Since Sa Pa was opened to tourists in 1993, there has been a building frenzy to accommodate the burgeoning numbers of visitors. There are currently around 120 guesthouses and hotels in town, a few in imitation European villas, though most are regulation concrete blocks. Despite this proliferation, in the summer months – peak season for local tourists – rooms can be in short supply, pushing up prices by as much as fifty percent. Prices also go up at weekends from September to November, when the streets are busy with foreigners, but there are usually enough beds to go round. Come midweek and you'll have your pick of hotels and get a few dollars knocked off the room rate. Needless to say, rooms with an unrestricted view of Mount Fan Si Pan command higher prices. Foreigners can now stay in minority villages; guesthouses in Sa Pa can help with arrangements. |
