The bus from Hanoi was a weird experience. No real two level bus, not a real sleeper, something in between. We left Hanoi very early to reach Sapa the basecamp for many trekkers in northern Vietnam around lunch time. The town in the north close to the Chinese border overwhelmed us with the different weather, the many tribe people who would offer tours and guidance right after we got of our bus.

We decided to take it a little slower. Had some more great Vietnamese coffee and found us a place to sleep so we could check out our options without too much pressure. We arranged a 4 day and 3 night trekking tour with the Sapa Sisters tour guides which have excellent reviews. This turned out to be just the right decision. We trekked along the rice paddies with a lot of mud under our feet. The slopes were sometimes so slippery that there was no other option left as to slide them down yourself.

We had some great views and a good time with our guide Pai. This young woman was so knowledgeable about the whole environment. We stopped often along the way because she wanted to explain another plant, root or berry that we should taste.

At the nights we stayed at houses of local people. The homestay beds were not especially super comfortable. But after a lot of rice wine aka happy water the night came quick.