9 Stunning Landscapes of Vietnam

At just three percent of the land mass of the United States, what most surprised me during our time in Vietnam was the diversity of the scenery. From white sand beaches and turquoise water to black rock forests and mountains that hug the clouds, here are some of the most amazing landscapes we came across.

With a coastline of over 2025 miles, it's no surprise that Vietnam has a ton of beautiful beaches. And when the rest stop during your bus trip looks like this, you don't have much to complain about.

Rest stops in Vietnam are sometimes on beautiful beaches

The biggest beach destination in Vietnam is likely the town of Nha Trang, which boasts all day boat tours and all night parties. If you're missing Miami while in SE Asia, this is the closest we found. The beach in the main town is pretty nice, but the offshore islands are where you want to head if you're looking to snorkel or dive. With perfect visibility, good quality coral, and thousands of multicolored fish flitting about, having a great day is easy, especially since the all day island-hopping tour costs approximately $6.

Great beach for snorkeling near Nha Trang

But Vietnam's coastline isn't all sparkling white sand and clear blue water. Our favorite coastal landscape was the sand dunes around Mui Ne, which come in both red and white varieties. Whether you jump, run, or slide, it's hard not to let the beauty of the dunes overwhelm you. Stretching for what seems like miles, the dunes are something you'd expect to find in Africa. Instead, they're here, only a few minutes away from one of the best places in the world to learn to kitesurf.

Red sand dunes of Mui Ne

Most countries with a coastline have beaches, but they don't all have rice terraces, especially ones that look like this.

Rice terraces of Sapa

The terraces in Sapa were carved over two thousand years ago by hand and are still inhabited primarily by the Black Hmong tribespeople. These mountain dwellers live off the land, planting and harvesting rice year in and year out in order to sustain their families.

A Black Hmong man takes a break from working in the rice terraces outside of Sapa

Tourists can explore the terraces by taking a multiday trekking tour with a Hmong guide. You'll stay in homestays run by the local villagers, get knee deep in mud, and appreciate rice way more than you ever have.

Wide view of Sapa's rice terraces

Further north and to the east of Sapa lies the unexplored Vietnam of the Ha Giang province. You need a permit to stay the night and a camera with lots of battery power to take all of the photos of the immense scenery that surrounds you as you drive by on your motorbike. The most beautiful part of the road, and arguably one of the most beautiful drives in the world, is the leg between Dong Van and Meo Vac. Here the road darts in and out of rock crevices and up and down mountains and valleys.

Windy road in Northern Vietnam

Children in traditional tribal outfits scream "hello" from above and below as they carry double their weight of sticks in bamboo baskets. Men wear high-necked black tunics and matching berets and women wrap electric pink scarves over their hair, giving the game of "I Spot" a whole new meaning.

Rock forest in Northern Vietnam

Perhaps the most quintessential scene of Vietnam is the floating limestone karst formations of Halong Bay. Best seen on a multi-day boat tour, these rocks rise out of the still water and emerge through the mist forming, if you look hard enough, the shape of a descending dragon. At least that's what the locals tell you, and how Halong Bay gets its name. Kayaking through some of these formations is a must, as is sitting back on your boat tour and letting the scenery and mist envelop you.

Kayaking Halong Bay

Source:huffingtonpost

ACTIVETRAVEL ASIA would like recommend Motorcycling adventure in Northern Vietnam  tour.The mountainous area of Northern Vietnam has long been famous for its beautiful scenery and great diversity of ethnic minorities. With our adventure motorcycling trip you will make a big loop to experience all the bests that area can offer. Starting in Hanoi you will explore Northwest before jumping into Northeast, back to Hanoi after a day relaxing in Ba Be Lake. The perfect itinerary and the support crew ensure you get the most out of the trip in terms of comfort, enjoyment and adventure. Along the way we encounter dramatic landscapes and sweeping panoramas as the rural population goes about its business. Highlights include the terraced valleys of Sapa, beautiful Ban Gioc Waterfall and many different colorful minority groups.

