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Vietnam – 9 Things about The Town of Sapa

Town of Sapa

I was a little confused about the town of Sapa before my visit in October 2014. I’m guessing there are others like me so I have come up with a list of the 9 things about this simple little town that will be helpful for first-time visitors.

1. So is it Sapa or Lao Cai?

Sapa, the beautiful mountainous town lies in the northern part of Vietnam, within the Lao Cai province. Tourists normally arrive by overnight train at the Lao Cai (pronounced as Lao Gai) train station and transfer to car or mini-bus in order to get to Sapa. I arranged my mini-bus transfer with Sapa O’Chau for US$3 one-way.

Lao Cai train station

The ride from between Lao Cai and Sapa is about 30-40 minutes with a lot of bends and turns but with amazing views (especially on the return journey from Sapa to Lao Cai).

Sapa to Lao Cai train station

The town of Sapa lies at an altitude of 1,500 metres (or 4,921 feet) so altitude sickness should not be a concern.

2. Main town square

The town of Sapa is not big so everything is pretty close to each other. The main town square is in the centre of the town, with the Sapa stone church sited at one corner and a multi-purpose arena right in front of it. The atmosphere here in the day and at night were very different – the locals were selling their fresh produce along the pavements surrounding the church and the multi-purpose arena in the morning and families, young boys and tourists gathered around here at night playing, socializing or just chillaxing.

Sapa Stone Church

Locals selling fresh produce in the morning

Town Centre

It was busy and vibrant in the day, clam and peaceful at night.

3. Postal Services

The general post office is about 2 minutes’ walk away from the Sapa Stone Church. Choices of postcards here were limited and the stamps cost the same (VND 21,000) regardless of where the card was going to. The ladies at the post office spoke limited English however I managed to get my postcard sent with just the words ‘postcards’ and ‘stamps’.

4. Food and restaurants

There are many restaurants and shops selling western food in the town of Sapa, mainly catering to the foreigners. These are located along Cau May, and Fansipan street.

Dining with ambiance

Along Xuan Vien street there is a row of restaurants selling BBQ food, seafood and dishes of stir-fried food. At the junction of Fansipan street and Thac Bac street, there are shops selling mainly BBQ food and steamboat. It is set out somewhat similar to the Chomp Chomp Food Centre just that restaurants were operating inside instead of hawker stalls.

Food centre

BBQ food on sale inside Food Centre

When night falls, stalls were set up along the pavement by the Lake of Sapa. You not only get to enjoy the food, the beautiful reflections of the houses along the lake will mesmerize you as well.

BBQ by the Lake of Sapa

Restaurants by the Lake

Lake of Sapa

5. Sapa Market

The Sapa Market is hidden from the main road and is easy to miss. It is near Cau May street and there are a few steps of stairs before reaching the market itself.

Steps down to Sapa Market

Many ethnic minority ladies set up stalls along the pavements selling all kinds of stuff from bread to vegetables to cooked food.

Fresh bread sold at one of the stalls in the Sapa Market

There is also a food market inside the Sapa Market selling local Vietnamese food. If you fancy having a meal with the locals, this could probably be the best place!

Food stalls inside Sapa Market

Shop inside Sapa Market

6. Shopping

There are many shops selling hiking/camping equipment and clothings here, especially for North Face gears. All the jackets, shoes, backpacks have the brand clearly sewn but from what I understand, these are imitations, NOT the real deal! So if you really want to buy, BARGAIN!

North Face shopping

7. Grocery stores

There are small grocery stores all around the town selling mainly local products. However I discovered a much bigger shop right beside the multi-purpose arena (at about 2 o’clock of where you are if you are standing in front of the Stone Church, facing it). This grocery store also sells clothes, souvenirs, imported snacks and daily necessities. So if you forgot your favourite shower gel or shampoo, check it out.

8. Entertainment

There are a couple of pubs along Cau May street which cater mainly to foreigners along with quite a good choice of restaurants.

Pubs

If you are in the mood, there are also karaoke lounges although I don’t know whether they have English songs 🙂

For those who have tired feet from all the walking, you can go for a massage or spa. I came across a shop providing foot massage service and also Red Dao herbal medicine bath. It looked decent from the outside.

Foot Massage

9. Local Ethnic Minorities

There were some ethnic minority ladies hanging around the main town square area who were trying to sell their hand-made bags and jewellery. They will sometimes accost the visitors and try to hard-sell. Unless you want to buy, just decline politely and walk away.

Take the time to walk around this beautiful little town and enjoy the tranquility (besides the occasional honking from motorists). When you feel bored, try trekking into the mountains!

There you go, the 9 things about the Town of Sapa which hopefully helped you gain a little bit of insight. Click here to check out my interesting experience of a Homestay with a Red Dao family.

Dariel 26 November, 2014 Southeast Asia, Vietnam 9 Comments

Vietnam – Overnight Train from Hanoi to Sapa

Hanoi Railway Station

When I mentioned that I took the overnight train from Hanoi to Sapa in Vietnam, many people were curious as to how it was like. So I will give an overview here to provide some insights and hopefully answer some of the questions anyone may have.

Platform to board the train in Hanoi

1) Is the train clean?

Yes – based on my experiences on the Livitran and Fansipan Express trains, 2 of the many trains from Hanoi to Sapa.

While waiting to board the trains, I saw that the bedsheets were changed and the cabins were cleaned after the arriving passengers alighted. All of the cleaning was done quickly, ready for the next round of passengers.

I did find a strand of hair on my bed but it probably belonged to the cleaner (trying not to think too much here!).

