"Sapa 7/3/08 to 10/3/08" a Sapa Travel Page by balhannah

Booked the Friendly train on the internet. A taxi took me to the station, this was supplied by the agent at no charge. They took me to the carriage which is quite o.k. It is my first time in a overnight train. There are 4 bunks, each with a number. Mine was the top bunk, lucky for me, a nice dutch man offered to take the top bunk, and I could have his low one. I don't know how I would have got up the top. The bed was comfortable, you have a lamp and a small table. The toilets are putrid. They are not flushed for the whole trip, so you can imagine the stench. When you arrive at the station, its dark, you just follow the mob. If you aren't on a tour, I wasn't, there are plenty of people wanting to take you to sapa from the lao cai station, its about 11/2 hour trip, to sapa.

Sapa hasn't much to offer. It has lots of hotels, eateries and travel agents.
it also has a market. The road to Sapa from Lao Cai is very scenic. You go up and over a mountainous pass. The ethnic people (Black H"mong) try to sell you their goods.