Sapa Vietnam, great trekking, the way others don’t

To get rid off an usual path, travelers will be experienced the fantastic feeling with an astonishing landscape throughout a challenge trail and actively relishing the quintessential of the colorful mosaic of ethnic minorities along the adventure activities organized byACTIVETRAVEL ASIA.

Undeniable that Sapa, located at North West of Vietnam, having an exotic attraction with the majestic splendor scenery, a notable France architect, and the unique custom. Specially, the mountainous terrain which contributed for this place become more well- known with the highest peak Indochina (approximately 3143m above sea level) and challenge trail, enticed thousand adventurers every year come to explore its inhospitable geography and the hill tribal culture .      

Experience Sapa

Attractive eco-friendly valleys, terraced slope attributes as well as tribes nevertheless subsequent their own historic customs — encouraged in order to Sapa.

Situated 350kms north-west associated with Hanoi, simply timid from the Chinese language edge may be the Lao Cai Land exactly where you’ll discover Sapa. It’s environment as well as amazing scenery tend to be about the reduce inclines from the Hoang Lien Boy hill variety, that additionally features Vietnam’s greatest hill Fansipan, having a elevation associated with 3142 metre distances.

Sapa is actually filled with a varied number of cultural minorities like the Hmong, Yao, Tay as well as Giay organizations. Considered to possess lived on the region because the 1800′s, these types of Sapa slope tribes continue to be close to these days ongoing their own life-style as well as customs because they did for hundreds of years.

The elements is extremely periodic, throughout the summer time it is very reasonable as well as wet. Throughout the winter season it may be chilly, misty as well as obtain the unusual compacted snow. Suggested occasions to visit tend to be 03 via Might as well as middle Sept in order to earlier Dec to obtain a hotter as well as better encounter.

Arranging your own go Sapa ahead of time via a journey professional is actually recommended. The easiest method to reach Sapa is actually through immediately teach, exactly where vacationers may rest the actual trip aside. Through Hanoi the actual trip requires around 10 several hours and also the locomotives go away every day. You will find 14 locomotives that offer the actual come back trip in between Hanoi as well as Lao Cai, just about all supplying air-conditioning as well as comfy cabins along with several berth choices. You will awaken rejuvenated as well as prepared for the Sapa experience to start whenever you appear in to Lao Cai earlier the following early morning.

Place your own strolling footwear upon as well as discover the actual valleys providing breathless surroundings top you to definitely nearby towns. The actual closest town associated with Kitty Kitty is just 3kms through Sapa, an additional choice is actually Ta Phin town house in order to Red-colored Dzao around 10kms aside. The majority of vacationers looks for helpful information as well as has a Xe Om (motorcycle) to some starting place 8kms through Sapa, after that journey the 14km cycle round the region going to towns on the way. There is lots of walking as well as hiking choices in the region for those health and fitness amounts, going to slope group towns as well as waterfalls. For that severe mountaineer why don’t you undertake the actual 19km trip towards the peak associated with Fansipan, Vietnam’s greatest maximum?

An additional appeal associated with any kind of Sapa journey may be the marketplaces. You will find several marketplaces kept round the region usually about the weekend break upon whether Sunday or even Weekend. The well-known marketplace may be the Back ‘Weekend marketplace, the industry buying and selling center as well as conference location with regard to family and friends. You will discover the neighborhood minorities putting on their own conventional clothes, the actual Hmong tend to be recognized through their own indigo stitched garb and also the Red-colored Dao through their own red-colored headdresses along with hanging cash as well as waistcoats which are intricately stitched as well as put on through the ladies. The actual Adore Marketplace is actually an additional famous marketplace — typically it had been a location in which the youths from the nearby slope tribes might arrive to locate a partner.

