Rough Guide to Vietnam - Jan Dodd [313]
The far north | The northwest | Sa Pa and around | Around Sa Pa |
Mount Fan Si Pan
Vietnam’s highest mountain, Fan Si Pan (3143m) lies less than 5km as the crow flies from Sa Pa, but it’s an arduous three- to five-day round trip on foot. The usual route starts by descending 300m to cross the Muong Hoa River, and then climbs almost 2000m on overgrown paths through pine forest and bamboo thickets, before emerging on the southern ridge. The reward is a panorama encompassing the mountain ranges of northwest Vietnam, south to Son La Province and north to the peaks of Yunnan in China. Although it’s a hard climb, the most difficult aspect of Fan Si Pan is its climate: even in the most favourable months of November and December it’s difficult to predict a stretch of settled clear weather and many people are forced back by cloud, rain and cold. A guide is essential to trace indistinct paths, hack through bamboo and locate water sources; Hmong guides are said to know the mountain best. Sa Pa hotels and tour agents can arrange guides and porters as required.
The far north | The northwest |
Bac Ha and around
The small town of Bac Ha, nestling in a high valley 40km northeast of Highway 7, makes a popular day-excursion from Sa Pa. There’s little to see in the town itself except on Sunday, when villagers of the Tay, Dao, Nung, Giay and above all Flower Hmong ethnic minorities trek in for the lively market. At 1200m above sea level compared to Sa Pa’s 1600m, Bac Ha is less spectacularly beautiful, although it’s still scenic, with cone-shaped mountains bobbing up out of the mist, and it’s also much less touristy, giving out a workaday sense of a bustling agricultural community rather than an alpine resort. If you’re travelling independently it’s worth spending a whole weekend in Bac Ha, in which case you’d also be able to take in the rustic and colourful market at Can Cau on Saturday. Bac Ha also makes a good base for trips out to the surrounding Flower Hmong villages of Ban Pho and Coc Ly.
Flower Hmong ethnic people, Bac Ha
The far north | The northwest | Bac Ha and around |
Arrival and information
Coming from Hanoi, get off the bus or train at Pho Lu, from where there are several buses a day to Bac Ha from the bus station (90min; 17,000đ), which lies on the highway just across from the railway station. Coming from Lao Cai, there are four daily buses to Bac Ha (2hr; 28,000đ), though times are irregular. If you missed the last bus, which theoretically leaves at 3pm, hop on a bus to Pho Lu and change there. If you’re coming from Sa Pa on a Sunday, your best bet is to take a tour from one of Sa Pa’s guesthouses for around $15, which includes spending the morning at the market, a trek in the afternoon and a ride back to Sa Pa, with the option of being dropped off at Lao Cai station. Alternatively, rent a motorbike from your guesthouse in Sa Pa to make the spectacular three-hour journey through the mountains. Bac Ha has no exchange facilities, so make sure you bring an adequate supply of dong and dollars. Internet access is available at the Cong Fu(See "Restaurants").
The far north | The northwest | Bac Ha and around |
Accommodation
The range of accommodation available in Bac Ha is limited, with few people spending more than one night in town: all the places listed below are within a minute’s walk of – and visible from – the main four-way junction in the town centre. The two most expensive places in town are also the most popular: just west of the junction, the Sao Mai (020/388 0288, saomai@hn.vnn.vn; US$21–30), has big, comfortable rooms with satellite TV and a restaurant, and offers many