Sapa highlights & sights

There are several Hmong villages within easy walking distance of town, and while directions are given here, it's strongly advisable to go accompanied by a local guide.

One of the most popular walks is to CAT CAT village, directly below Sa Pa in the Muong Hoa valley, roughly 3km away. To get there, follow the track west from the market square, continue past the steeple-shaped building that is a monitoring centre for the forestry department, and then turn left onto a path that drops steeply beside a line of old electricity pylons down to the river. Cat Cat, a huddle of wooden houses, hides among fruit trees and bamboo, where chickens and pot-bellied pigs scavenge among trailing pumpkin vines. Look out for tubs of indigo dye, used to colour the hemp cloth typical of Hmong dress, and for interlocking bamboo pipes that supply the village with both water and power for de-husking rice. Cat Cat waterfall is just below the village, the site of an old hydroelectric station and now a pleasant place to rest before tackling the homeward journey. For a longer walk, instead of cutting down to Cat Cat Village, continue on the main track turning right at the last bend before a river to follow a footpath up the valley towards Fan Si Pan. After 4km you'll reach SIN CHAI Village, a much larger Hmong settlement (nearly a hundred houses) spread out along the path.

You have to venture further afield to reach villages of minorities other than Hmong. One of the most enjoyable treks is to follow the main track from the Auberge south down the Muong Hoa Valley for 9km to a wooden suspension bridge and TA VAN Village, on the opposite side of the river. Ta Van actually consists of two villages: immediately across the bridge is a Giay community, while further uphill to the left is a Dao village. From here, it's possible to walk back towards Sa Pa on the west side of the river, as far as another Hmong village, LAO CHAI, before rejoining the main track. If you don't want to walk all the way back up to Sa Pa, you can pick up a motorbike taxi at one of the huts you'll find every two to three kilometres along the track. Alternatively, you can take a xe om from Sa Pa for the round trip, but negotiate an acceptable price first.

Following the main road another 3km south from the turn-off to Ta Van, a track leads to the Dao settlement of GIANG TA CHAI, or CHAI MAN. The path branches off to the right, just after a stream crosses the road and before a small shop. After crossing a suspension bridge, take the left fork, directly across a stream, after which it's a kilometre to the village. Giang Ta Chai can also be reached by footpath from Ta Van, but you need a guide.

From the last turn-off the road deteriorates rapidly for another 6km until it finally dwindles to a footpath just after SU PAN, an unprepossessing collection of huts which is home to a number of different minorities. From here, heading 4km straight down into the valley, bearing right at each fork, brings you to the Tay village of BAN HO, which straddles the river at a suspension bridge – the settlement comes into view at the bottom of the valley soon after you leave Su Pan. Ban Ho is the staging point for two-, three- and four-day treks in the next valley, best tackled in the company of a guide.

An excursion to TA PHIN Village takes you northeast of Sa Pa, along the main Lao Cai road for 6km and then left on a dirt track for the same distance again, past the blackened shell of an old French seminary. Finally a scenic footpath across the paddy leads to a community of Red Dao scattered among a group of low hills; on the way look out for a beautifully engineered rice-husker beside a small stream. The village is known for its handicrafts, but its people are also known for being quite aggressive when it comes to selling their beer. The easiest way to find Ta Phin is to take a xe om from Sa Pa and get dropped off at the start of the footpath; as the leg between Sa Pa and the start of this path isn't so attractive, you might also want to keep it for the return journey.

New villages are being explored all the time as more tourists arrive seeking out ever more remote spots. BANG KHOANG is a Dao settlement with over a hundred families located 16km north of Sa Pa; look for a right turn after about 10km along the Lai Chau road and follow the road to the village. From here, the road continues to the Hmong settlement TA GIANG PHINH, home to 150 families. Both of these villages are best explored by jeep or motorbike in a day-trip from Sa Pa.

All hotels and tour agents in Sa Pa can organize treks to the above villages with the option to stay overnight in some. The Auberge, Royal, Cat Cat, Mountain View and Son Ha are all reliable and can arrange excursions to remote markets, a "Conquer Fan Si Pan" trip or a Sunday trip to Muong Hum Market, 75km from Sa Pa by jeep and a kilometre from the Chinese border. Always wear strong shoes, carry water, waterproofs and a basic medical kit.