To Sapa, with love

I have never visited a place more beautiful than Sapa. Even the old-world charm of Paris cannot rival my newfound love for this mountainous region, home to a number of Vietnam’s ethnic minorities. I’ve seen Sapa in pictures--many of which capture the morning fog hovering over Sapa’s iconic terraced rice fields--and briefly learned about the ethnic minorities populating this region in college. Never did I expect, however, that a short visit to this region would leave such a heavy impression on me.

Perhaps it was the beautiful scenery of the terraced rice fields, the cool weather that brought forth a case of homesickness I’ve been trying so hard to suppress, or the heartbreaking sweetness of the ethnic minorities with whom I was fortunate to interact? Or, was it the frustration I felt with the exploitative tourist industry that treats the ethnic minorities as nothing more than showcases to lure in visitors while pocketing all the money and leaving none for the local people? Or, was it the despicable actions of the tourists themselves, many of whom were incredibly disrespectful to the ethnic minorities and ignorant to the poverty they experience?

It’s been a week since my visit and I’m still thinking of Sapa and all that I witnessed during my stay there. I can’t let go of the incredible beauty of the region. Those terraced rice fields are not only breathtaking scenery to be admired, but they are an agricultural genius and evidence that, while uneducated in formal schooling, the ethnic minorities are the sole experts in this region.


I also can’t let go of the heartbreaking sweetness of the locals. I use the term heartbreaking because the ethnic minorities have all the reason to be resentful of outsiders, who come in and gawk at them, intrude on their lives, and force them to conform to our societal structure, but they were nothing but welcoming and genuinely interested to learn about our lives. I was fortunate enough to visit a Dzao village, one of the five ethnic minorities that inhabit this region (before, there were over 60 groups).

Immediately when I got out of the car, I was swarmed by a group of Dzao women, who began throwing questions at me, “Where are you from?” “What’s your name?” “Do you like Sapa?” Together, walking alongside Dzao women and children (the men were in the fields working), passing their stilt houses, I felt I was in another world, but not for a single moment did I feel awkward or uninvited. The women made sure that wasn’t the case.
I also can’t shake off the memory of the cutest little baby boy, named Ta, whom I played with in the village. Just a little over a year old, chubby little Ta was strapped to his mom’s back and every time I looked at him, he smiled this cute, dimpled smile and hid his face in shyness. He was the cutest little thing and it broke my heart having to leave knowing that Ta, like most of the children in the village, will not get an education and be forced to live a life peddling souvenirs to insensitive tourists.

And the 15 year-old girl H’mong girl selling handmade items in the central market, who gave me a friendship bracelet after returning over and over to purchase from her… and the older H’mong ladies we bargained with…
...and the little kids, covered in dirt that we passed in the mountainside…and the little H’mong baby playing with his dad, who sold bitter watermelon that no one seemed to buy…

Most of all, I can’t let go of the frustration I feel toward the tourist industry in Sapa, which I will discuss in another blog entry. The injustice and the disgusting scenes I witnessed is something I will never forget.

Sapa is a land of beautiful scenery, genuinely sweet locals, and a region facing complex issues concerning exploitation, clashes in old world vs. modern social values, and poverty. This mixture of incredible beauty and sadness that I witnessed is why Sapa has such a hold on me. I want to see more, learn more, and spend more time there. I don’t know if I will ever have an opportunity to return again. I will most likely never see little Ta again or the same sellers in the market I had grown fond of. But as corny as this sounds, I will carry with me my experiences—both good and bad—everywhere I go, so even if I never return again, I will at least have my memories of Sapa.

Natural Wonders of North Vietnam

For the past week, I've been exploring the geological wonders that make up north Vietnam. North Vietnam is home to a number of AMAZING geological sites, many of which left me awestruck by their natural beauty. Most notable of these sites is Ha Long Bay, one of the natural wonders of the world and one of the must-see destinations that make up my list of places to visit before I die.

"Ha Long" translates to "descending dragon" in Vietnamese, a name alluding to the many mythical tales describing the formation of this famous geological wonder characterized by over three thousand rock islands scattered throughout a great expanse of water. One of these tales credit the formation of these rock islands to a dragon descending from flight. The steps the dragon made in descent left huge imprints that formed the rock islands we see today.


A typical tour of Ha Long Bay consists of a boat ride to visit the Thien Cung and the Hang Do Go caves. These caves are worth the trip in the suffocating northern Vietnamese heat--the stalactites and the stagalymites inside these caves are spectacular. The lights that illuminate these caves only add to their natural beauty, formed by 700,000 years of water seepage.


The Hang Do Go caves ("wooden stakes caves") is a famous site in Vietnamese history. It is said to be the place where Tran Hung Dau, a legendary Vietnamese military commander, secretly stored wooden stakes used to defeat Mongol enemies in the 13th century.


One ticket to visit these caves is 40,000 dong (around $2), which includes the boat ride there, the entry fee to these caves, and a boat ride back. These caves are EXTREMELY popular, so they get super packed by early morning. I was walking heel to heel with other visitors, which made the trek through these caves very uncomfortable (not to mention the unbearable heat and humidity). Because it is popular, there are also a lot of pick-pocketers so BE CAREFUL. If carrying a purse, keep it in front of you. Don't put anything in the pockets of your pants. My mom had an old lady, of all people, put her hands down my mom's pants, where our passports were kept. Luckily, my mom grabbed the old woman's hands away in time or I wouldn't be leisurely writing this blog right now.

Other tips:
-Don't go early in the morning. I went around 7am and at that time, the morning haze had not even settled yet so it was difficult to clearly see all the islands and take good pictures. The best time to go is during the afternoon, around 12pm. The only problem is that this is when the rush of tourists start coming in and when the day's heat is at its worst. I would still recommend going at this time because I felt a bit disappointed not being able to fully view Ha Long Bay when it is most beautiful.
-Wear some good walking shoes. Other than the colored lights that illuminate the caves, they are poorly lit. It is also very muddy and with so many people pushing and shoving to get through the caves, you can easily fall down the slippery stairs like Tammy did.
-If you have the time and money, try to go beyond the typical visit to these caves and spend a night on the bay on the boat-hotels. I'm not really sure how expensive these are (I'm assuming they are very expensive), but this allows you to avoid the crowd and see other rock-islands at Ha Long Bay. Simply, if possible, arrange a more specialized tour. I wasn't able to and am super disappointed that I wasn't able to see more of Ha Long Bay.
-Again, be careful about pick-pocketers. I can't emphasize that enough. My bag was opened during the hustle and bustle of the caves. Pick-pocketers mask as fellow visitors--old women and children, especially. As sad as it sounds, don't trust anyone other than the people you go with.

Along with Ha Long Bay, I visited Trang An caves in the Ninh Binh province. A trip through the Trang An caves consists of a hand-rowed boat ride through six caves, all surrounded by beautiful mountain scenery. There is also an option to see ancient temples, but skip those because they are only recently rebuilt models.





Trang An is not yet a popular tourist destination in that region, having just opened two years ago. The more popular visit in the Ninh Binh region is the Tam Coc caves. I would recommend going to Trang An instead to avoid the crowds that surely flock to Tam Coc and ruin the natural habitat with litter, as is the case at all of Vietnam's popular touristy attractions.

In all, I really enjoyed my geological adventure up north. Vietnam doesn't really seem like the place to go for a trek through mountains or ancient caves, but it is really a burgeoning industry here. Just don't litter like everyone else does at these places. So frustrating!