The mountainous area of the Sapps is slightly less popular among tourists than Halong and Hoian, but natural beauty and attractions, as well as the highest indochy peak, the top of Fantasipa, however, attract guests from different countries.
This area is especially suitable for hiking and trekking, during which it is so great to enjoy the panoramic view of emerald green rice terrace plants.
The Sap settlement on the top of the hill "Opened" for the world, French colonizers who desperately wanted to escape from the heat of the heat of the Vietnamese Plain. They chose a high cool place, and not so wet, as, say, Hanoi. When you rise to mountain slopes, you will be able to evaluate this pleasant fact.
The best time to visit the saps - from August to December. Although it is very likely to rain on these days, but in general, at this time of the year there is warmer, and the shower is usually brief, but very strong. But then the sky is clear. Winter can be cold, foggy and rainy, but every three or four days the weather becomes more or less pleasant than even at any other time of the year.
Regardless of what time of year you will arrive in the Sap, there will always be positive and negative sides. The main thing is, if we are going from December to February, check about the heating in the rooms. Yes Yes. In some hotels, you will be offered electrocoupled or heaters built into the framework of the bed, but this means that the rest of the room will "freeze". Electrical heaters are better, but better than a room with fireplaces, if you can afford it. Make sure the fireplace works before paying your passport to the reception - some fireplaces in decorative rooms. Firewood is rarely free, specify their price in advance.
Interesting this area in what lives here Many ethnic minorities . For example, Hmong (Hmong, Peoples of Miao come from southern China), which are often mentioned in the literature as "black hmonters", partly because their clothing is dark, almost black, with an indigo color ornament and interesting red and silver ornaments.
Women of this people wear a distinctive "headdress" - tight woven braids from threads (or what there), laid high in the form of a pyramid, with a complex, rectangular decoration of silver (something like a rectangular cup) sticking in the top. It seems from the side that these are their real hair and start to make a divide, how many work should be applied to make everything so carefully. But the girls gladly shoot their headdress specifically for tourists to show that it is just a hat, and not their real hair. Although it may be easy to cover with a handkerchief or a cap easily to wear.
With the advent of tourism, these tribes began to work out, selling baubles and textile goods of handmade tourists. Although the demand is small. This people, by the way, the indigenous inhabitants of the region, and clearly do not care about all the political and economic unrest on the country over the past 1000 years. The enemies invaded and left. The government changes. The territory is rebated. And they are all in the old way. Well, except that in recent years the people are chasing the tourist dollar.
Almost all enterprises in the city belong to Vietnamese, so that representatives of these tribes remain only trading on the streets of Crafts, fruits and vegetables.
By and large, many tourists come to the Sap to learn about how these interesting tribes live. And they live very simply: their whole life takes place on rice fields, in gardens, and housings with a home cattle. The most easily accessible way to get acquainted with the culture of the people and even feel like a part - to visit "thematic resorts", where tourists live in hotels with minimal conditions, as in the real village. And the most brave can be sent to the village away and admire the amazing paintings of the life of Hmongs. There is a sappa Museum where you can also learn more about their lives. It is especially interesting to know about wedding rites.
In a sense, the Sapa is not quite a city in general - the tribes live elsewhere and come to the city to engage in trade (and, for this they are often dragging along the road on foot of several hours, although many can afford to ride a motorcycle). Ethnic Vietnamese, which are here less than the sixth of the population, arrived in the Sap from other cities in Vietnam. Many of them live in a loss cheap houses and are engaged in farming, but most live better, leads the restaurant and hotel business. Almost a quarter of the city's population are citizens of other countries. The gentle relationship between the Vietnamese and Hondong is not, and somehow they do not communicate especially. Live as if in parallel worlds.
The sappi cannot be called a particularly tourist city, but tourism is just the same main sector of the economy. Therefore, trade here is merciless, and tourists often inflate. And "pushing" goods local traders are very cunning, with laughter and smile. Especially fought in this case Hmong - they are the most savvy. Press on pity, tell about hungry children, so that tourists will pay any money, just left them alone. If a group of tourists envy, come to get acquainted, and after the refusal to buy goods, continue to follow next to the group on the street, periodically beating with questions about your family and children (in English, of course).
In general, if they gathered in this city, stock patience and sense of humor. Indeed, trade here is very cruel, the client is very cruel, they shake in front of the nose to the goods. Immediately you can see a bad thing. Moreover, Arabs in Egypt compared to these women in national costumes just rest. So what to do! Rice on the slopes gives only one harvest per year and can hardly feed the entire population, so you have to breed domestic cattle and push trough to tourists. And tourists buy them yes admire rice fields (which seems rather strange for the Hmongs themselves).
In general, despite the trade that captured everyone and the whole, a surprisingly beautiful place. It is really beautiful! You can come here at any time of the year, you will definitely not regret.