If you have fulfilled the actual local people, trekked the actual valleys as well as marvelled the actual sights associated with significantly terraced grain areas, shopped in the marketplaces and also have your own cherished times taken, you’ll return in order to Lao Cai train station for the immediately teach to Hanoi. The Sapa journey experience is really a particular emphasize associated with any kind of day at Vietnam.

Source: wannawatch.info

Recommended tours:

• Sapa trekking and homestay
• Conquer Mount Fansipan

Sapa ranked among top ten places to walk

Sapa Town in the northern mountainous province of Lao Cai has been voted one of the world’s top ten spots for walking by popular travel guide Lonely Planet.

The other greatest places for walkers are the Grand Canyon in the US, Aoraki/Mount Cook Village in New Zealand, Lake District in England, Torres del Paine in Chile, Lauterbrunnen in Switzerland, Brecon Beacons in Wales, Kakadu National Park in Australia, Taman Negara in Malaysia, and Dartmoor in England.

According to Lonely Planet, walking can be the best way to experience a place.

“Heaven on earth”

Sapa - the Cloud city of Vietnam

For Vietnamese, Sapa is also a top holiday destination.

1.600m higher than the sea level, Sapa has a mild temperature of 15 to 18 Celsius degree.

Though this town welcomes visitors all year around, it is generally agreed to be most beautiful in April and May.

Ethnic people in Sapa

Before the summer, the weather may be a bit cold and foggy, and after the summer, the rain season sets in.

In April and May, Sapa is blooming with green pastures and flowers, many of which can’t be found anywhere else in the country, and few visitors fail to marvel at the beauty of the cloudy valleys here every summer morning.

Sapa is also home to many breathtaking spots such as Ham Rong Mountain, Silver Waterfall, Rattan Bridge, Bamboo Forest and Ta Phin Cave.

And this is here that adventurers can climb to Vietnam’s rooftop on Fansipan Mountain at 3.143m above the sea level.

Source: dtinews

Active Travel Asia promote tours to Sapa - the Cloud city of Vietnam

Nestled among the Hoang Son Lien Mountains, Sapa is an excellent gateway to the H'mong and Dao villages that dot the landscape of Vietnam

The first thing travelers should know about Sapa is that it is one of highlands in Vietnam - 1,600m above sea level. That means a leisurely stroll to the nearest tribe village is more like an hour-long trek up and down some steep slopes. It is not a destination that travelers should tackle without some mental and physical preparation.

Having said that, Sapa is a sight to behold. The Hoang Son Lien range of mountains, which dominates it and includes Fansipan - Vietnam's highest peak at 3,143m - is the eastern extremity of the Himalayas.

Conquering Fansipan mountain Vietnam

On a good day, travelers’ view is a myriad of colors merging onto textures of landscapes as vivid sky hues blend into the browns and greens of the mountains before cascading back into the blues as rivers and streams mirror the skies.

Even on wet days, the landscape is not a total washout: Rolling mists blanket the valleys and lowlands, giving it a veil of mystery.

When travelers were there in October, the temperature hovered between a cool 16°C and 19°C but travelers were told it could dip to zero in winter and push the mercury to 29°C in summer.

The best time to visit this quaint town is from March to June, when it's warmer and drier - making the mountains easier to scale - or from September to December, if travelers want to escape the heat.

When it's wet, escape into the many cafes about Sapa town where a piping hot coffee or rich hot chocolate will return the color to traveler’s faces. Once a French colony, Sapa's pastries and breads are the softest and fluffiest travelers’ve ever had, with toasty crusts to thaw traveler’s frigid fingers.

Myriad cuisines, from Indian to Italian, can be found in Sapa town. The adventure of tourism has ensured that different palates from all over the world are catered to. Although, personally, nothing warms the tummy like slurping up a hot bowl of pho.

Take a short walk from Sapa town to the bus station and travelers find themselves surrounded by eateries proffering steamboat, grilled meats and pho.

The clean air and water give the mountain greens an added crunch and a delicious natural taste, that even non-vegetable lovers will leave their plate bare.

