Jessica's Travel Blog: Sapa

From Halong Bay we headed up to Sapa. Sapa is a small town high in the mountians of northern Vietnam. It is one of the main market towns in the area, where several ethnic minority groups such as Hmong, Dao (Yao), Giay, Pho Lu, and Tay live. Tourists flock here because of the beautiful tiered rice paddies, the elaborately dressed minority groups, and to escape the humidity and heat of the rest of the country.

While in Sapa we did a couple of treks to some of the minority villages, enjoyed the cool air, and took some rides along the mountain roads. It was an absolutely beautiful region, and probably our favorite place in Vietnam. Pictures are worth 1000 words, and because this place is so beautiful, it's better to just show pictures of it than to try and describe it.

I was able to replace my stolen rain jacket -- I got it swiped from me in Hanoi along with my iPhone :( -- with a "North Face" jacket that they sell in almost every store here. It's not real, but it was only $20 and it's waterproof, so I can't complain too much.