Located in Lao Cai province the far north west of the country near the Chinese border, this old French hill station is home to many ethnic minority people, including the H’mong, Tay, Dao and Thai, whose markets and festivals add color and character to the town. The Saturday love market in particular is a great tourist drawcard. The area has average annual temperatures of 18-28 degrees in the mountains, but the temperature can fall below zero in winter.

Every Saturday, the picturesque mountain village of Sa Pa comes alive with shoppers who know what they want: love. They travel from near and far to size up the goods of the day, hoping something will tickle their fancy.

About 7km from Sapa, Lao Chai is the residence of the Tay and Day ethnic people. It’s only a short walk there. After visiting Lao Chai, visitors can get to Ta Van village by keeping trekking around the bottom of Sapa valley. This is supposed to be the most beautiful in the area. A night at a Day family is highly recommended.

20km north of Bac Ha, It is open on Saturday with thousands of Flower H’mong gathering and trading farm products and colourful clothings in natural surroundings. It is no doubt one of the most attractive places for photo hunters in Vietnam.

At the base of the hill below the town of Sapa, this Hmong village is accessible by road most of the way, and cement path for the rest. The small waterfall is a good spot to kick back and rest. The whole trip can be made in just a few hours and offers a nice glimpse of rural life.

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