** Special tip: You could buy a silk sleeping bag liner (note that it is just the liner) in Hanoi for US$5 like I did. I used mine on both train rides in Vietnam, during my homestay in the Sapa mountains and in China when I stayed in the hostel near the Panda base – the US$5 spent on the trip!

2) How safe is it on the train?

With all the horror stories I heard and read about safety (theft) on overnight trains when I was travelling in Europe, you can imagine how concerned I was this time. Especially because I was travelling alone, for the first time. But I can tell you now – No need to worry la!

Inside the Livitran carriage

Firstly, these overnight trains are created for the tourists so everyone travelling on it will be tourists, like you and me. Also, the locals will usually not travel in these cabins since the prices are generally too high for them . The only locals you may see on the train would be the vendors selling snacks and drinks (including beer) and the conductors.(Not implying in any way whatsoever that the locals are thieves.)

Having said that, please do exercise common sense and keep all valuables with you at all times or lock them up, even when you go to the bathroom. Thefts can happen anywhere at anytime to anyone.

3) How long do the train rides take and what time do they leave Hanoi / Sapa?

Normally, it takes between 8 to 9 hours from Hanoi to Sapa and vice versa, depending on which train you choose. Here’s a summary of the approximate departure / arrival timing for the different trains:

	Sapaly	King express	Fansipan	Livitran	Orient Express
	SP3/4	SP7/8	SP1/2	SP7/8	SP3/4
From Hanoi	9.50pm – 6.25am	8.25pm – 4.50am	9.10pm – 5.30am	8.25pm – 4.50am	9.50pm – 6.25am
	8hrs 35mins	8hrs 25mins	8hrs 20mins	8hrs 25mins	8hrs 35mins

From Lao Cai	8.20pm – 4.45am	6.50pm – 3.52am	7.35pm – 4.10am	6.50pm – 3.52am	8.20pm – 4.45am
	8hrs 25mins	9hrs	8hrs 35mins	9hrs	8hrs 25mins

4) Are the trains punctual?

Departure:

For those who have experience with taking trains in Europe, you will know how punctual they generally are. To my surprise, the trains in Hanoi and Sapa also leave on time. Right on the dot! The train tickets do stipulate that you need to arrive at the train station 1 hour before the departure time. So yes, I would rather arrive earlier and relax on my bed than have to run after the train.

Arrival:

You do however need to allow 1-2 hours delay to the arrival time from Hanoi to Sapa. Apparently because of some on-going construction works which was supposed to be completed in April 2014. Up until October 2014, it was still affecting the railway and causing delay. Do check / ask the agent buying the tickets for you about the approximate time or arrival, especially if you need to get to your destination by a certain time like I did.

You don’t have to worry about missing your stop because Hanoi and Sapa are the final destinations. The conductor will come around and knock on the doors about 30mins before the train reaches the stations. So go ahead and snooze (if you can).

5) Comfort Level

All is good. The beds in the 4-bed cabins I booked (the other more luxurious option is a 2-bed cabin) on both the Livitrans and Fansipan Express were pretty comfortable, not too hard. They were already laid down flat when we boarded on both times so there’s no need to fumble around when you feel like sleeping. Tall people will however need to slouch a little when they sit on the bed on the lower berths.

Inside the Livitran cabin

There is also sufficient space underneath the beds to put luggages. It can probably fit up to a medium-sized check-in bag due to the height restriction. Each bed has a bedside lamp if you need to read or play with your phone when the cabin light is out.

The Fansipan Express was slightly more posh than Livitrans which means it is slightly more expensive. Frankly I don’t think there is a need to spend that extra few bucks since you will be spending most of your time sleeping or trying to sleep. That is of course you are choose it for the train timing (see point 3).

If you are planning to catch some sleep on the train, think again. The rides will be bumpy and somewhat noisy making it difficult to sleep properly, regardless of which train you are taking. People have recommended sleeping pills and alcohol. I took one motion-sickness pill which helped a bit.

Also, it can get really cold in the middle of the night even with the blanket provided. So do prepare your own jacket as well.

6) How much do the train tickets cost?

Depending on which train you choose (newer trains are more expensive) and the amount of commission the hotel / agent charges (hidden from you), the train ticket should cost around US$40 to US$50 one-way for a 4-bed cabin. Having said that, the Victoria Express Train is super luxurious and crazy expensive. If you plan to spend that extra money you have, please try taking the train and let me know how it went.

Is it cheaper then to buy the train tickets directly from the service provider? The last time I checked, it was slightly cheaper. But it got too complicated and difficult so I gave up.

7) Where can I purchase train tickets?

Your hotel in Hanoi will gladly help you book the train tickets. Otherwise, you can also approach the tour agencies scattered all around the Old Quarter.

Since I was taking the train on the night I arrived, I chose to buy them in advance. I used Train to Sapa base on the good reviews I’ve read online. Their website showed details of the different trains, the prices and the timings. They also offer a free ride from your Hanoi hotel to the train station. I was expecting a car but a motorbike arrived in front of my hotel instead. I didn’t mind it at all because I wouldn’t have ridden a motorbike in Hanoi on my own 🙂 It was a surprise adventure!

I gave the driver my vouchers and in exchange he gave me the train tickets.

Train ticket showing the train number on the top right hand corner (SP7) and all other details

Review on Train to Sapa:

I sent my queries to Trains to Sapa via email because I wanted to get experiences on different trains (Sapaly train from Hanoi and Fansipan Express from Sapa) and their responses were quick. The booking was done effortlessly and I received the vouchers by email on the same day.

