North Vietnam Free Independent Travel Day 2 | Departing from Hanoi to Sapa × Visiting Cat Cat Village × Overlooking the Beautiful Terraced Rice Fields

On the first day heading from Hanoi to Sapa, we set off on an adventure through the mountain towns of northern Vietnam. The mountains, clouds and mist, and the flavor of ethnic minority culture along the way had us looking forward to the next few days before we'd even gotten off the bus. Today's Itinerary Departing Hanoi for Sapa We had to get up early today, boarding the 16-seat minibus arranged by the tour agency at 6:30 to head to Sapa. Since we wouldn't make it in time for the hotel breakfast, I specially asked if they could provide a simple boxed meal, and to my surprise the hotel happily agreed! I have to say, the service at Vietnamese hotels is almost always five-star, always managing to surprise you.

It takes about 6 to 6.5 hours to drive from Hanoi to Sapa, with two rest stops along the way. During this time, I also took the opportunity to introduce my family to Vietnam's rest stop culture, and had everyone try Vietnamese Salt Coffee — its slightly salty aroma combined with the rich coffee flavor is quite special.

Arriving at Sapa × First Look at the Market It was almost 1 PM when we arrived at the restaurant arranged by the travel agency for lunch. After the meal, we discovered that **Sapa Market** was right next door, and everyone immediately rushed over excitedly to explore it.

The market's first floor mainly sells tourist souvenirs, and the second floor is where locals shop for clothing; we headed straight for the back entrance fruit stall area and came away with plenty—both the musk grapes and longan were incredibly sweet!

Check in at Cat Cat Hills Resort & Spa After finishing the meal, the driver took us to this customized hotel Cat Cat Hills Resort & Spa. This hotel is located next to Cat Cat Village, with an excellent location, and the lobby overlooks the magnificent terraced field scenery.

The room is spacious, with expansive floor-to-ceiling windows that allow guests to enjoy the mountain views directly from the room. One night costs less than 1500 Taiwan Dollars, offering excellent value for money. However, the downside is that the facilities are somewhat outdated, and the location is relatively far from the city center. If your schedule is packed, it might be more convenient to consider staying at a hotel in the city center instead.

Cat Cat Village Experience × Hmong Guide Little Sheep At 4pm, Little Sheep, our guide for this Sa Pa trip, picked us up at the hotel to set off. He's a Chinese-speaking guide I specifically requested the travel agency arrange, and he's also a local Hmong person, so he's very familiar with both the culture and terrain of Sa Pa. This afternoon's itinerary is heading to Cat Cat Village. Honestly, Cat Cat Village is quite touristy, mainly consisting of a shopping street. Walking all the way down along the road, you'll reach the waterfall area below the settlement. Along the way you can visit ethnic minority homes and handicraft displays, and there are also many photo spots.

Not long after, the group members were drawn to a "paid photo-op spot for social media influencers," so we split into two groups to proceed. Although some of the photo platforms were artificially designed, the weather was clear and the terraced field scenery was magnificent, so the photos still turned out really great. Besides running tourism businesses, the residents here also maintain their traditional farming lifestyle — their homes still have corn and rice grains drying outside, and they demonstrate the process of hand sewing and fabric dyeing.

Miao Traditional Costume Experience × Performance Event Before even arriving in Sapa, my cousin was already dying to try on the local costume. Our guide, Little Sheep, reminded us: don't rent clothes at the entrance to Cat Cat Village, since our itinerary is a "no backtracking" route — it's much more convenient to rent at the bottom of the waterfall area, so you can return the outfit right after taking photos. The cost for clothing rental plus hair and makeup is 250,000 VND (about NT$320), and it only takes around 10 minutes to get ready. Once dressed in the traditional Miao costume, you instantly transform into a "princess of the mountains" ✨ — the photos turn out amazing!

Before taking photos, we first visited the activity center to enjoy the minority ethnic song and dance performances. The activity center that originally stood next to the waterfall has been demolished and is now a primitive hydroelectric power display area. It only takes about 2 minutes of walking to reach the new venue.

The performance includes Miao (Hmong) ethnic dance, live instrumental music, and interactive bamboo pole dancing, lasting about 30 minutes in total, with a lively and festive atmosphere.

