Our route went from Sapa to Ta Van for the first night. From there we continued the route along the mountains to Ban Ho where we’d stay another night. The trek was ambitious without being overwhelming. The daily walking of 6 hours and around 15 Kilometers were a nice contrast to the last weeks in Bangkok and Hanoi.

The region around Sapa is built on rice. The rice paddies stretch along the mountainsides all over the valley. The terraces are built in cascades so that the water entering the higher paddies atop the mountain flows all the way down to the valley. The people working in the field are really doing some hard work. The paddies have to be prepared before the rice is sown and the paddy is filled with water. Also the harvesting has to be carried out manually.

Nonetheless the sights around the area are stunning. The weather was nice and provided some day on day two so we could enjoy our view.

At the route we had also many other interesting encounters. From dogs sleeping next to a huge pile of meat while no one is watching, to buffalos, natural indigo dyeing and so many different costumes of the tribes inhabiting this area. An adventure that is really worth it’s name and is to be recommended to anyone visiting the area.