Readme before you journey
Anyone can travel to Vietnam. Today, we tried it ourselves. We traveled on our own with a budget of less than ten thousand baht, but the view was worth millions.
Date 1-----
Explore Hanoi, stroll across the Thu Le Bridge, admire the scenery of Hoan Kiem Lake, take photos in front of St. Joseph's Cathedral, and embark on a journey to Lao Cai, sleeping on the train.
This trip consisted of five travelers departing from Suvarnabhumi Airport at 2 pm on Friday. The round-trip ticket price from Bangkok to Hanoi was around 3,000 baht.
We traveled from Hanoi Airport to Kim Travel, where we were able to arrange train tickets for a round trip from Hanoi to Lao Cai, with onward travel to Sapa.
We contacted the agency and paid only for the round-trip train tickets, which cost 66 USD or 2310 baht per person. (Note: The agency provided free transportation from Hanoi Airport to Kim Travel.) The journey from Hanoi Airport to the Kim Travel office takes 45 minutes.
As time was limited, we left our luggage and went for a short walk nearby.
The "The Huc Bridge" (Thê Húc), also known as the "Sunrise Bridge," is illuminated in a vibrant red hue at night.
St. Joseph's Cathedral, the oldest church in Hanoi.
We stopped by this restaurant for dinner.
At 8:30 PM, we returned to the Kim Travel office. A staff member escorted us to the train station for our 9:00 PM departure.
The train we are on is a private train.
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There are various types of booths to choose from, including booths for 2, 4, or 6 people. The price will vary depending on the size of the booth.
A double room will be slightly more expensive.
This cabin sleeps 4 people.
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This is the sleeping berth in our train carriage for 4 people. It's a bit different from the first carriage, as you'd expect for the price.
We opted for a 6-person sleeping pod, not realizing how cramped it would be until we actually tried to sleep in it. With five of us, the space felt incredibly limited. We had booked the 6-person pod with one empty bunk, assuming it would be more spacious. If you're considering a sleeping pod, I would recommend opting for the 4-person option instead.
Date 2
>>Explore Sapa town, stroll through Cat Cat village, and spend the night in the city.
On the morning of the 2nd, I woke up and glanced at the clock. It was not yet 6 o'clock.
After a short scenic ride, we arrived at the final station, Lao Cai. A van was waiting to take us to our hotel in Sapa.
The journey from Lao Cai Railway Station to Sapa takes approximately 1 hour.
We opted to stay at the PHOUNG NAM HOTEL, where we booked two rooms (one for three people and one for two people) at a cost of approximately 500 baht per person.
As we arrived early at the accommodation at 8 am, but check-in was not available until 11 am, we left our luggage with the staff for safekeeping.
We then went out for a walk. There was a market nearby, not far from our accommodation, with a wide variety of goods for sale.
The morning mist is very thick.
Children here will approach tourists to sell souvenirs.
It's almost time to check in to our accommodation, so let's go find some lunch to eat.
This restaurant looks delicious. Let's stop by for lunch.
This dish resembles our local Hainanese chicken rice, but the dipping sauce is different.
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The meal was truly delicious and left me wanting more. It only cost 40 Thai baht, which is a great value for the quality.
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After finishing lunch, it was time to check in to the accommodation.
Rooftop view, this building has 4 floors.
The fog still lingers, despite the lateness of the hour.
After showering, changing clothes, and getting ready, we set off for the Kat Kat village. The village was within walking distance from our accommodation.
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The path is like walking downhill, and we're starting to get tired.
Continue walking and you will see the village entrance sign.
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Entrance fee is 50,000 VND.
Our turn
A map is provided.
The view is beautiful.
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The village of Kat Kat is an ancient settlement of the Hmong people.
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Dark blue or black attire is preferred here.
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The view stretches out to reveal terraced rice paddies.
Let's go shopping in the village. There are many bags, keychains, and souvenirs.
The kind-hearted older brother bought snacks to distribute to the children, who were overjoyed.
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The majority of goods sold in the village are typically fabrics.
Path leading down to the waterfall
Silver Waterfall
Food is also available for purchase below.
After finishing our trip, we decided not to walk back. The group suggested taking a motorbike taxi, so we asked the price. It was 20,000 dong per person. Without hesitation, we hopped on and headed back to our accommodation.
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Note: Please be aware that triple riding is strictly prohibited and can result in police intervention. If a motorcycle taxi driver offers you a triple ride, politely decline to avoid being dropped off mid-journey, as happened to one of our friends.
A hearty and affordable dinner near your accommodation, close to Sapa Lake.
Unable to order, so I chose to order a Mix and gamble. The "Mix" turned out to be frogs, and I could barely catch them all.