Terraced field in Sapa, Vietnam

Sapa is located at the Lao Cai province in north-west Vietnam, bordering China. Lao Cai is also a station to cross into China from Vietnam. Treks into the neighboring hill tribes of Black H'mong (say "her-mong") and Red Dao (“zhao") are a must. The Black H'mong is characterized by the indigo vests they wear while the Red Dao is identifiable by their red headgear.

A local guide from the hill tribes can be hired for expeditions into the villages. English-speaking guides can be found easily at the hotels or tour offices around town. The level of spoken English is pretty good, with many of the guides sporting British, Australian and even American accents.

A fee must be paid at guardhouses located at the entrance of the tribes before entering the village. These go towards development of the villages, with a budget set aside for schools which kids attend for free. A guide we met at a tour office warned us against going into the villages alone as authorities have been known to penalize unaccompanied travelers. Besides, having a guide offers some insights into tribe culture.

A trek through the Black H'mong village took travelers four hours, at a leisurely pace. The cool weather and the friendly Black H'mong villagers made the experience a very enjoyable one.

Travelers learnt the hard way that travelers should ask before travelers take pictures as some of the tribes’ people may not be receptive. But the locals are more than happy to pose for travelers if travelers ask nicely.

GETTING THERE
To get to Sapa, Vietnam travelers need to take a train from Hanoi to Lao Cai. From there travelers will take a mini bus up in to the town of Sapa. Transportation from Hanoi to Sapa can be arranged for a reasonable price. Travelers might also be able to take a bus but it takes much longer. Railway tickets can be bought locally, via travel agents or at train stations.

GETTING AROUND
Local hotels and travel agents offer daily bus and private car between tourist attractions in two ways.

PACKAGES
Active Travel Asia (844 3573 8569; www.activetravelvietnam.com) offers package trips in Sapa, Vietnam with some activities like trekking & hiking include accommodation, meals, guide, activities and return ticket from Hanoi to Lao Cai and vice versa and transfers.

When to travel Sapa, Vietnam

Travelers to Sapa in summer can feel the climate of four seasons in one day. In the morning and afternoon, it is cool like the weather of spring and autumn. At noon, it is as sunny and cloudless as the weather of summer. And it is cold in the evening.

With no advance warning of a thunderstorm short and heavy rains may come at noon on any summer day. Subsequently, a rainbow appears, transforming Sapa into a magic land, which for years has been a constant source of poetic inspiration, lights up the whole region.

The terraced fields in Sa Pa, Vietnam

The best time to witness the scenic beauty of Sapa is in April and May. Before that period, the weather might be cold and foggy; after that period is the rainy season. In April and May, Sapa is blooming with flowers and green pastures. The clouds that settle in the valley in early morning quickly disappear into thin air.

Sapa has many natural sites such as Ham Rong Mountain, Silver Waterfall, Rattan Bridge, Bamboo Forest and Ta Phin Cave. Sapa is also the starting point for many climbers and scientists who want to reach the top of Fansipan Mountain, the highest mountain in Vietnam at 3,143m. Hoang Lien Mountain Range is also called the Alps of the North Sea area since Fansipan Mountain is not only the highest peak in Vietnam, but also in the Indochina Peninsula. The pyramid-shaped mountain is covered with clouds all year round and temperatures often drop below zero, especially at high elevations.

The first thing you notice when approaching the resort town are some detached wooden mansions and villas perched on a hill top or hillside, behind thick pine forests and almost invisible on this foggy morning. Old and new villas with red roofs now appear and now disappear in the green rows of pomu trees, bringing the town the beauty of European towns.

