Sapa is “perched dramatically on the western edge of a high plateau,” says Rough Guides. It faces the “hazy blue peak of Fan Si Pan, and is surrounded by villages of ethnic minorities, particularly the Red Dao and Black Hmong.” Its “refreshing climate and almost alpine landscape struck a nostalgic chord with European visitors, who travelled up from Lao Cai by sedan chair in the early twentieth century,” and by 1930 a flourishing hill station had developed, “complete with tennis court, church and over two hundred villas.”
Sapa is Vietnam’s “premier trekking destination,” writes Daniel Badcock at Tripzilla. It offers “breath-taking vistas of mountain scenery and the opportunity to hike out to local hill-tribe villages to experience something of the traditional way of life.” Almost everyone who goes to Sapa “intends to trek,” and most hotels organise tours. The trekking is “challenging” and the panoramas are “stunning … even if the trails and guesthouses are overcrowded.”