The dish was unfamiliar, but the restaurant staff taught us how to wrap it. It was salmon wrapped in something with vegetables.
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I thought I was in Japan.
The price is not expensive today, only 300,000 dong per person.
Full and ready to take a walk.
The atmosphere was quite cold, everyone was shivering.
We bought beer and snacks to eat before bed to warm our bodies. Are you warm? Ask your heart. (:
Day 3: Fansipan Cable Car, Sapa Lake, and Overnight Train to Hanoi
Morning:
- Take the Fansipan cable car, the longest three-rope cable car in the world, to the summit of Fansipan, the highest mountain in Indochina. Enjoy breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains and valleys.
Afternoon:
- Visit Sapa Lake, a picturesque lake surrounded by lush forests and rice terraces. Take a leisurely stroll around the lake or enjoy a boat ride.
Evening:
- Board the overnight train back to Hanoi. Enjoy the scenic journey through the Vietnamese countryside as you relax in your comfortable sleeper cabin.
Note: This is a brief translation of the original text. For a more detailed and nuanced translation, please provide additional context and information.
At 9:30 AM, we checked out of our accommodation and left our luggage there. We then set off for Fansipan. At 5 PM, a car picked us up and took us to the train station for our return trip to Hanoi.
The morning atmosphere as seen from the bedroom window.
Today, we opted to rent three motorbikes for our journey. This proved to be a cost-effective alternative to taxis, allowing us the flexibility to stop at any point of interest. Fortunately, the roads were in good condition and the distance from our accommodation was manageable.
Motorcycle rental costs 60,000 dong per day.
Let's take a picture first.
We have reached Fansipan.
After parking our motorbikes, we rushed inside to board the cable car.
We bought tickets from the hotel for 600,000 dong, which is about 900 Thai baht. The price is similar to the one offered by the cable car operators. We then took the cable car to the top.
The view is as you can see during our visit, the sky was very clear, allowing us to embrace the sky and the clouds.
Sweet corner
After climbing hundreds of steps, the breathtaking view made the fatigue vanish.
Translation:
"The highlight of climbing Fansipan is this angle: 'Uncle, move aside a little, I want to take a picture.'"
After capturing the perfect shots, we headed back.
We spent almost 3 hours there.
Next, we stopped by "Sapa Lake" to enjoy the view.
The lake here is beautiful. The architecture is designed in a French style.
After our trip, we embarked on our journey back to Hanoi.
The return journey involved sleeping on the train for another night, arriving the next morning.
Day 4 of the trip: Morning tour of Hanoi and return to Bangkok.
We arrived around 4 am, which was still very early. As soon as it got a little lighter, we went to take pictures in front of St. Joseph's Church.
We stopped by Jo ma Bakery Cafe in Hanoi to use the restroom and freshen up.
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A slice of cake and a glass of iced green tea for 95,000 dong - not too bad for a treat.
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While walking to the Kim Travel office to wait for the airport shuttle, I stumbled upon this restaurant. It looked incredibly delicious!
Stop by, stop by.
The taste is good, like eating "jo" with "pla thung go" fish.
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With full bellies, we set off on our journey. It was only a short walk to the office, and luckily, Kim Trave had someone waiting to take us to the airport.
It's time to head back to Bangkok, isn't it?
We will miss the atmosphere here, "Sapa Hanoi".
Expenses Summary
Day 1
35,000 dong is equivalent to 55 baht.
The cost of a SIM card is 6 US dollars, which is equivalent to 214.08 Thai baht.
The round-trip fare from Lao Cai to Sapa is 180,000 VND, or 8 USD, which is equivalent to 286 THB.
The cost of a hotel room for one night is 13 US dollars, which is equivalent to 463.84 Thai baht.
Train fare from Hanoi to Lao Cai: 66 USD = 2355 THB.
Day 2
Entrance fee to the village cat cat 50000 dong = 80 baht
The cost of rice is 298,000 dong, which is equivalent to 470 baht.
Coffee costs 30,000 + water 5,000 = 55 baht.
The motorbike fare from Cat Cat Village to the hotel is 20,000 dong, which is equivalent to 30 baht.
Day 3
The cost of the cable car to Fansipan Mountain is 600,000 VND, which is equivalent to 942 Baht.
The cost of renting a motorbike, divided by 2 people, equals 60,000 dong per person, which is equivalent to 95 baht.
The cost of 60,000 dong for motorbike fuel is equivalent to 95 baht.
Day 4
A cup of coffee in Hanoi costs 95,000 VND, which is equivalent to 150 Thai baht.
The total is 5292 baht.
Note: Excluding the cost of the device, which is approximately 3,000 baht.
G-jee Jiraprapa
Wednesday, February 26, 2025 7:27 PM
