2 days in Sapa, Vietnam with kids
This was a rather eventful trip as our luggage didn’t arrive so we survived on what we had that was only meant for the plane for the first night. We didn’t manage to ascend to Fansipan due to bad weather and lack of warm clothes but still enjoyed ourselves with the little that we did. Its part of an 8 days trip to Hanoi so read my next post for things to do with a 2.5 year old toddler in Hanoi.
Day 1 - Arrival and bus ride to Sapa
Our flight to Hanoi arrived at 5pm and we were booked on the 6pm bus ride to Sapa. I had to change the time to handle the administrative work for the baggage and thank goodness the bus operator, Sapa Express had hourly departure and we managed to get the bus with a 7pm departure. We were picked up in a mini van and driven to the office which was a 5 minutes drive away. While researching on ways to get to Sapa, I decided on taking sleeper bus as
There were more buses departing Hanoi to Sapa than there was for train so more flexibility and options if we do miss a bus (which we did).
The ticket for the sleeper bus includes pick up from the airport which the sleeper train companies don’t offer.
We arrive at 5pm and all the train doesn’t depart till 10pm. In between we’d have to have our dinner and travel to the train station with our luggages which we found troublesome and not having a place to shower until the next day is just not what I’d like, especially with a toddler and their poo.
It was cheaper at US$22 per adult and my daughter rides for free compared to US$180 per VIP cabin (for a better night’s sleep than other normal cabin). NOTE: Please book via 12go.asia as it was cheaper at SG$26 and you can choose lower/upper berth. I initially booked (via whatsapp) directly with the operator and had to pay 3% credit card fees. On return, I booked via 12go.asia instead.
I could reach Sapa by bus, plus, check into a basic hotel by midnight for a shower and a quieter and better night’s sleep with the price of the overnight train ticket, or even cheaper so that sealed the deal.
The bus driver made everyone remove their footwear and place it in the plastic bag provided as we board the bus. No food and flavored drinks are allowed as well. There were upper and lower berth; seats were very clean and came with a blanket and bottled water; USB outlets to charge your phones and various lighting within your own “suite”. There were stops during the journey but frankly we were sleeping so we didn’t get out of the bus nor use the bathroom during this journey. More will be covered on return.
We arrived at the bus station, as expected in 5-6 hours and took a taxi to our accommodation for the night. I booked a very basic hotel, Sapa Yen, since I know we were there just for a sleep and will be headed to Fansipan (our initial plan) and the town the next day.
Day 2 - Getting necessities, Sapa town and Laxsik Ecolodge
I spent much of the morning handling my baggage issue while my helper kept my daughter entertained in the room. The weather was wet and we didn’t have warm clothings to go up to Fansipan so that plan was totally moot. The afternoon saw us going to the largest hypermart, Xuân Trường Supermarket in Sapa to get our necessities including milk powder, diapers and basic amenities and although I attempted to get us some clothes in town, I quickly realised we wouldn’t need them if we weren’t going to Fansipan so I made the decision to forgo our 2nd night stay at Sapa Yen to check into our next accommodation, Laxsik Ecolodge, after they confirmed that our accommodation was available and that turned out to be a good decision. Read more on Laxsik Ecolodge in my accommodation page. By the way, we managed to get by Sapa without buying any new clothes by using disposable panties and sending out clothes to the laundry after changing into the bathrobe and telling the staff to send them dry in the morning!
Day 3 - Cat Cat Village and Laxsik Ecolodge
The breakfast, as well as the outdoor terrace at Laxsik Ecolodge did not disappoint! We were greeted with a beautiful cloudy morning and clean crisp air. I texted the driver who took us from Sapa Yen to Laxsik Ecolodge the day before (you can whatsapp him at +84 33 441 7471 and he uses the meter) and he sent us to Cat Cat Village. Do note that its a minimum of VND100,000 to drive to the village from Sapa and it includes a fee for the maintenance of the road.
Narrow paths with charming wooden houses selling handicrafts, souvenirs, dyed clothings line along the stoned stairs the moment you enter this traditional Hmong village. There were many interesting photo spots along the way, most of which requires a small fee of VND10,000 or you to purchase something from the store that upkeeps it. We must have spent about 30 minutes or more walking down the valley to where the main village is. There were plenty of things for tourists to do including renting their traditional costume and taking pictures with the horses with the water wheels at the back drop, eating local H’mong food at the restaurants, playing at the stream (we spent a good time here as is was shallow and safe to dip our feet into) and enjoying the serenity of the landscape.
As we left the village and walked back up, the locals came forth to offer us a ride on their motorbikes back up to Sapa and I succumbed to it after much deliberation and haggling (VND180,000 for 2 motorbikes). I was so glad I decided on it as I would have wasted more than 1 hour walking the same way up carrying a 12kg toddler to the entrance and still having to get a cab back to Sapa for VND100,000.
We went back to Xuân Trường Supermarket, bought some tacky swimwear and spent the rest of our afternoon at the heated pool in Laxsik Ecolodge and again, had a marvelous dinner there.
Cat Cat Village Cost - Adult VND150,000; Child VND70,000
Day 4 - Bus ride back to Hanoi
The coffee house that the bus stops at for about 30 minutes. There are drinks, snacks and hot cooked food.
We checked out right after breakfast and headed to Sapa Express’s office to board the bus to Hanoi. Because we weren’t sleeping as much on the bus this time around, I experienced motion sickness and the pit stop for re-fuelling gave me an opportunity to take in some fresh air and grab a bite. It was also then that I realise, they provide slippers at the entrance of the bus so you didn’t need to do through the trouble of wearing and taking off your own shoes (which adds to the alighting and boarding time).