However, I wasn’t informed of the delay to Sapa when I was booking the train tickets and I needed to get to Sapa early for my tour to Lung Khau Ninh market. Luckily my tour agent in Sapa highlighted the problem to me before my departure. I contacted Train to Sapa and they confirmed the time I will arrive in Sapa would be approximately 1.5 hours later than what was stated on their website and the voucher issued! I immediately requested to change to an earlier departure and they did that for me, even though I forfeited the difference in the ticket price. It was just a few bucks so I didn’t pursue.

Other option to travel from Hanoi to Sapa – By Bus

There’s also the option of taking the overnight bus from Hanoi to Sapa. However, many people (including some tour agencies) discourage that mainly because of the safety issue. It was said that the drivers are reckless and they speed like nobody’s business. I met someone at the hotel in Sapa who took the bus and from what I was told, the speeding part is apparently true.

So here it is, my short and quick guide on traveling on a overnight train from Hanoi to Sapa. Hope it has been useful.

Pin it for later!

Check out what you can do in Sapa right here, including trekking, visiting the ethnic minority’s market and staying overnight at an ethnic minority’s house!

**Note: This is not a sponsored post.

Dariel 15 November, 2014 Southeast Asia, Vietnam 6 Comments

Vietnam – Trekking in Sapa (Day 2)

On the first day of our trekking in Sapa we were on the road for about 5 hours, weaving through the rice fields and mountains, meeting some locals along the way and a lot of animals. It was an easy but beautiful route.

For the second part (day) of the trek, CO our guide from Sapa O’Chau, gave us 2 options: (1) the ‘shortcut”, which would have been similar to the first day’s route or (2) a longer way, requiring us to cross rivers and trekking on tight, single lane, less treaded path. Without hesitation, all of us went for the 2^nd option! So after we said goodbye to the local ethnic minority family (and the puppies!) whom we stayed with for the night, we were on our way!

It was a beautiful day with some sunshine but it wasn’t too warm.

We walked downhill for a while, came to a stream, then to a river.

At this point CO stopped and looked at the river, then started to walk back and forth. “Are we crossing this river?” somebody asked. Right after she answered yes, we all helped to check and determine which part of the river is the safest for everyone to cross. We then very excitedly took off our shoes.

And some started to cross the river!

CO turned to me and said “Ling, you cross with me ok? We are (of) similar (height).” I wasn’t going to turn down that offer since the river appeared to have some pretty strong currents (not that you can see from the picture). Jen, one of the American ladies, joined us since she too was about our height. So the 3 of us held hands and crossed the river together, which frankly wasn’t too difficult except for the slippery (and sometimes sharp) rocks underneath – just had to tread carefully and walk slowly.

After we got across to the other side of the river, we dried our feet as much as we could, put our shoes back on and off we went again. We trekked up and downhill, on muddy road sometimes but definitely steeper than Day 1’s route. The scenery was equally amazing.

We trekked along the edge of the mountains where it seemed very few people would go, cutting across overgrown grass and bushes.

CO was trying to make the shape of a horse using the tall grass!

When we came across locals working in the field, CO would chat with them and explain to us what they were doing. For example the woman in the picture below was winnowing the harvested rice grains by standing precariously along the edge of the mountain. The bamboo was skillfully tied together forming her only safety and working device. If she slipped, I don’t know how deep into the valley she will fall or if she will even survive. Scary!

It was truly amazing to see how the people work with minimal amount of machineries and try to maximize the power and potential of the resources they possess. It’s beautiful!

For lunch, CO brought us to a nice and remote river bank for a picnic. There was even a small waterfall nearby which we could catch glimpses of just by hopping onto the rocks around.

She laid down some huge leaves from a nearby tree on the grass for us to sit. Then she took all the ingredients for our picnic out from her bamboo basket and started to clean, peel and cut them. The rest of us helped with the hard-boiled eggs.

It was a great place for a picnic especially when we had the whole place to ourselves.

All of a sudden, it started raining! Everyone tried to grab hold of their raincoats / jackets / umbrellas and protect the food at the same time! Meghann, the other American lady who had a big poncho, offered to cover the food so the 2 of us were holding on to the poncho and umbrella with CO continuing to prepare the food underneath! Now that’s what I call professionalism! Too bad we didn’t manage to take any picture; it would have been somewhat comical.

Luckily the rain stopped after about 10mins with the passing cloud. When the rain stopped, our food was ready too! Yay!

With a full and satisfied stomach, we continued trekking. There was a steep uphill climb where men on motorbikes carrying sacks of rice were trying to get their bikes and goods all the way to the top. It was difficult because of the steep slope and the rain earlier made the road muddy. So we helped them push their motorbike.

Ok fine, Paul, the only man in the group helped and we just took pictures of him doing the hard work! I know it’s not right but it was hilarious to watch.

For the rest of the trek, we witnessed more stunning landscape, walked right next to an un-harvested rice field, saw more animals, saw families working in the field and children running around, care-free.

I understand that many children here do not go to school as their family need their help in the field or to take care of their younger siblings at home. Like this young girl.

We completed our trekking in Sapa in about 4.5 hours with a van ready to pick us up at the main road. The van then drove about 15 minutes to get us back into the Sapa town.

I am truly glad that I decided to spend most of my limited time in Vietnam out here in Sapa. We had a good guide, the company was great and the place was gorgeous. I didn’t think I would enjoy myself so much. 🙂

Have you been to Sapa? Did you visit their rotating markets like this one?

Dariel 5 November, 2014 Southeast Asia, Vietnam 5 Comments

Vietnam – Trekking in Sapa (Day 1)

My favourite part of the Vietnam trip when I travelled in October was the 2-days trekking in Sapa with Sapa O’Chau which included a 1-night homestay with a Red Dao (pronounced as zao) family. The homestay was an incredible experience. You will want to read about it, trust me!

