Most visitors to Sapa end up wishing that they could spend some more time there and no wonder – this highland town in northern Vietnam has got it all, from spectacular mountain views to colorful hill tribe markets. Sapa has been known for the innate magnificent trails along mountains, and it is a home to few ethnic minority groups. Trekking is the best way to explore the spectacular view of Sapa. You will trek from Lao Chai village to Ta Van village, to Ta Phin village on a 10km long trekking trail.

Lao Chai is six km away from the Sapa main town from where we started our trek. We were able to experience the stunning beauty of nature, magnificent view of rice terraces, rustic ways of life, and the rich cultures of Hmong, Tay, and Dao ethnic tribes. We got the opportunity to attend one of their marriage ceremonies on the go and it was a wonderful moment for us to experience such a beautiful gathering.

Marriage feast

Lao Chai to Ta Van village is the most amazing destination that you cannot miss in Sapa. One day trekking to Lao Chai – Ta Van village will bring you to the beautiful natural scenery, surrounded by luminous green rice paddies in Muong Hoa valley.

This is a 12km trek on small trails down the Muong Hoa valley toward the village of Lao Chai where Black Hmong ethnic people reside. The hike initially starts from a mountain road that takes you out of Sapa, and then down into a deep valley, crosses the Ta van river, and hikes towards the Lao Chai, a place made up of several smaller villages, where you find 100 families of the hill tribe and other ethnic villagers live in the area. From the starting point of the main road, you will get a spectacular panoramic view of the whole village, which is filled with terraced fields, waterfalls, and mountains and is an ideal place for trekking for natural wonders.

We started the trekking all by ourselves with the Hmong lady, she was our tour guide. While trekking, we discovered daily village life, and interacted with the locals, tribal ladies, and school-going kids, capturing every moment through our lens. That young lady, who was our tour guide, was well-versed in English and entertained us all our way by telling us about their folklore and culture and also she sang a beautiful song for us in their own language.

In-between, we halted somewhere in Lao Chai where we had taken our lunch and interacted with many local hill tribes and learned about their culture. Then we headed next to Ta Van village, one of the most peaceful spots in Sapa, where you get to see many diverse sets of inhabitants including the Mong, the Red Dao, and the Giay ethnic tribes. Coming to Ta van village, you will get to experience the calmness of nature, the picturesque scenery of the valley with the murmuring sound of streams, and the beautiful chirping of birds that really make your trip memorable forever.

We reached the village in the late afternoon. In Ta Van village Sapa, we booked a homestay at Joy’s house and spent a night with the Hmong family. Joy’s House is located in a beautiful place facing a mountain amidst idyllic nature. The home stay was clean and comfortable and the host was extremely friendly and warmly welcomed us with laughter and offered us hot drinks.

Cosy Stay

Then we relaxed a bit and went for a walk around in the evening. We got the opportunity here to help some village women in supporting their daily work activities, they were really impressed by our work and one of the local women invited us to join them at dinner. It was really a big moment for us.

After that, we went back to our homestay. The host prepared some delicious Vietnamese dishes for us for dinner. We enjoyed the meal and bonfire in the night with other guests which really made our day special.

The next morning, we had our breakfast and started our day with a positive vibe because that day we covered 34km to reach Ta Phin village.

On the way to Ta Phin village, we enjoyed the golden view of rice paddies surrounded by Majestic Mountains; the two sides of the road are filled with flowers blooming and the pristine nature of the village. While hiking toward Ta Phin, we crossed several villages and it takes 7hrs to reach this famous eco-tourist destination.

Located in the valley, this beautiful village is home to the Red Dao and Hmong tribes. Travelers will be attracted by the spectacular scenery all the way and the charming colorful costumes of women tribes. Besides, Ta Phin is also known for many traditional handicraft villages.

After we arrived, we spent some time at one of the old churches in the village and then came back to Sapa by local transport. It was overall a nice journey for us.