06 Jun 2023
The trekking in Sa Pa is an absolute must and was a great and challenging experience. Know that if there has been any rain in 1-2 days before you go it will be muddy and slippery.
This “easy to moderate” trek ended up being 40 flights of stairs and 16k+ steps of 11km of trekking.
The tour company was a bit disorganized and it was chaos when starting at the hotel. We ended up leaving almost 25 minutes late.
It had rained and it was very muddy. Had multiple falls in the group but the entire day, we were rushed by the guide telling us to hurry up and go faster. you will be joined by local ladies who will help you down the mountain side. At the end, it turns into a feeding frenzy and would recommend sticking with one lady to buy her wears when you get to the bottom as everyone who helped you will be asking you to buy over priced goods. I appreciated buying something for the help vs. just a tip.
Lunch you will be followed by locals selling the same goods relentlessly. Lunch does not include drinks, only food.
Overall, the scenery was amazing but I would have gone into town and spoke with the ladies to have one of them take me directly vs. through a very chaotic and expensive tour company to ensure a different experience.