Back to my trekking trip – I was glad that my guide CO (pronounced as Ger) for the Lung Khau Nhin Market was also our guide for the trekking trip. She was friendly and informative during the market tour. I enjoyed her company immensely. She didn’t disappoint for the trekking trip as well.

The “Drama”

I was given a choice to either meet up with the group (of other trekkers, all strangers) at Sapa O’Chau café (which is located further in the town) or wait at my hotel since they would be passing by anyway to the beginning of the trekking route. I chose the latter and was told to wait at the hotel at around 9.30am.

At 9.30am sharp, I sat at the hotel lobby and kept looking out of the glass doors but saw no CO. I thought maybe I heard them wrongly the day before and they were meeting at the café at 9.30am instead. So I estimated that they would probably arrive before 10am after taking into account the 15mins walk from the café to the hotel. I waited and waited…

Waiting in the hotel lobby…

However, at about 10am, there was still no sign of CO. Did they forget about me? Did they cancel the trip without informing me? I needed to find out what was going on! The hotel receptionist was kind enough to help me make a call to Sapa O’Chau; only then was I being informed that the train arrival time of two of the trekking group members had been delayed and the setting out time had to be pushed back by another 45mins or so! Frankly I was a bit pissed because the company should have at least tried to contact me since they knew where I was staying. But because the lady on the phone sounded apologetic, I didn’t pursue the matter, plus I didn’t want to spoil my holiday mood either.

I could have gone out to explore the town a bit more but not knowing exactly what time they will be coming and to avoid having them to search for me after they arrived, I sat at the hotel lobby and chatted with the hotel staff, surfed the net and charged my electronic devices.

While waiting, I watched 2 ladies trying to buy a standing fan from the shop – not the most exciting thing in the world

Finally just before noon, I saw a familiar face walking towards the hotel – CO! She apologised and explained what happened. Surprisingly I wasn’t that angry anymore and just wanted to get going. I’ve already wasted the whole morning!

And the Fun Begins

I met the other 4 trekkers (a couple from Netherlands and 2 friends from the States) outside the hotel, exchanged our hellos and started walking towards the mountains. There were a few ladies from the ethnic minority tribes following us and CO explained that they could help us on the way, if we ever needed. They will also ask if we want to buy their hand-made products (of course they will), which we could politely reject.

See the number of “bodyguards” we have, and there were more walking behind me

After passing the Sapa lake in the town centre, we walked along a dirt track and came to a small village and everyone got excited when we saw some animals. It was like a miniature zoo!

Along the way we also saw children playing marbles outside their home, totally unfazed by our presence.

As we walked slightly further, the horizon suddenly opened up and we saw the stunning landscape of Sapa with mountains and (not so) blue sky – apparently the locals were still burning their waste after the rice harvesting so the sky was a bit hazy. Nonetheless, what we saw was beautiful – vast open space with A LOT of greenery, mountains, mountain streams, rice padi fields with newly planted seedlings and even buffalos out in the fields just filling up their stomach.

CO introduced us to the indigo plant which the locals use to create dye. She asked for a volunteer who was willing to get his/her palms blue and passed the leaves she plucked from the plant to the volunteer and asked her to rub them hard between her palms. The palms did turn blue!

CO plucking some leaves from the indigo plant with the dog keeping a close eye on her

We continued on our trekking route, crossing fields and bridges, walking past more small villages along the way and saw more children and animals. It was an easy route so we had time to stop and admire the surroundings.

2 young boys, 1 walking around with no pants!

Wasn’t sure whether the little girl was taking a shower or washing the clothes

Whatcha looking at?

Huge praying mantis!

A few girls were playing something similar to “zero-point” (for those who remember) and another trekker tried to join in. It was pretty hilarious to watch and everyone was just laughing and having fun.

The trekking route was great not only because of the amazing landscapes but also because we didn’t see many other tourists on the same route. The only times we saw other tourists were when we walked past the “rest stops”. We were also the only ones at the place where we had lunch, a place which I guess is supported by Sapa O’Chau as well. I think a family stays here while running the ‘restaurant’.

We had a nice home-cooked lunch here which comprises rice (staple food for locals here), pork, spring roll, vegetables and soup. It was delicious! They even served us fruits after that.

We were so hungry that we forgot to take pictures of the rest of the dishes!

After lunch, CO brought us inside the house with the owner showing us how they put a layer of wax over the fabric they dyed before making them into clothes. Basically after the cloth has been laid flat on the stone, one simply steps onto the roller and start rolling! It is a balancing act but she made it look easy.

Then I tried my hands on weaving. Oh my, it requires excellent hands-feet coordination which I thought I have but was obviously not up to the standard for this task! I was so afraid of damaging their half-finished product that I gave up quickly – not very proud but at least I tried!

To break the monotony of trekking, CO introduced a game that she used to play as a kid. She took a small branch of a plant along the way (which looked like a mini Christmas tree) and plucked a leaf from it and re-attached it back. Then she asked us to try and identify where the “re-attachment” was. It was quite hard in the beginning and took some of us a while to get the hang of it. The rest of the group still couldn’t do it at the end of the game! Ha!

The leaf that we needed to find!

When CO found some honeysuckle flower, she let us try sucking nectar out of them. I’ve heard about this but it was my first time trying. I was delighted when I could taste the nectar! It was fascinating!

Sucking every bit of the nectar!

The first day of our trekking in Sapa ended when we reached the Red Dao family. CO told us that the trekking on the 2nd day would be more exciting since we would be crossing rivers and trekking through less treaded path!

