at an expansive garden complex where ancient azalea trees and bronze statues greeted us upon arrival. They led us to the country’s largest Buddha statue, cast in 50 tons of copper, snuggly sitting on a lotus pedestal. It was surrounded by pagodas, monasteries and the Grand Belfry, a 35-metre tower that housed a bell on each of its five floors.
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Above Fresh ingredients for grilling of street food
Fresh ingredients for grilling of street food
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From there, we took a short funicular ride (there was an option to take the steep staircase) to the summit of Fansipan where we were rewarded with unobstructed 360-degree views of the whole compound as well as a horizon made dreamier by animated cloud formations and shadow play by the sun.
It would have been a lot more convenient to graze through the town’s restaurants, bars and street food had we stayed in the centre but the call of nature was too hard to ignore when in this part of Vietnam. So we booked a resort perched on top of one of Sa Pa’s highest hills to continue to absorb the beauty of the “Alps” and rice terraces.
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Above Make your own pho at the hotel
Above Multi-floor hotel villa on a mountain side
Make your own pho at the hotel
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The panoramic views of the Hoang Lien Son Mountain Range might be the most obvious lure at Silk Path Grand Resort and Spa, but once I sunk into my bed nestled in a room decked in elegant colonial heritage design, had unlimited choose-your-own phos and banh mis for breakfast, and luxuriate in the compound decked with flower gardens and inviting pocket spaces fit for solitude, I realised that the five-star comforts were just as more memorable than the initial bait.
Back in 2006, Finland’s Fisheries Innovation Centre introduced rainbow trout to Sa Pa by establishing a hatchery, mostly at Lam Dong, which has suitable climatic conditions to farm the fish. The experiment proved to be successful as presently, salmon is being raised in freshwater reservoirs in the province.
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Above Member of the Black Hmong tribe
Above Long way up to see the Buddha
Member of the Black Hmong tribe
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Red Dzao House Restaurant was among the notable restaurants in town to take full advantage of this. Though they offer pork and vegetarian dishes, we zeroed in on the many salmon numbers on the menu—from sashimi and rice paper wraps to freshly grilled and hotpot. The fish tasted clean and the texture was at its ideal point as none came from the freezer to make it lose its flavour and body upon thawing.
Before heading back to Hanoi, we decided to do more walking, this time through the Ta Van Village to check out how the Black Hmong tribe goes about their day-to-day living. It was a nice, casual albeit sweaty two-hour trek that got our appetites hankering for something light and satisfying. Our pit stop, La Dao Spa, offered exactly that.
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Above Multi-floor hotel villa on a mountain side
Multi-floor hotel villa on a mountain side
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This resort had many draws including several bungalows and a spa, but we came there for the farm-to-table restaurant which we got to feast on at the al fresco dining area. Appetisers came free—as a quaint, arresting and picture-perfect scene of the mountains, complete with an afternoon breeze. It was complemented with goi cuon (spring rolls), roast meats, sautéed greens, tofu, a bamboo shoot number and seafood soup, washed down with a refreshing pitcher of local iced tea.
There was a lot to love about Sa Pa, including hiding in the shadow of tourist favourites Ho Chi Minh, Hanoi and Da Nang. It may be underrated but not underappreciated.
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