Sapa Country

The Highlands of Sapa, Vietnam

Imagine a scene of peace and tranquility, a countryside surrounded by evergreen trees, early morning mist that caresses the rolling hills, the sound of running water from rivers below, chirping of birds and carefree children playing in the fields. This is the splendor of nature at its best, God’s creation as it is intended to be, beautifully manicured by the inhabitants into multi-leveled padi fields carved upon the surface of the rugged terrain – indeed a superlative natural beauty. This is Sapa Valley. 

The sun was just rising as we journeyed along the meandering road leading to the Topas Eco-lodge deep in the Sapa valley after a warm breakfast of ‘pho’ at a local shop in town. Magnificent view of the mountains and farms that make Sapa a ‘must see’ greets us at each turn of the road giving us a sense of anticipation of what lies ahead.

This was the start of our holiday to Hanoi, away from busy urban noise to off-the-beaten track locations to enjoy the natural surrounding of a country in transition. Sapa is a former hill station during the French occupation. Nestled in a beautiful valley close to the Chinese border, the spectacular setting has been beckoning visitors from afar to visit and taste the unspoiled country living of the natives and their simple life. The valleys and villages are home to a host of colourfully dressed hill-tribe ethnic groups who continue to maintain their lifestyle even as modernisation intrudes not too far away.

These natives occasionally wander into town to buy, sell and trade their handicrafts and farm produce. Sapa has Vietnam’s largest concentration of ethnic groups. Many distinct groups live here their dresses, buildings, traditions and lifestyles have changed little over the last hundred years.

The journey to Sapa from Hanoi was rather long – a night’s journey by train each way. This was our first train ride where we got to spend the night sleeping on fairly comfortable private berths. We arrived in the early hours of the morning (about 5.30am). The driver of our shutter bus was there to receive us. The cold air and the mist shrouded part of the view; nevertheless it presented a calm serene setting uncommon to folks living in cities. It was the start of winter with temperature in the low ten and an occasional drizzle to wash the dusty road. A small stretch of the journey was done over treacherous terrain. At one point, our bus had to drive over a waterfall, (or portion of a waterfall) over water that cascaded from the hill slope on one side, across the concrete road down towards the fields below. We also drove over recently cleared landslides and steep slopes.

Several buildings in the town are vaguely influenced by the French. The presence of chimneys in some buildings is the last reminders of their past presence – a welcome addition as the temperature often slips below zero in winter.

We arrived at Topas Eco-lodge mid-morning and the first sight of the local ethnic women selling souvenirs greeted us. The eco-lodge consists of 25 bungalows placed in a circle around a hill. From the lodge there is a breathtaking view across the scenic valleys below, home to the Tay and Red Dzao minorities. The restaurant and the reception are housed in two beautifully transformed native buildings bought, dismantled and reassembled on both sides of a modern stone structure into a unique architecture. The lodge is owned and managed by a Danish travel group and boasts of international housekeeping standard. The restaurant provides buffet meals three times a day. The Vietnamese cuisines served were delicious and enjoyed by the guests, many of whom are Westerners.  During the visit we witnessed the BBC camera crew takings video and photo shots of the resort for their BBC World programme. This will increase awareness of the resort which currently runs at a loss.

Eco-lodge as the name suggests is based on ecological principles. The resort uses solar technology to supply every bungalow with electrical energy and hot water. A wastewater facility was implemented to avoid pollution. Construction of the buildings was mainly through local labour using local products and bringing economic benefits to the local community. Terraced padi fields and farms that border the resort provide the ingredients for the restaurant.

Stone walls and walkways, wooden panels and floor, palm-leaf roofs, mosquito nettings, and grazing pigs – all these complete the eco-friendly modern development amidst natural rural settings. The panoramic view around the resort was just fantastic and although for a larger part of our stay it was shrouded in mist we do get occasional peeks into the distance.

We would have loved to trek the paths leading to the villages below. Or to visit the water falls, to mountain bike around the area or just to wade in the cold, shallow river water but the weather did not cooperate. And thus we made do with lazing and relaxing in the lodge and meeting the hotel guests and chatting with the managers.

“Will we come to this place again?” I asked my family. They agreed that it is a possibility.