Have you been to Sapa? Click here to see what else you can do in Sapa.

**This post contains no affiliate links.

Dariel 28 October, 2014 Southeast Asia, Vietnam 6 Comments

Ethnic Minority Market at Lung Khau Nhin

Although I didn’t have a lot time to explore Hanoi, still I decided to get away from the city and head towards the mountains. On Sapa O’Chau’s website, I saw that they organise trips to weekly markets of the ethnic minorities so I signed up to visit the Lung Khau Nhin market, the only one available on the day I arrived (Thursday) at Lao Cai (pronounced as Lao Gai) province.

From what I researched and understand from my guide, a lady from the Black H’mong (pronounced as Mong) tribe called CO (pronounced as Ger), who by the way speaks brilliant English, there is one market on each day of the week, well almost. Below is a summary of some of the bigger markets:

Sunday – Bac Ha Market (most famous and biggest)

Monday – Phong Hai Market

Tuesday – Coc Ly Market

Wednesday – Cao Son Market

Thursday – Lung Khau Nhin Market

Saturday – Can Cau Market

I arrived in Sapa on the overnight train from Hanoi and took a 1.5 hours’ drive to the Lung Khau Nhin market after having some breakfast. Since the market is in a remote region, we drove past some stunning landscapes along the way.

For those who are prone to motion sickness, beware! The road can get pretty windy at some point because… it’s the mountains!

As we got nearer to our destination we saw people walking towards the market, some with the signature bamboo baskets the ethnic minorities carry on their back (to put their shopping and umbrellas). I understand that some of them ride their motorbikes to the market while others will walk for about an hour to get there!

Lung Khau Nhin market is a relatively small and simple market for about 5 tribes of the ethnic minorities living nearby, including the Flower H’mong, Black Dao (pronounced as zao) and three others which I only managed to get the pronunciations of. It is probably just about 50 metres long with little stalls and people selling almost everything; fresh vegetables, fruits, meat, soup, wok, mobile phones, tobacco, seedlings for plants, clothes, shoes, bags, daily necessities like shampoo, soap, etc. There are even stalls selling little gadgets from China like radios, headlamps, toys, etc. like a stall in Singapore’s pasar malam (night market).

Selling vegetables

How much for 2 chickens?

Fruits sellers

Pails, containers

Huge woks

A bag of chilli please

CO buying a pomelo

Home-made soup. I swear he was smiling outside of this picture!

Clothes anyone?

Fresh meat to be eaten on the day or until the next only because they don’t have fridge

There was even a man squatting at the start of the market selling his piggy.

CO tried to point out the different tribes to me by what they wear; they looked somewhat similar if you ask me.

As we were just strolling through the market, a lady carrying a bucket started talking to CO and I was later told that she was selling sticky rice.

“Do you want to try?” CO asked. I think she then tried to ask the lady whether I could just pinch a little but I guess the negotiation failed. In the end, I got this whole lot for 5,000 VND (about US$0.25). I didn’t mind paying for it but it was A LOT of sticky rice! I actually gave some to the kids running around the market – build rapport *wink*!

Doesn’t look like a lot but it was a almost the size of my palm

At first I tried some without the peanut and it tasted bland, just rice, VERY sticky rice. But after CO told me to eat with the peanut, it tasted better.

I asked the lady selling the sticky rice if I could take a picture of her (with CO translating of course). I think she was a bit shy but agreed. Just when I held up my camera, her friend (I think) with her child quickly jumped in for the shot.

Other than shopping, some ethnic minorities also come here for their meals. A small section of the market was demarcated for the food stalls, which I understand works on a first-come-first-serve basis for the hawkers. Come early to “chope” the space and cook away!

Just across the road from the market, there are boys and men playing pool which apparently is quite popular among the ethnic minority youngsters. The girls are not allowed to play with the boys because they are required to be (or appear to be) hardworking and demure – still a very conservative society you see.

The weekly markets also provide opportunities for the young and single men and women (or boys and girls since they usually are only in their teens) to meet, socialise and get to know their future partners.

You see, the weekly markets are not only important because they allow the residents nearby (even if they need to walk for 1 hour to get there) to do their shopping for daily necessities and socialising, they are also revenue-generating events for them, once a week. I can imagine how excited they are or they can be to have the opportunity to do something other than working in the fields all day long 7 days a week. It will definitely be something I look forward to if I were them.

If anyone is going to Sapa or Lao Cai, I recommend visiting one of the markets. Lung Khau Nhin market is not a very popular market for tourists but that suits me just fine. I was one of the few (5 I think) tourists in the whole place which was fantastic!

Have you been to any ethnic minority markets? Did you like them? Click here to check out my one-night stay at an Ethnic Minority’s home.

Dariel 11 October, 2014 Southeast Asia, Vietnam 12 Comments

Hanoi Sightseeing – Sword Lake, Temple of Literature, Hanoi Citadel & Cathedral

Hello folks, I’m back in Hong Kong after a short but fun trip to Hanoi and Sapa in Vietnam and I can’t wait to tell you all about it!

I’ll start with Hanoi where I spent the first day roaming around the city centre.

Hanoi Sightseeing

2 weeks before my departure, I found Hanoi Free Tour Guides, an organisation that works on the same principle as Hanoikids described in my last post. My tour guide Yen, is a University student who majors in Economics. She met me at the hotel at the agreed time. Actually she was 10 minutes early and ran across the road after spotting me wandering around nearby!

Yen first brought me to a dessert place at 46 Hang Gai Street where they served more than 10 different varieties of desserts. We sat down beside one of the many busy roads with short plastic chairs with tables and she ordered the local favourite Hoa Quả Dầm (pronounced as hua kua3 zem4) for us.

