Vietnam travel guide

Sapa town is beautiful nested at around 1500 m at the top of a valley. Not only does it boast of magnificent views of Mt Fansipan, 3143 m, (well, when the weather is clear) but Sapa Valley is also one of the most ethnological diverse places. On a day's trek through the valley you can meet up to six different minorities (Black H'mong, Blue H'mong, Red Dao, Giay, Tay and Xa Pho), and then we haven't even counted the visiting minorities that come in for Sapa's weekend market. The colourful minority ladies are keen on selling their souvenirs and they don't take no for an answer. Many visitors might find Sapa too touristy, but keep in mind that Sapa was original build as holiday retreat for the colonial French more than a hundred years ago. So tourists are not a new thing for Sapa. Though Sapa town can have its moments on market days, the real reason to come here is the valley and beyond; rice terraces covering whole mountain sides, primitive minorities villages with homestays and off-the-beaten-track trekking along Hoang Lien Son mountain range.

Located on a lovely plateau at the high altitude of 1492 m, Sin Ho is one of Vietnam highest towns (about the same altitude as Sapa). The town itself is rather drab with pot holed streets and the usual range of dull concrete buildings. It stands in stark contrast to the spectacular winding road leading up to/down from town, which will spoil anyone not too car sick with a dramatic mountain scenery, where the local ethnic minorities cultivate on the steep slopes. Try to plan your journey so you are in Sin Ho on a Sunday, which is the big market day. Ethnic minorities from all around Sin Ho region, like Red H'mong and Black Dao, will then come into Sin Ho market and spice up the place.

There are restaurants in Vietnam that specialized in snake meat. Here you can pick your own snake from a cage. The handler will then bring the snake alive to your table, smack it in the head and slice it open. The blood will be drained into a glass with rice wine and then served to you, along with the heart which will still be pumping. The rest of the snake will be brought to kitchen, where it will turn into several snake dishes, like spine soup and snake skin cracklings. Every single bit of the snake is used and it is believed that each part have some health improvement properties, like eating the pumping heart will give strong sexual powers.