Fresh and cool air in Sapa is an idea climate condition for growing temperate vegetables such as cabbage, chayote, precious medicinal herbs, and fruit trees such as plum, pear…

Sapa is home to various families of flowers of captivating colours, which can be found nowhere else in the country. When Tet, the Lunar New Year Festival, comes, the whole township of Sapa is filled with the pink colour of peach blossom brought from the vast forests of peach just outside the town. Sapa is regarded as the kingdom of orchids. Here, orchid lovers are even amazed by the choice, when trekking in the forest filled with several hundred kinds of orchids of brilliant colours and fantastic shapes, such as Orchid Princess, Orchid of My Fair Lady’s Shoe. Some orchids are named after lovely singing birds such as the canary, salangane’s nest, and more.

Cherries blossom in Sapa, Vietnam

Sapa is most beautiful in spring. Apricot, plum and cherry flowers are splendidly beautiful. Markets are crowded and merry, and are especially attractive to visitors. Minority groups come here to exchange and trade goods and products. Market sessions are also a chance for locals to promenade and young men and women in colorful costumes to meet, date or seek sweethearts.

Travelers to Sapa will have opportunities to discover the unique customs of the local residents.

Recommendations:

• Sapa Trekking & Homestay
• Different Sapa - Different Trek

Local tour guides provide an insight into the real Sa Pa, Vietnam

It's a strange land that leaves me with different feelings whenever I come to rediscover it.

Sa Pa is an incredibly picturesque town in the Hoang Lien Son Mountain Range near the Chinese border in northwestern Viet Nam, 350km from Ha Noi.

The terraced fields in Sa Pa

It can be explored almost year-round from March to early December. Vietnamese most like to visit during June and July to escape the summer heat in other parts of the country. Sa Pa is 1,500m above sea level so the weather is quite mild, and cold at night. The best time to go to Sa Pa is on a weekday, as weekenders tend to flock here. However, the famed "love market" only takes place on Saturday nights, so visitors often extend their tour to Saturday to experience it.

Tourists can see many hill tribe people, their villages and rice terraces. The ethnic minority groups generally retain their lifestyles and traditional costumes.

The area's high mountains, deep ravines and lush vegetation rise to the peak of Mt Fansipan – the highest point in Indochina. The combination of fresh mountain air, relaxed ambience, sweeping panoramas and fascinating hill tribes make Sa Pa a must-see destination.

A trek took us deep into a hill tribe region where tourists are still something of a novelty. Staying in village homes allowed us to experience firsthand a lifestyle that has been little touched by the modern world and a curiosity from our hosts just as great as our own. The trekking is fairly strenuous at times but the spectacular scenery and sense of adventure make it worth the effort.

Ta Phin Cave, at the far end of Ta Phin village, is an attractive destination which tourists often bypass without a local guide's suggestion. The cave requires a guide with a flashlight, and the guide will shine the torch on a variety of stalactites.

Some of the locals invite visitors to go to their homes to show how they live and what they have, and tell them about their families. On following them to their houses, tourists find out how simply they live. The tour guides suggest you to buy the merchandise you like from them as repayment for what they have shown for you. Local tour guides also lead the trips to the forests and mountains because they know thoroughly the terrain.

Trekking tour in Sa Pa

City lovers may find Sa Pa is not the place for them as its rich ethnic lifestyle is far removed from modern life. If you expect to go shopping in malls, Sa Pa has nothing to offer. The only way to go shopping is to go to the local market where you can find unique handicrafts, jewelry and fabrics with colourful embroidery. While tourists don't know how to bargain or choose the best items, the local guides are ready to help.

Sa Pa is famous for its "love market" where local young people go to show off and find partners. It is held every Saturday night and provides a unique and unforgettable experience.
The love market is a tradition in the culture of the Mong, Tay and Dao. All the people around Sa Pa live in isolated villages and can only get together once a week during the Sunday morning market. The night before, young men and women from all around come to the love market to meet and express their emotions through playing the khen (pan pipe) and singing according to traditional customs of their people.

The experience of Sa Pa trip is not something that everyone can buy, but adventurous people and those who seek to know the hidden charm of Vietnamese hill tribes living in their old traditional mountain villages cannot miss this place.

Source : VNS

Recommendations:
Sapa Trekking & Homestay
Heaven Gate Route