Sapa First Impressions - Vietnam 4k
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 30 ส.ค. 2019
- Planning a trip to Sapa, Vietnam?! Here are our first impressions!
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Here is our heartbreaking Sapa first impressions. Literally just walking though Sapa, Vietnam we were able to see incredible mountains, taste some delicious Vietnamese food like bun cha and pho bo, and go shopping in a Sapa market. Doing our own little Sapa tour was breathtaking and the best things to do in Sapa are quite easy to find. However, knowing what to do in Sapa, Vietnam was all overshadowed by this...
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About Us!
If you had told me a year ago that we were going to sell all of our stuff to start backpacking the world, I would have called you a liar. Decisions like the one we made start with an inflection point. A point where you realize that life can never be the same anymore. After a challenging, and painful year in 2017, we decided we needed to go out and live the life we wanted to live, instead of watching it on someone else’s TH-cam Channel. We had given everything we had, physically and emotionally, for other’s dreams and were ready to work that hard for ourselves. From rock bottom, Chase for Adventure was born.
The Chase Begins
We moved in with our parents, sold everything we own including our cars, and paid off $70,000 worth of debt. We worked 70hrs/week over the last year trying to save up $15,000 to make our dreams come true. Now, we are travel journalists who showcase the beauty in different cultures and inspire others to chase their dreams through our TH-cam Channel and website Chase for Adventure. We want to show others that if they want something bad enough, they’ll figure out how to get it; show people who are struggling that they can make the light at the end of their tunnel. Chase for Adventure is more than just a travel vlog and blog; it’s the chronicles of what it’s like to have a dream and do whatever it takes to attain it.
Sapa is by far one of my favorite places to travel too because it’s just so beautiful
Right?! And the drive there is incredible! So many waterfalls 😄
I miss it so much. This is how people in many regions of Vietnam used to live.
I love how you spoke in Vietnamese. I love it.
Aww thanks friend! 😊
You're videos are absolutely amazing! I'm so proud of you guys! Love you!!
Aww!! Love you, Mechelle!! Thank you so much for the love and support!! ❤️☺️
Eight bits of advice when travelling to Sapa:
1 - Look for local expertise, preferably an experienced guide from the Hmong or Dao ethnic groups. This will open up greater cultural opportunities and make your time in Sapa more rewarding.
Please also bear in mind that all tour guides dealing with international travellers are required have a licence or work with a company who have an Inbound Tour Operator certificate. Without this, your trek will be illegal and almost certainly uninsured. Unfortunately, at this time, most freelancers are working illegally, and this comes with risks to you and your group. Avoid this by asking your guide their licence number.
2 - Choose your trek carefully. While villages like Lao Chai, Ta Van and Giang Ta Chai have developed to cater for tourists, they have lost their traditional charm. If you need WiFi, a hot shower and access to bars and a pool table, then these are the villages for you. They have a backpacker feel and are good places to meet other travellers. That said, they do experience a large volume of tour groups every day. These are the villages people are talking about whenever they mention that Sapa is too touristic. They are not representative of the wider area.
Likewise, Cat Cat Village is owned by a tour company and is an ideal option if you like the thought of dressing up in tribal clothes and seeing organised dances and routines with hundreds of other paying spectators. Think of this village as a an attraction. It has a theme park feel and is very busy, especially with Vietnamese day trippers. Because it features in many poorly written guidebooks, the village receives many unsuspecting guests hoping for authenticity. Cat Cat has been landscaped to include many sites for taking selfies with designated view points throughout. If you’re interested in nature, culture or authenticity, this place will not suit you.
Do some research and find a trek that suits your own needs. Because almost everyone goes to these few locations, it does mean that the all of the other villages are wonderfully authentic. If you want an off the beaten track adventure, away from tourists, look at organisations such as ETHOS who offer award winning private treks with experienced local guides to more remote areas. All treks and experiences are tailored to the needs of the traveller. They are heavily involved in the community and have been rated as number one on TripAdvisor for over five years.
