WALKING & TREKKING

Leaving Sapa at about 08.30am by vehicle heading northwards of Sapa along national road 4C uphill to Tram Ton Pass, Vietnam’s highest road pass and famous for its magnificent and spectacular landscapes of Fansipan and Hoang Lien mountain range. Take a break at the top of the pass before descending for an hour along a newly built road which winding its way on mountain sides which offering marvelous scenery of high mountains, lush forest and deep valleys below. Arriving to the upstream section of the Nam Mu River, customers will enjoy an hour easy walk to visit small villages of the Zao Tien, Black Zao and Red Hmong ethnic people before lunch break in Tam Duong Town let. Afternoon trip will be highlighted with an hour walk along large path through the rice fields of Binh Lu valley during which customers will meet and pay visiting to houses of the White Thai, Zay and Lu ethnic people. Walk ends in mid afternoon at a junction with the motor way; take the road transfer for 2 hours back to Sapa. 

Locating just a bout 5km southeast of Sapa town, Ma Tra valley attracts visitors for its stunning scenery highlighted with impressive terraced rice fields. The Hmong people has changed from sifting lifestyle into sedentary one form early 20th Century and built terraced field to ensure their permanent earning by farming wet rice. And luckily that until now the valley is not so much influence by bad images of tourism as some other valleys near Sapa such as Cat Cat, Ta Phin or Muong Hoa. Trip commences from Sapa at 08.30am or 01.30pm by a 5km road transfer out of Sapa town. Then walk starts from here downhill and cross the stream to the other bank where Suoi Ho village beautifully sits on the top of a low hill. Spend half an hour to visit several local homes for understanding of local life before continue walking along a large path on hillsides which is paved with rock to get through Ma Tra village. This portion of the walk offers beautiful scenery of the valley and terraced paddies as well as flower farm. Paying visiting to a ruined of the French Catholic church at the end of the walk, then picked up and transfer by road 12km back to Sapa.

Situated about 20km southwest of Sapa, Thanh Kim valley is home to the Red Zao and Hmong people who have been living their strong and unique way in spite of influence of modern life from outside. This one day trip is designed for visitors who stay at the Topas Ecolodge only. Trip start from Topas Ecodge at 09.00am. First walk along a large path winding on high mountain side for about half an hour which offers beautiful panorama of the Thanh Kim valley which is as beautiful as a painting of nature composed by walled-up mountain, narrow stream, small waterfall and especially terraced rice fields. Then hike uphill along a narrow dirt trail for 2 hours through Lech Mong village which consists of 3 hamlets scattering on high mountain sides around a stunning valley. Meeting Hmong people at home and at work. After lunch break, the walk gets easier downhill and later along large rocky path for 2.5km to Lech Zao village, pay visiting to several homes of the Red Zao people, witnessing them doing their everyday work such as plough and harrow the fields, growing or harvesting rice, weaving and embroidering to make beautiful traditional costumes. The walk back in mid afternoon will get through some terraced rice fields which is green from May to early October. Arriving back to the Topas Ecolodge at about 4.00pm, trip end.

Leaving Sapa at 08.30 m, transfer 15km by road to the Mong Sen Bridge with several stops along the way for enjoying spectacular landscapes. Start walking along large dirt path for nearly an hour, then following a narrow dirt trail winding its way on steep hill-sides along the eastern bank of the Mong Sen stream for 2 hours to Mong Sen 2 village which consisted of three isolated hamlets of the Black Hmong and Red Zao people. Spend an hour to explore these hamlets for interesting discovery, then lunch break. Continue hiking along the same trail for nearly an hour up and downhill towards Ta Phin Valley and arrive to Ta Phin commune in mid afternoon. Take a walk around this stunning valley, paying visit to some Red Zao families. The Red Zao women are famous for their handicraft skills, especially the embroidery for decorating their traditional costumes with motifs that depicts their religion, believe or description of the nature surrounding… The walk ends at about 4.30 to 5.00pm, picked up and transfer by road back to Sapa.