Sapa is in a stunning valley at the foot of the Fa Si Pan, the highest mountain in Vietnam (3010m). It is Vietnam's capital of trekking, maong incredibly beautiful rice-field terraces, the most remarkable being around the H'mong Minority's village of Ta Van. Sapa is also famous for its minorities : red Dao, H'mong and others. It is of easy access thanks to the DIRECT express buses Hanoi-Sapa. For hotels, DO NOT take a night train unless you are short in time; it is in an appalling state of disrepair and arrives in Lao Cai at 5:00 + one hour bus Lao Cai-Sapa.
In hotels, I recommend the Phuong Nam in 3-stars and the Royal Sapa in 4 (the 5-star Victoria is excellent, but very expensive). The best restaurant is the small Little Sapa, 5 Dông Hoi St. DO NOT go to Sapa on week-ends, it is full of Hanoains and Chinese, the border being in Lao Cai 30 km from Sapa.
BAC HA is a 3-hour drive north-east of Sapa. it is famous for its very colorful Flower H'mong Minority (it takes up to 6 months to make the women costume by hand) and its two Minority markets; the CAN CAU one on Saturday morning (18 km north of Bac ha) and the huge Sunday morning one in Bac Ha. Friday and Saturday night hotel reservation is a Must ! )Excellent trekking, quite different from the Sapa one. For hotel, I recommend the 3-satr Ngan Nga Bac ha, with the best restaurant in town. The young manager speaks very good English and can arrange all the trekking you want. If you go from Bac ha to sapa, he also arrange for you a seat on a group minibus going back to Sapa, if available.