3 - Ask your chosen guide / company where your money goes. In an area where 50% of the population are registered as poor, it is essential that any income from tourism spreads to more than one individual. Have a look at their literature or down their news feed on social media to gauge what they are like as individuals or as an organisation. Are they in tourism purely for profit or are they involved in community development projects like village clean ups or education for instance?
4 - Skip the well recommended but not particularly interesting Silver Waterfall. The Love Waterfall is a far more beautiful option with the added benefit of now having canyoning and abseiling as an activity. The walk to the Love Waterfall is very picturesque and the plunge pool makes a great place for a swim on a warmer day.
5 - Be prepared for a decent hike. Sturdy walking shoes are essential. That being said, you don’t need hiking boots. Depending on recent weather conditions, paths will be slippery regardless of what you have on your feet. If required, shoe hire is available in the Sapa area. Choose a hike and difficulty level that suit your personal fitness and adventure levels. Walking in a big group will mean your guide will choose a route that the least well prepared can manage. Alternatively, you’ll end up with an unpaid entourage of local ladies hoping to help you over the slippery sections in exchange for you buying their textiles. This can be eliminated by assuring a fair distribution of wages and choosing a private trek.
6 - Do the overnight experience. You can opt for a day trek, and I’m sure you’d love it, but staying with a local family, in their village, in their home, is incredible. See how they live day to day, meet additional family members and feel like part of the village. Check out the reviews for the top outdoor activities in Sapa and the homestays are very highly regarded by travellers, with good reason.
7 - Time your visit well. While Sunday plays hosts to the busiest market day, weekends see many more travellers, particularly Vietnamese from the lowlands. A typical weekend sees Sapa’s visitor numbers swell to almost ten times that of a typical week day. Hotel rooms become more expensive and the town feels much more hectic and noisy. Monday to Thursday is far quieter, more relaxed and altogether more pleasant.
8 - Consider an alternative to Mt.
Fansipan. Although the highest mountain in Vietnam, the cable car construction train at the summit takes away from the climb to some degree. Ascending only to find 50 others at the top taking selfies certainly spoils the ambience. Look at climbing other mountains instead. There are plenty that offer challenge, natural beauty, forests and are very rarely climbed. Examples include Bach Moc and Pu Ta Leng.
Finally, it is important to know that Sapa is a huge district with a central town and 94 villages and hamlets. All tour companies offering packages from Hanoi, booked from hotels in Sapa or organised in tourism information office in Sapa offer pretty much the same trek. This sometimes gives the illusion of over-tourism. They sell these tours to make a profit. Their objective is to minimise costs and maximise profits.
The great news is that you can trek almost anywhere else, stay in local homestays or walk in the 30,000 hectares of protected forest and you’ll really see the other side of Sapa. It is a place rich in wildlife and culture and it is very easy to do walks well away from places visited by tourists.
Those who have been to Sapa and say it’s too touristy either visited on a package tour and only spent time in the busy villages or travelled independently and stuck to the few villages recommended in the guide books.
Food wise - don’t miss the freshly made hotpot with local vegetables. Many places also sell rainbow trout spring rolls.
Wow! You are a rock star!! Thank you so much for all of this information 😁
Annette you’re such a social butterfly it’s awesome. Sapa looks beautiful. I should’ve gone there but I went to Mai Chau. Seeing the kids is heartbreaking.
Awww thank you so much Sophie 😘 the kids all broke my heart, too 😭
Great video guys! Like how you made this one quite raw. It is always difficult when you see begging children. We recently spent 2 months in India and there were many of them, one sad aspect on begging children there is that many of them are not poor but have just learnt to ask foreigners for money and things. We had many of those encounters. I never know what to feel, how to react etc. in those situations. Thanks for sharing! 🙏
Thank you so much friends! 😁
Dang, it’s heartbreaking isn’t it?! What we did the rest of the time is but food and cut it into small portions. So every time a kid came up to us begging we could give them food. Literally the first time, a kid came up begging while we were eating dinner and I offered him half of my already eaten sandwich and he ran so fast I couldn’t even stop him to buy him an actual meal.
Of course! Thank you for joining the adventure no matter how heartbreaking 💙
The kid zig zagging in front of the plaza.Ninja skills.
