Established as a hill station by the French in 1922, Sapa is
the one place in the northwest where tourism is booming. It’s now firmly on the
European and North American package-tour circuit, and well-equipped trekkers
are a common sight around town.
Read more: vietnam things to do
The town is orientated to make the most of the spectacular
views emerging on clear days. It overlooks a plunging valley of cascading rice
terraces, with mountains towering above on all sides. Views of this epic
scenery are often subdued by thick mist rolling across the peaks, but even if
it’s cloudy, Sapa vietnam is still a fascinating destination, especially when local
hill-tribe people fill the town with colour.
Mountaintop Sapa began life as a hilltop retreat for French colonialists desperate to escape the searing heat of the Vietnamese plains. They chose the lofty cool of Fansipan's surrounds, and it's easy to see why — the humidity of Hanoi peels away as you ascend the mountain peaks skirted with finely-sculptured, emerald-green rice terraces.
If you're only in Sapa for a few days, be forewarned that the views do not come with a money-back guarantee.
The town’s French colonial villas fell into disrepair during
successive wars with the French, Americans and Chinese, but following the
advent of tourism, Sapa has experienced a renaissance. The downside is a hotel
building boom, and because height restrictions are rarely enforced, the Sapa
skyline is changing for the worse.
Inherent in this prosperity is cultural change for the
hill-tribe people. The H’mong people are very canny traders, urging you to buy
handicrafts and trinkets. Many have had little formal education, yet all the
youngsters have a good command of English, French and a handful of other languages.
0 nhận xét Blogger 0 Facebook
Đăng nhận xét