It is basically cut fruits mixed with coconut cream and you add ice to it. A very simple yet refreshing dessert, cheap too at 20,000 VND each (about US$1). Because of the coconut cream, it actually tasted a little bit like chendol. Think I can try to replicate it at home.

After the dessert, we walked to the Hoan Kiem Lake with Yen trying to protect me from all the motorbikes and cars while we crossed the crazy busy streets!

1. Hoan Kiem Lake (Lake of the Restored Sword)

The legend goes like this: national hero Le Loi swept the foreign invaders (Chinese) out of the country with a sword borrowed from the King of the Sea. Then one fine day while the King was sight-seeing in Thang Long Capital (present-day Hanoi), a golden turtle genie appeared at the lake requesting for the sword to be returned. The turtle then kept the sword in his mouth and dived under the water. Hence the name: the Lake of the Restored Sword.

Many people were walking and sitting around the lake while enjoying the serenity. According to my guide, it is also a popular place for couples to take their wedding photos. We saw 2 couples that day.

Also, there are turtles living in the lake and they do come out of the murky water every now and then. I didn’t manage to spot any live ones although I did see a stuffed turtle preserved in a glass case in the Ngoc Son Temple situated in the northern part of the Lake. It was huge, probably more than 1.5m long (I tried to measure with my body length lol). I can imagine the excitement if anyone see a live turtle that big in the lake.

Ngoc Son Temple

The entrance fee is 20,000 VND (about US$1) for an adult and students pay only 10,000 VND.

Just after the ticket office, there’s an iconic red bridge constructed in classical Vietnamese style connecting the little island (which the temple sits) to the lake shore.

The small temple is dedicated to General Tran Hung Dao (who defeated the Mongols), La To (patron saint of physicians) and the scholar Van Xuong. There’s a nice little pavilion facing the lake and is a great place to get away from the noisy Hanoi streets.

There is a large pen-shaped tower built at the entrance of the temple with the Chinese characters “Ta Thien Thanh”, which literally means “to write on the blue sky”, implying the height of a genuine and righteous person’s determination and will.

Turtle Tower

The tower erected on the little turtle islet in the middle of the lake was the former fishing site under King Le Thanh Long. It is said that a temple was built on it but there seems to be no trace of it. No access is allowed into the Turtle Tower or onto the islet so we could only view it from a distance.

2. Temple of Literature (Van Mieu)

Following a short stroll around the Sword Lake, we took a taxi to the Temple of Literature. This is a temple of Confucius which also houses several pavilions, halls, stelae of students and Vietnam’s first national university.

When I stepped into the compound, I almost immediately felt a sense of calmness. Strange and indescribable. There were a few other tourists but all I could hear was the sound of the man sweeping leaves on the floor.

According to my young guide, the Constellation of Literature Pavilion (below) with the circular window depicts the sun. The sun rays are reflected onto the pond (called the Well of Heavenly Clarity) and then get reflected onto the people entering the courtyard thus ‘cleansing’ the human being before he/she enters the temple. I cannot verify her story but thought it was interesting and does make some sense.

We then saw some 82 stelae of doctors lining along the sides. These carved stones recorded the names and birth places of the graduates of the royal exams.

As we walked further into the compound, we saw the temple with the statue of Confucius and his 4 best disciples.

Just outside of the Confucius statue, we saw a shrine with 2 statues of crane standing on top of turtle. At this point, Yen told me the story: it was said that the two animals were helping each other out during the different seasons; when it’s dry the crane will carry the turtle to another location where there is plenty of water and when it’s wet and flooded, the turtle provides a standing point for the crane. A ying and yang (sky and land) combination.

There is a big drum and big bell inside the University compound, used to inform the students when classes / exams start and end.

In one of the buildings, a statue of a famous Vietnamese teacher was erected whom the people now worship, just like Confucius. Upstairs in the same building, there are 3 statues of the Kings responsible for the construction of the Temple.

Left: The famous Vietnamese teacher. Right: One of the 3 Kings

I like this place a lot because it is quiet and peaceful.

3. Hanoi Citadel

Yen then brought me to the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long (former residence of Vietnamese monarch). A big stage was being set up when we were there in preparation for Hanoi’s Liberation Day on 10 October and the gates were locked.

Most of the structures were destroyed by the colonial French in the late 19^th century although some structures remain, like the Northern Gate, Steps of the Kinh Thiên Palace and the Flag Tower. Some of the old French barracks and buildings have been destroyed to make way for a new museum within the Citadel which houses exhibitions of the excavated monuments.

The Citadel is also on the UNESCO World Heritage List, which I guess is why we had to pay entrance fee of 30,000 VND for an adult and 15,000 VND for students.

4. St. Joseph Cathedral

My guide had to attend a class in the evening so I went to the St. Joseph Cathedral alone after taking my dinner nearby (will talk about that in a separate post).

The church was built about 120 years ago and is Vietnam’s answer to Paris’ Notre Dame with the twin towers and Gothic arches. Although it looked old on the outside, the interior of the church looked like it had been given a new coat of paint recently. It is a relatively small church with stained glasses on the walls. Nothing fancy but cosy and quaint.

Some kind of celebration / ceremony was going on when I was there, people were singing in harmony from their seats. Afraid that they will be disturbed (and I’ll be scolded) I did not wander around much.

The day ended with me going back to the hotel and finding the whole street out of power! I had to take a shower and pack the luggage with my little torchlight before catching the overnight train to Sapa. I’ve always wanted a “local experience”, think I got what I wished for!