After the tour, Xiaoyangalso also introduced a building called the "Healing House"—the Miao people still believe in shamanism to this day. If they feel unwell, they will ask shamans to perform rituals and pray for blessings. I didn't expect such traditions to still be preserved in modern times. It's quite interesting.

Taking photos in local attire at Kaka Village photographs beautifully

Dinner in Sa Pa Town × Evening Walk Around 7 PM, we wrapped up our Cat Cat Village itinerary and asked the driver to take us back to Sa Pa town center for dinner. Unfortunately, the restaurant was too busy and actually left out several dishes, so after dinner we continued on to a roadside food stall to experience the local flavors. This change turned out to be a delightful surprise — the Vietnamese pho (Phở) and Bánh cuốn (Vietnamese steamed rice rolls) were both incredibly authentic! After dinner we took a walk along the streets and found that Sa Pa today is much livelier than it was years ago, with more shops and more colorful lights — the whole town is full of energy.

Tomorrow will be the long-awaited highlight: We'll take the cable car up to "Fansipan Peak" and visit Sapa's new attraction, the Rong May Glass Bridge, officially kicking off our mountain town adventure! Itinerary Summary & Tips 🚐 Hanoi → Sapa: About a 6-hour drive; you can ask the hotel to prepare a breakfast box 🏨 Accommodation: Cat Cat Hills Resort & Spa (great views, but a bit far from the town center) 👣 Afternoon itinerary: Cat Cat Village walk + Hmong costume experience + performance show 🍜 Dinner suggestion: Try Sapa night market or street food for authentic local flavor 📸 Photo spots: Cat Cat Village terraced fields, traditional Hmong houses, water wheel and suspension bridge area On our first day arriving in Sapa, we already deeply felt the charm of this mountain town. From the beautiful terraced fields to Hmong culture, every corner is worth savoring slowly. Tomorrow, we will climb Fansipan, the highest peak in Southeast Asia, and take on the heart-pounding challenge of the Rong May Glass Bridge. Previous ← North Vietnam Free Travel Day 1｜Hanoi Hoan Kiem Lake × Ngoc Son Temple × St. Joseph's Cathedral × First Water Puppet Show Experience Next →North Vietnam Free Travel Day 3｜Climbing the Roof of Vietnam Fansipan × Taking on the Rong May Glass Bridge Above the Clouds 🔗 Further Reading｜North Vietnam Free Travel Series 【Travel Journal】 North Vietnam Free Travel Day 1｜Hanoi Hoan Kiem Lake × Ngoc Son Temple × St. Joseph's Cathedral × First Water Puppet Show Experience Northern Vietnam Self-Guided Trip Day 2 | Departing from Hanoi to Sapa × Exploring Cat Cat Village × Admiring Stunning Terraced Field Views Northern Vietnam Self-Guided Trip Day 3 | Ascending Vietnam's Spine - Fansipan × Challenging the Rong May Glass Bridge Above the Clouds Northern Vietnam Self-Guided Trip Day 4 | Hiking in Sapa × Mountain Forest Terraced Fields × Exploring Ethnic Minority Villages Northern Vietnam Self-Guided Trip Day 5 | Trekking Through Yao Minority Villages × Walking Bamboo Forest Paths × Discovering Hidden Waterfall Paradise Northern Vietnam Self-Guided Trip Day 6 | Crossing the Yao and Miao Ethnic Reserve, a Farewell in the Mist Northern Vietnam Self-Guided Trip Day 7 | Ninh Binh One-Day Tour: Trang An Boat Ride × Mua Cave Hike × Thung Nham Bird Sanctuary 【Complete Northern Vietnam Travel Guide】 Hanoi Travel Guide | Must-Visit Attractions × Itinerary Planning × Extended Trips Around Northern Vietnam (2025 Updated Edition) Vietnam Sapa Travel Guide | Northern Vietnam's Terraced Fields and Hidden Gem of Ethnic Minority Culture Ha Long Bay Travel Guide: One-Day Itinerary, Best Season, and Classic Attractions Vietnam's Ha Long Bay World Heritage Site: Best Travel Season and Recommended Three-Day Itinerary