vietnam - Sapa

I had never heard of Sapa until we started planning out trip. After Laos Maddy and I met our friends Anna and Justin (who are a couple) in Vietnam. They had been travelling around Asia too and we decided to meet in northern Vietnam for our last bit of fun!

We met in Ha Noi but I'm not even going to bother talking about that city...I did not like it at all. We stayed in a magnificent hotel called 'The Silk Path' but apart from that it was so busy, loud and getting around was just a big old pain.

From Ha Noi we had to get an over night train to Sapa, I have been on a few of these bad boys before but the others hadn't and I don't think they were prepared for what it was like..the pictures make it look so luxury but it is far from that! We played the card game 500 for most of the train trip then took sleeping pills to try and sleep on the hard mattress/freezing room/loud train noise/breaks....it was not the best nights sleep let me tell you! We arrived in a town right near the border of Viet and China and a bus had to take us up to Sapa. Sapa is part of the Himalayas so getting up there was a bit car sickening with all the twists and turns but we made it!

Arriving so early in the morning was FREEZING, bloody Christ I have never been so cold...it ripped through you and really got to your bones. Our hotel rooms were not ready so we went to a nice little french cafe (Sapa used to be a French colony) and had delicious hot chocolates and toasted sandwhiches.

  This was the view from out hotel room...absolutely stunning, could not have asked for more! I don't really know how to describe Sapa, you have to go there to know what I'm talking about, it is so amazing, beautiful, breath taking and the food is incredible. One of the things i love about being over seas is you can eat out for every meal and it's ok! choosing a different restaurant each time was so fun and was exciting to see what the food was going to be like.

During the days we went on quite a few walks, we were so high up though and it was so hilly that it really took it out of us so we rested a lot and then got drunk and went out for dinner...my idea of a holiday! We found this red wine and it was DELICIOUS!

I don't want to bore you with my eating stories or my drunken ones as I could go on forever but I will let you know this.....Karaoke is fun! The Vietnamese love it so it is everywhere and if you are in Vietnam, have a go!!

The weather is Sapa is bizarre,  because you are so high up you think it is going to be freezing, and it is, but during the day when the sun blasts down it is boiling! it was very hard to dress for the day as you would put on layers and then need to lug them around as it was too hot to wear. I can't give you clothing advice because even I didn't understand after four days of being there!

Here are a few more photo's as it is such a stunning place and hopefully they will make you want to go visit....you have to go visit.

Peace xx