Check out what I did in Sapa here, here and here!

Dariel 8 October, 2014 Southeast Asia, Vietnam 12 Comments

Vietnam and Chengdu in October 2014

Since my trip to Germany in December 2013, I have not done any travelling this year. BUT, in October I will be taking 2 short trips to Vietnam and Chengdu!

Vietnam

This will be my first time visiting Vietnam and my first planned solo trip! Exciting!

Because it is a short trip (5 days 4 nights), I decided to skip Halong Bay this time round and spend more time in Sapa instead. Many people will start asking at this point “why skip Halong Bay??” Here’s why: I get seasick 🙂

Hanoi

I will have the first and last day to explore Hanoi (more than half a day each). I was planning to take a tour around the city with the kids from Hanoikids, an organization that arranges Vietnamese students (volunteers) to bring tourists around Hanoi whilst allowing them to practice their English, all for free (except paying for their transport and food). But it’s too bad that their schedule was full when I contacted them in early August. Even though I am on their waiting list, maybe I should make alternative plans…

Vietnam is a great place for photography, so people say. Therefore, I signed up for a photography tour with Vietnam in Focus on my last day in Hanoi. Alex, one of the 2 guys who owns and runs the company, had been very responsive to my emails. With my limited time in Hanoi it was difficult for me to join their regular tours (with fixed timings). Alex was very nice and changed the tour timing to accommodate my flight out! Can’t wait to pick up a few tips from the professionals and take some awesome photos!

Photo source: www.vietnamonline.com

Sapa

In between my Hanoi days, I will be taking the overnight train to Sapa, visit one of the morning markets and taking a 2-days trek. The 2 days trekking include a 1-night homestay at some ethnic minority villager’s home so that will be a good experience. I will be using the services of Sapa O’Chau, another non-profit organization set up to help the ethnic minorities. The reviews on Tripadvisor have been brilliant and since the money will be going to meaningful purposes, I don’t mind paying a bit more.

Chengdu

I will be spending a slightly longer time in Chengdu, China: 8 nights 7 days. Except for the first day which will have us visiting the Leshan Giant Buddha on our own, this will be a fully guided tour including visits to the Jiuzhaigou National Park (九寨沟), Huanglong National Park (黄龙), the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding and being a volunteer at the Bifengxia Panda Base.

Photo source: www.panda.org.cn

I could donate some money to hug a giant panda at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding like The Travel Sisters did but since I will be volunteering at the another Panda Base, where I can get up close and personal (and sweep their poops lol) with the furry animals, think I will leave the pandas in the Chengdu Panda Base alone and save some money for my next trip!

That’s all for now! I can’t wait to fly out right away!

Dariel 6 September, 2014 China, North East Asia, Southeast Asia, Vietnam 3 Comments

Crab Hunting, anyone?

Everyone loves eating crab. Okay, maybe not everyone but most people do. We usually go to restaurants when we feel like eating them, whether it’s chilli crab, pepper crab, butter crab, etc (I’m salivating while writing this already) or buy from markets / supermarkets to cook them at home.

Have you tried hunting and catching crabs though? I do not mean putting a cage with baits and wait for the crabs to be caught, but literally hunting them down? We did. And I have to say it was a brutal but exciting experience.

Flamingo Beach Resort in Umm Al Quwain, United Arab Emirates (UAE), which is about an hour’s drive away from Dubai, offers crab hunting for those who want to have a go. A word of caution though – be prepared for the not-so-great services from the resort staff, especially at the reception.

Upon reaching the resort, we were told that the rooms we booked for the night were not ready and we had to wait (they didn’t say for how long) so we went outside to the beach area, enjoyed our take-away from KFC and just relaxed.

The rooms were basic (not expecting much anyway) but clean. Since there were no other facilities other than a swimming pool in the resort, we played mahjong until it turned dark and were told to get ready for the crab hunt.

We were given a life jacket each and told to board the little speedboat.

After some time out in the open sea in complete darkness, without knowing where we were, where we were going or what we were suppose to do (there was no briefing or anything!), the speedboat came to a stop and we were told to “get out”! A brave soul jumped out into the water and we then knew the depth of the water was only about up to his knees. So everyone started jumping out as well without the slightest clue of what was going on. The boatman and his colleagues started pulling lights from another boat whilst handing out a spear-like fork to each one of us and said “follow me”.

That’s me holding the light and the others holding the spears!

We were very excited as we walked on the sea bed covered with very fine white sand. The boatman shone lights into the shallow water and demonstrated how to catch a crab. When he saw something moved, he aimed his spear at it and with a quick thrust, pushed the spear into the crab. “Like that” he said, holding up his spear and showed us his catch and then dropping it into the speedboat (to be brought back to the resort).

Since the crabs were hiding in the sand and moved relatively fast, many of us did not manage to catch anything during the first few attempts but eventually got the hang of it. We were walking on the sea bed with no shoes so there were a few times we felt the crabs run past our feet. I think we were lucky that none of us got bitten!

The whole process looked and even felt barbaric in the beginning but after a while, it was actually quite fun. There was even a sense of satisfaction when we got (killed) one. We were out there hunting for what felt like 30 mins or so (no one had a watch so nobody knew how long we were being barbarians for) and once we got back onboard the speedboat, everyone was asking everyone how many did you manage to get. Cruel human beings, I know.

We went back to the resort, showered and waited for the crabs as part of our dinner. Once they appeared on the dining table, they were gone in seconds!

The crabs were blue crab I think, with not much meat, but they were fresh (obviously) and sweet even though they were steamed with no seasoning at all.

