Ann, the distance will depend on which tour and villages you choose to visit as there are quite a few options. For our trip, it was a couple of hours of walking spread out over an afternoon – not very intense. There are also motorbikes around if you do decide you need a lift. If you do a lot of hiking already you should be OK, but just double check with the tour company/guide on the exact route, distance, and elevation.

Evans, I’m really glad to hear that you had such a good experience in Sapa and were able to make a strong personal connection there to this family. While I am not against people selling things — as you rightly point out, we all need to make a living and take care of our family — I still do not like being viewed or treated as a dollar bill instead of a fellow human. And that was what I took issue with during our experience in Sapa. It sounds like you had a different experience during your visit, and I do hope that other visitors will have similar experiences where everyone has something to share and learn.

Everyone has something to sell – me, the women of Sapa, and even the author of this blog. Some people simply are more direct than others. When we worry that we are corrupting their culture buy buying items, it seems that we are really wanting to live with the comforts of the 21st century ourselves but keep others living in a 17th century world so we can go there and observe them, almost like a zoo.

So glad this piece brought back good memories!

I too experienced the clawing of the tribeswomen to buy their goods, and only bought the things that I liked and wanted, yup was a guilt buy on one count, but the bracelets I bought, while not high street goods, bring a summer warmth to my chest when I see them. I wear them often along with a ring I saw and liked on an elderly lady’s hand, she removed it and sold it to me very quickly- it was covered with Indigo Ink – I love that ring.

In town Sa Pa I was disheartened by some of the tactics used to solicit a sale, (babies carrying babies in the late night), but felt responsible, I go to these places in search of something new, in my case, something old and unspoiled, because we tire of our daily grind, and to also grab shopping at ridiculous prices. Did I really think I was going to be an invisible, no impact tourist – I actually did think that – ignorant much!

However like in all business models the vendor and supplier can choose how to spend earnings, and I can only hope the money I spent be it on their street food, clothing, tips and bike ride – when I left my GOPRO in CatCat and had to rush down and up before our ride back to train 1 hour, got to Cat Cat and shop vendor had it sitting there hoping we would come back ooo such refreshing honesty!!!! – goes on improving their lives in some shape or form.

Despite the sadness, it is still one of my favourite experiences (better than Rome), and your blog and pics are a fantastic reminder of a place that has etched itself in my memory. an pricked my travel conscience.

Thank you both for your memory trigger .!!!

Your Vietnamese friend does have a point. But what are westerners looking for in a travel thrill? Perhaps they are looking for the primitive pastoral and living postcards of the days of yore? If so, they may just find that one day, there’s no more nostalgia left to go around.

On the bright side: even in some heavily-touristed areas and large cities, it’s still possible to find veins of “the way it was” and pockets of authenticity.