Haha I am so happy you caught that! You can see where he starts too 😂
beautifull place n beahtiful cuple
Thank you so much Sudarshani 😊
Good video thanks
So nice of you to say, friend!
Nice sharing! You guys looked fresh. You should try “Thắng cố” a local unique dish from horse meat...😄
Feliz viaje
Muchisimas gracias ☺️
In a famous park, taking pictures with old women locals with a fee is also common in my city 😊👍❤
Really?! I didn’t know that, thank you for sharing 😁 We are going to be in the Philippines 🇵🇭 in a month or so!!
Yay! Are you doing the rice fields? So heartbreaking to see those little kids. I saw it in Bali.
No 😭 The weather rained us out!
No way! That happens in Bali too?!
Chase for Adventure yes. I saw little girls selling bracelets on the beach when I was on the Nusa Lembongan island. They should be in school and being kids. So sad.
@@annethenomad Totally agree! The kids should be in school! :(
6:20 You should go to Fansipan by train from there
Thanks for the tip! Next time :D
Welcome to Sapa I From sapa
Thank you so much Manh! 😁
You guys are a very beautiful couple
Why thank you!
Oh my new subscriber here.. planning to go this December..what bus did you take guys from Hanoi?
Hello Raymond! Oh that’s amazing, you are going to love it!
So we took Green Bus and they were amazing 😊
Thanks tobsee here
Nice
Thank you! ☺️
Nice vlog! I will say that for the ladies, we have to be mindful of our clothes, especially in more conservative/traditional countries. Too often ladies show more skin than what locals are used to and them (men) offering drinks, hugs, handshakes...isn't always a complimentary thing. 🙊🙊
Thank you so much for the information friend 😁☺️
Glad to see you having fun and interacting with locals. I really love that about your vlogs. You guys inspired me to visit Sapa and I'm Sapa right now! (Btw I'm Cambodian and I hope you guys visit my native country)
Thank you 😁
No way!! I am so happy to hear that!
We are literally talking right now about going to Cambodia in a month. Where in Cambodia are you from?
Ur outfits both like u r in tropical weather, I was there Dec 2018 ..freaking colddd icy...
Lol I love dressing like I’m on an island 😂 Thankfully it wasn’t too cold just rainy 🌧
@@ChaseforAdventure hahaa I know American likes to act how warm southeast Asia is....
Trust me end of December u will need a coat and gloves..
Ha I can see that. To be fair, it’s hot the majority of the year and a lot of people only travel during high seasons.
I believe it!
Jehdbiwhebxkdhbekshdheeeee freaking love this channel since i discovered it
Question -
I'm going to Thailand in a couple weeks. My main worries is getting food poisoning. Have you guys gotten sick from the food? If so, what are some things to look for to prevent getting sick? Appreciate your time!
Gaiiajwhwiqngwgauiavsyeuuwaia THANK YOU SO JUCH CHRIS! 😁
Haha so we only really got travelers diarrhea once or twice in the 4 months and it was from sketchy food we kinda knew we were gonna get sick from before we ate it (we jokingly said that of course) 😂 I would just buy anit-diarrhea meds when you get there from a Watson’s and eat whatever you want! There were many places that would give us a little stomach issues the very first time we ate there but if you go back to the same place, usually, you don’t have the same issues anymore and your stomach gets used to the new bacteria 😁
Chào đón các bạn đến với đất nước Việt Nam 🇻🇳 chúng tôi
cảm ơn bạn rất nhiều 😁
Is that guy in grey shorts your friend? I am seeing him on almost every shot!:')
Haha yes! We were traveling with our friend from back home! I am so happy you caught on to that 😂
@@ChaseforAdventure I thought he was a stalker!!:D
Lol that would have been funny if we realized there was a stalker from watching the vlog 😂
Monkey -^^ he said your boy friend is handsome and you're beautiful 😊 i'm vietnamese
Oh that was so nice of him! Chao Anh/Chi 😁 (did I get it right?) lol
@@ChaseforAdventure yeah 😊
Yay! 🎊
Bo = mean boyfriend or girlfriend ; Bo dep trai = Your boyfriend are Handsome. Em dep gai = you are beautiful