Sapa, Vietnam and Sumatra, Indonesia: Your Next Adventure Awaits

There are many great and wonderful places to see and visit in Vietnam. We will continue to bring you some of those. And then we will take a somewhat strange detour and leave Vietnam, possibly pass through Malaysia or Singapore and find ourselves in Medan, Sumatra.

 

 

Sapa is one of the great Vietnam tourist destinations and for good reason. The rice fields receive much of the press and photographs and no problems with that. However, there is more. Vietnam has a couple great cable car rides. One is outside of DaNang and delivers one to the famous but overrated Golden Bridge and Ba Na Hills. The other is outside of Sapa and takes one to the roof of Indochina, Fansipan Mountain. The reward is an underrated Buddhist complex, built in 800 days and nights, and the highest point in Indochina. Be prepared for some wind and a cooler climate, maybe much cooler, than other Vietnamese locales. Wave a flag at 3,143 meters for us.

 

 

Back to a more normal altitude, peek at the Mercure Hotel. Stay there if you can but if not, at least check out the pool and bar. The town of Sapa is nice and somewhat typical. The local market is a glimpse into the culture and offers the chance to see somethings you might want and might not want to see. There are also a few souvenirs and local goods and people able to spot a tourist many meters before arrival.

 

Walking through a local village can be a bit touristy but also not to be missed. You will have a local woman matching every step with you on the kilometer or so journey but just let it happen. One accepted, it is quite pleasant. If lucky, perhaps you’ll come upon a local wedding with a bloody cowhide and people in the finest of moods. Local wine, which they will gladly share with you, helps the mood. The pastures, small farms, rustic houses, shops and sometimes muddy paths will elicit a smile every time you think about it or look at the photos. The items you buy from your guide might do the same.

 

 

Sapa is well documented so let’s leave the rest to tour books and head to the market. There is a nice highway that runs from Hanoi to Lao Cai. Sapa is about an hour off this highway and to get to the Can Cau market, one must retrace their steps and cross the highway and head the other way. All in all, expect at least 3 hours. The market opens at 7 am and this is the best time to arrive as the market is thriving. However, later is also good. In addition to a once-a-week market that stretches along the highway, the scenery is also magnificent. If you are in the market for a cow or a pig or almost anything else, this is the place. If not, it is a great place to walk, absorb, possibly eat and if you can find the right spot, buy some tea leaves. They are very good. On the way in, or out, you can stop in villages, perhaps see the Hoang Tuong Palace, walk through a village, take a boat trip on the Chay River and eventually end up in Lao Cai or spend another 3 to 4 hours and head to Hanoi. Of course, you can also return to Sapa. Speaking of Lao Cai, it is a border city with China. There is nothing special about Lao Cai, but the border crossing is nice, and the Red River begins its journey though Vietnam here.  Lao Cai is a good place to pause and spend a night before returning to Hanoi. One might think the Chinese food would be good, but it was just ok. Imagine that.

 

 

The expressway takes us back to Hanoi but let’s just head to the airport and hop on a plane to Kuala Lumpur and then another one to Medan, the capital city of North Sumatra and resting on the 6^th largest island in the world, even bigger than Great Britain. Medan is not your typical tourist city. There is not much famous here but like most places in the world, the people are warm and friendly, and the food can be good. Soto Medan is a chicken/coconut soup served with meats and found everywhere from street stalls to nice restaurants. Medan might grow on you, but it is where you can go that makes Medan special. The roads aren’t amazing, and I was in a 3-hour traffic jam because of an accident, but Bukit Lawang is a day trip and with some hearty hiking, you might see an endangered orangutan, or two or three. Also enjoy some bananas dipped in chocolate at the lodge.

 

Beristagi and Lake Toba are a one or two or three day trip. Lake Toba is the largest volcanic lake in the world. Beristagi is a town in the highlands. I didn’t make it to Lake Toba, but it is on my list. The towns and villages and volcanoes are worthy sites. Sumatra is famous for coffee, and you can find it in Medan but buying it to take home is not as easy as it should be. It can be done. From fishing ponds to fresh fruit to non-touristy destinations, Medan is a launching point for a different kind of vacation. The JW Marriot is also nice and not too expensive.

 

 

If you are thinking of visiting Southeast Asia, please contact me. Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia and now Myanmar await.