Sa Pa offers verdant homestay options
Visitors to Muong Hoa Valley near the resort town of Sa Pa in northern Vietnam can enjoy modern comforts in a luxuriantly green, rustic setting.
| 1. Chapa Ecolodge |
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The accommodation is on a hill situated on the way from Sa Pa Town to Muong Hoa Valley. It is a nice place to enjoy the fresh air and the idyllic surrounds. The valley is home to villages like Ta Van, Ta Phin, Cat Cat, and Sin Chai where the terraced fields look best. The Chapa Ecolodge homestay has an ethnic décor and exudes a warm ambience. Each room is built with a separate exit. Staircases are colored with seasonal flowers. Guests can sit with a cup of coffee in the balcony each room has, and look down Muong Hoa Valley. |
NatGeo lists Vietnam mountain range among world’s best destinations
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A scene from the Hoang Lien Son National Park. Photo by Shutterstock/Aivars Ivbulis |
U.S-based National Geographic’s listing of best travel spots for 2019 includes Vietnam’s Hoang Lien Son mountain range.
The magazine said the range, located around 195 miles northwest of the capital city, “remains rugged, rural and a world away from hectic Hanoi.”
The newly installed cable car system on Mount Fansipan, Vietnam and Indochina’s highest peak (3,143 meters or 10,312 feet), has helped to draw an increasing number of tourists to the area.
NatGeo suggests that visitors to the area consider going on a hike in the Hoang Lien Son National Park and the nearby Muong Hoa Valley.
It also recommends that visitors try out homestay accommodation with ethnic minority communities like the Hmong, Red Dao, Tay and Giay.
Mountainous Vietnam village offers best post-pandemic experience
South China Morning Post named Cat Cat Village in Lao Cai Province among the best destinations to visit following the Covid-19 crisis.
“It’s a 30-minute downhill walk from the former French hill station of Sa Pa – cool off in the river en route and admire the giant bamboo water wheels, which are used to pound rice. Stop for coffee overlooking a roaring waterfall, photograph locals in traditional dress and haggle for souvenirs,” the Hong Kong newspaper, one of the most well-known in Asia, wrote.
“Cat Cat Village is situated in the breathtakingly beautiful Muong Hoa Valley, in northern Vietnam, a region of rugged peaks, rivers and rice terraces populated by the Hmong,” it said.
Sa Pa Airport to be smaller, cost estimate almost halved
Authorities in Lao Cai Province have reduced the cost estimate for Sa Pa Airport by 41 percent to VND4.2 trillion ($179 million).
Lao Cai authorities had reduced the airport’s planned capacity by half to 1.5 million passengers a year.
It is set to be built on 371 hectares in Bao Yen District, 80 kilometers from the mountain resort town of Sa Pa.
The airport will have one runway and one terminal, and will be connected with the Hanoi – Lao Cai Expressway by a two-lane road.
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Entertain the daredevil in you in Sa Pa
A suspension bridge 600 m high with separate wooden planks hanging amidst beautiful vistas in Sa Pa offers a thrill not for the faint-hearted.
The Rong May (Cloud Dragon) Tourist Complex, invested by Sungate-Group, recently opened the bridge at “Heaven’s Gate” on the top of O Quy Ho Pass in northern Vietnam’s Sa Pa Town, which is well-known for its natural beauty and indigenous highland cultures.
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Lao Cai among five stunning natural wonders in Southeast Asia: Forbes
The northern mountainous province of Lao Cai, home to resort town Sa Pa and Vietnam’s tallest mountain Fansipan, is one of five must-visit natural wonders in Southeast Asia, according to Forbes.
The list was compiled by the U.S. magazine based on its survey of 133 million tourists who visited the region in 2019 before the Covid-19 crisis broke out, resulting in border closures and travel restrictions.
“For those wishing to immerse themselves in the stunning terraced hills that Vietnam is renowned for, few destinations can compare to Lao Cai Province, a hilly region in the northernmost of the country,” Forbes wrote.
Vietnam Reopens for International Tourism
Vietnam on March 15 fully reopened for international tourism after almost two years. However, when the date arrived, there was confusion as entry procedures, visa requirements, etc were not released by the relevant government agencies.
Nevertheless, more details were subsequently released.
The Ministry of Health late on March 15 released Official Dispatch No 1265/BYT-DP on the entry procedures for foreign arrivals to Vietnam. As per the document, foreign arrivals are required to:
- Take a COVID-19 negative test using the RT-PCR method 72 hours before entering Vietnam OR a rapid Antigen test (no self-test) 24 hours before entering Vietnam. This does not apply to children under 2 years of age; the test must be done by a competent health authority.
- Make a health declaration before entry and download the PC-COVID app;
- In case a COVID-19 test is not taken prior to departure, a test will be taken within 24 hours after arriving in Vietnam. If negative, travelers can travel anywhere within Vietnam without the need to quarantine; and
- While no quarantine is required, travelers should self-monitor their health for 10 days and report to local health authorities if they experience pandemic symptoms.
Sa Pa resort boasts one of world’s most unique swimming pools
An infinity pool at Topas Ecolodge resort in Sa Pa Town. Photo by Topas Ecolodge
Topas Ecolodge in popular tourist town Sa Pa was voted among seven resorts with the world’s most unique swimming pools by Agoda readers.
The resort has an infinity pool lying at 900 meters (3,000 feet) above sea level and surrounded by green mountain ranges, Singapore-based online travel booking platform Agoda said.
Situated atop a hill, the pool allows eye level contact with the Hoang Lien Son mountain range and stunning terraced fields. To add luxury to this beauty, the pool has a power-saving heating system that provides the warmth you need in chilly conditions.
“Billed as a holistic wellness destination, the northern Vietnamese destination-resort has become a model for the nation in terms of both community support and sustainable tourism, employing local villagers and reducing single-use plastic,” Agoda wrote.
“Hello there. My name is Giang My. Welcome you to Chapa Ecolodge”
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