Located at 110km from Sapa, Bac Ha mountain town is well-known by travelers with the most colorful market of the hill tribes in the North of Vietnam. This every-Sunday-market attended by at least 8 ethnic groups and last from 9:00 AM until 2:00 PM.

Three days in this hilly paradise is enough to gain a better understanding of the lives of the ethnic minority communities of Vietnam’s north.

Tulico train offer comfortable, air-conditioned soft sleepers. While this is not a luxurious train, it offers good alternative transportation to Sapa from Hanoi. It has soft sleepers, A/C and clean four-berth cabins.

Victoria Express train is the best train in terms of comfort and services from Hanoi to Lao Cai, Victoria "Orient Express" stylish train offers one restaurant and two luxury sleeping carriages, all with air-conditioning.

For a special spring time holiday destination, head to Tay Bac Highland, and especially Sa Pa. Visitors will be amazed by the orchids, which blossom at this time, the beauty of nature and the many festivals held in the area welcoming the Lunar New Year.

The northern mountainous province of Lao Cai has proposed the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism ask for UNESCO’s recognition of Sapa’s terraced fields as a world heritage.

Sapa’s bewitching beauty and ethnic mountain groups make it one of Vietnam’s favorite tourist haunts. On chilly northwestern evenings, there’s nothing like sitting down on Sapa’s grilled food street with a bowl of strong Bac Ha wine and a plate of fragrant grilled food.

An exhibition of 80 photographs by Minh Loc, featuring the beauty of the northern town of Sapa and the Mekong Delta region, are on display at Binh Quoi Tourist Village in HCMC until September 18.