Hanoi & Sapa Travel Highlights

Let me start by saying that this trip marked our first travel experience to Asia.  That said, we hired a well-known tour company called Odyssey Indo China Tours to give us a private, guided tour of southeast Asia including Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand. It was a 45-day tour with private driver and tour guide almost every day.  The most expensive part of the journey was the hotel rooms, as we selected all 4 star and 5 star hotels within Asia.  However, let it be known, that it is VERY easy to book and stay in decent accommodations for as little as $25 USD per night.  In fact, most travelers we met opted to stay in guest houses and home stays within the region.  

Upon arrival in Hanoi, we were picked up and escorted to the Pan Pacific Hotel which was Top Notch!  We don’t have a bad thing to say about this hotel except that being so upscale, the food and drinks were quite pricey.

On our first full day in Hanoi, we did the traditional city tour which includes a lot of history about Vietnam (north versus south) and especially a lot of attention given to the great leader, Ho Chi Minh who lead the country throughout the 20th century.  We visited his home, his mausoleum and a pagoda dedicated to his honor.  It immediately became clear that the North Vietnamese consider Ho Chi Minh almost like a God. They revere him!  

The city tour also includes a visit to the Hoa Lo Prison or the “Hanoi Hilton” made famous during the Vietnam War.  We learned about the tribal villages of Vietnam at the Museum of Ethnology and we rode rickshaws around the old quarter which was definitely a highlight.  If we had to do it over again, we would’ve skipped the Water Puppet Show and the Temple of Literature and instead just wandered around and shopped the old quarter.  There was A LOT of good shopping in that area and it’s really a sight to behold. But, beware of the scooters.  There are 7 million scooters in Hanoi and it is easy to get run over by one if you aren’t paying attention! 

After 1.5 days in Hanoi, we had seen pretty much all the town has to offer so we took a trip to the mountains of Sapa!

The drive from Hanoi to Sapa is a LONG one.  It took us about 6 hours one way and about 1 hour of the drive is via switch-back mountain roads. Unfortunately, during our time in Sapa, it was quite rainy; so, we weren’t able to capture many beautiful photos; but, we heard that the view from Heaven’s Gate is lovely. There are also a few different mountainscape views that would be quite picturesque on a clear day. 

We stayed at a quaint, lodge-style hotel called Victoria Sapa Resort & Spa which we loved.  It is an upscale hotel but has a cozy, boutique feel.  The town of Sapa is actually quite busy and bustling with an unforgettable morning market.  We were captivated buy all the people coming to sell their farm-grown goods and artisan wares.  We saw chickens getting weighed and traded, ladies cooking rice cakes and groups of women eating noodle soup together.  There is a huge fish and meat market where you can buy anything from roasted dog to snake to pig feet.  It’s definitely a sight to see. 

By far our favorite experience though was trekking through the village rice terraces.  We trekked 7km in one day, up and down the hills, through the villages, walking along side water buffalo, chickens and villagers. It was an amazing and humbling experience to witness how these people live their day to day lives.  We saw how the Black Hmung people dye their clothing with indigo. We learned about to batik in traditional style. We saw how they weave and accessorize their clothing as well as how they kill and prepare chicken for their morning pho soup!  Not to mention, we ate literally the best and freshest meal we’ve had to date in Asia.  We especially liked the steamed baby bamboo with lemongrass and garlic!  What a treat!

If you have a lot of time in Vietnam, Sapa is a great place to stop for 2 to 3 nights.  It’s a great way to experience the traditional Northern Vietnamese culture and heritage.  

• You need a visa to enter Vietnam. If you are staying more than 15 days and from a Western country, you need a visa (or approval letter from an agent) in advance. If your visit is less than 15 days, some nationalities are now visa-exempt (for a single visit not multiple-entry trips). Do your research and figure out what kind of visa you need to get BEFORE you arrive! Either way, you’ll need 1 passport photo and will need to pay around $30USD in CASH per passenger.
• Make sure you know what vaccinations are required for the areas you are visiting.  You may want to make sure you are up to date on shots like tetanus, hepatitis, MMR and you may want to take malaria meds too
• Purchase locks for your luggage that are TSA approved.  We had some valuables stolen out of our unlocked bags. That said, do NOT carry any valuables in your suitcase, especially electronics
• Dress to fit in as much as possible. Frankly, don’t dress flashy or people will try to take advantage of you more and charge you more for just about anything
• The current exchange rate is about 23,000 Dong per $1 USD.  That said, you can easily be a millionaire when you travel around in Vietnam. 

• If you need to get cash money, the best place to go is the ATM.  You will get the best exchange rate this way, even if you may incur a small bank fee. It’s hard to find an ATM that will give you more than $3MM dong or $130 USD per withdrawal. So, you might find yourself doing multiple transactions.
• Only drink BOTTLED water and beverages unless you are in a reputable hotel or you know the establishment purchases their ice and filters their water  
• Make sure to wear appropriate attire when visiting temples. No sleeveless tops or short skirts/shorts. They are pretty strict about the women wearing clothing BELOW the knee.
• Scooters Rule The Road and there are seemingly no traffic laws!  It’s a bit overwhelming at times but if you are crossing the street, just remember to walk very slowly and pay close attention!
• Shoes Off!  When entering homes, temples and shops, take a look before you walk on in. Many require you to remove your shoes at the door as a sign of respect.
• The bathroom situation is a little precarious and most of the time, it’s hard to find toilet paper.  So, bring small packets of tissue with you wherever you go for those moments when nature calls!
• At morning markets and night markets, always negotiate prices and barter with the vendors!  There are no price tags on products for a reason!  You can usually get about 20-35% discount in general.
• Don’t forget to TIP!  You’ll notice EVERYTHING is dirt cheap in Vietnam and a small tip goes a long way for these people who likely make less than $300 per month.  If you get good service at a restaurant, hotel, in a taxi or have a bellman carry your 50lb luggage up the stairs, it won’t kill you to tip him/her $1-2, will it?  You’ll be glad you did because they are always incredibly grateful.