Overall, it was a cool experience once we got over the barbaric feel haha.

Crab hunting, anyone?

Dariel 30 June, 2014 Middle East, UAE 7 Comments

My camera went for a swim in Egypt!

Like any tourist standing outside the main entrance of the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities in Cairo, AC and I were taking pictures with our cameras. A Chinese girl standing beside me then asked me in Mandarin, “Excuse me, can you help us take a picture?” “Sure!” I said and tried to put my wrist through the lanyard of my camera (which I should have done right from the start but didn’t) but it slipped through my hands. Ooopps.

I was standing right beside the pond and the camera fell right in! BIGGER OOOPPPSS!!

Egyptian Museum of Antiquities and THE pond!

During the whole process, it felt like time slowed down and everything went into slow motion. I thought I thought I saw the camera dropping slowly, touched the water and sank (so did my heart!). The point when the camera touched the water, I also thought I hear a loud gasp from the people around me, especially the group of Chinese tourists who asked me to take their picture. I kid you not, everything felt like what you would see in movies like when Keanu Reeves bend his back to almost 90 degrees to avoid the bullets in The Matrix…. Ok you get what I mean.

After the camera was fished out from the pond, I quickly removed the memory card and prayed that the photos I’ve taken in the last few days were intact. Luckily, as I found out a day after leaving the card to dry and checking it on AC’s camera later, they were. Phew!

Obviously after the swim, the camera couldn’t work and I was left with my iPhone 3GS, the only other device that allowed me to take pictures for my remaining trip. So, I fully utilized my phone and took pictures of everything like I would with my camera. At the end of the trip, I was surprised and happy with the quality of the photos when I checked them on the computer.

Colossi of Memnon

Karnak Temple Obelisk

The iPhone 3GS, with a 3.2 mega-pixel sensor, produced photos with reasonable colours, pretty clear and sharp images when taken in sufficient light (there was aplenty in Egypt at the outdoors). The images are usually more than 1 MB, which is good for 6×4 inch photo albums or even for your computer screens although they are not suitable for larger prints.

However, as many of you will know, the quality of photos taken by the iPhone pales in comparison when it comes to dimmer conditions, like the indoors or after the sun has set; in these conditions, they usually come with a lot of noise (i.e. grainy).

But, beggars can’t be choosers and I was (still am) grateful for the camera-phone technology; otherwise, I may live in regret for not being able to capture the beautiful monuments and history of a country that so many people still haven’t had a chance to visit.

**Note: All photos in this post were taken using the iPhone with no editing done.

What camera-mishap have you encountered while travelling overseas? Check out other places we visited in Egypt including to the Pyramids!

Dariel 23 June, 2014 Egypt, Middle East 1 Comment

My First Blogging Award!

Yay, my very first blogging award! Honoured and thankful to The Travel Sisters for nominating me for the Liebster Award!

The Liebster Award is an online award given out by fellow bloggers to new bloggers with under 500 followers to congratulate them / highlight their blog. A very nice gesture within the blogging community I think, helping each other out.

The Rules

Thank the blogger who gave it to you.
Answer the eleven questions they ask you.
Nominate eleven bloggers with less than 500 followers.
Ask those eleven bloggers eleven questions.
Let those bloggers know that they have been nominated so they can continue the chain.

So once again, thank you Matilda and Patti for the nomination.

Here are my answers to the questions posed:

1) If you could move anywhere in the world for a year where would it be?

Maybe Italy, or even the States. So that I can travel within the country but experience different cultures!

2) Who was the most interesting person you met on your travels?

Hmmm… haven’t met that many interesting people yet.

3) How would you define your style of travelling?

Usually self-planned, free and easy. Not a backpacker and I prefer to stay in Bed and Breakfast or accommodations booked under AirBnB.

4) What is your best travel memory?

Too many! But the best would be the road trips I took in Scotland, USA and France. We plan the routes, drive and stop whenever we want, wherever we want.

5) What is the most scary or embarrassing experience you’ve had on the road?

Dozed off while driving! I know, stupid and silly. I promise I won’t do it ever again.

6) How do you choose where you travel to?

Depends on the time of the year, where I am based at and the amount of time I have to travel.

7) What are your three favourite places (cities or countries, islands etc.) visited and why?

This is a tough one… but if I have to choose, my 3 favourite places would be the Highlands of Scotland, Venice and the Grand Canyon. Very different places but all very beautiful.

8) Have you been somewhere that did not live up to your expectations?

Not yet! And I hope I will never have that experience.

9) What type of things excite you the most while traveling?

Finding things / places unexpectedly or not within my plans, especially those that are off the beaten path.

10) Do you collect anything during your travels?

I started buying fridge magnets for each of the places I’ve been until recently when I realise (1) I’ve run out of space! and (2) magnets are rather expensive in some cities. So I’ve sort of stopped doing that. But I never stop collecting memories.

11) Who is your favourite travel partner?

My dearest friend MJ who will almost always try to find good food in the areas we are in. That’s how we grew fat.

My Nominations

My Questions

1) Do you travel with luggage or backpack?

2) What would you do without the internet / wi-fi access for 1 week?

3) If you can only choose 1, mountains or cities?

4) Which country / city / island is at the top of your must-see and why?

5) What is the weirdest food you have eaten?

6) Are you a dog lover?

7) Which camera are you using for your blog?

8) Do you plan your itineraries or play by ear?

9) Have you ever missed your plane?

10) Do you prefer to drive, fly or take the train?

11) Are you a Mac or Windows person?

Hope to read your answers soon! And remember to link back your answers in my comments!

Dariel 16 June, 2014 General 8 Comments