Vietnam- Sapa- Day 5

Reached Lao Cai around 5.45am.

Lots of van and taxi outside the station touting for business.

Reached Sapa after an hour drive, Auberge hotel.

Breakfast before I headed to my hotel, Cat Cat View Hotel.

This suppose to be the hotel included in my day tour but I had booked Cat Cat View in advance.

This is the common balcony just outside my room, great view facing the terrace paddy field.

$30USD per night.

My room located on 8th floor. First day check-in, no power supply. Climbed all the way up to 8th floor.

9.30am, start our trekking....

Sapa > Lao Chai Village > Tavan Village

This is the villa located on the elevated hill. $80USD per night

2 route for us to choose, the cement road or walking through the terrains. We choose the latter.

The weather is nice but some parts of the terrains was wet and very slippery. I'd slipped and fall a couple of times. Luckily was pull up by them all the times. Each of us were followed and take care by 1 minority group lady. They are strong and know where to step.

My shoes, jacket, pants and top are filled with mud.

Not easy, not recommended for those above 50years old.

Young rice, taste like flower, very fragrance.

will be harvest in another 2 more months.

This is the dry path where we walking, the wet ones is difficult to walk.

I didn't took any of the wet ones and difficult ones as both my hands will be busying grabbing something else.

We took more than 4hrs to cover 7km...with only 2X break of less than 10mins.

From hilltop to the bottom of the hill

Panoramic view

Clean water

None of us agreed to go down this way but we were told that we don't have other choice.

Dry ground but it is very steep! nothing to hold on to at all. The only thing is to hold their hands.

This is our tour guide, 18yrs old. She hops everywhere.

And finally Lao Chai Village, with only a group of minority group with an approx. 500 people.

Our lunch, a big plate of fried rice.

Drinks are all excluded. 20,000VND for a soft drink.

School in Lao Chai Village

Proceed to Tavan Village

Exhausted and wet.

It's drizzling...

Tavan Village

And another group of minority group will be take care of us to the end of journey.

They won'e charged you anything but just hoping that you will buy something from them end of the journey, mainly some of their handmade accessories and bags.

A motorbike cost around 1,000,000VND and a buffalo cost around 1,500,000VND here.

Man will collect woods for fire burning and look after the farm, the women here will look after kids and do some handicraft to sell to tourist during the day.

End our tour around 4.30pm, take a shower and walk around the small town.

Market in Sapa

The construction worker are trying to bring down the cement mixer by ropes.

Walk in a "FRENCH BAKERY"

My Hot chocolate is actually Milo, almond tart is soft and yet hard.

Speechless. Cost me $4USD

My Hotel Lobby