The 2nd Day – The Pilgrimage from Hanoi to Sa Pa
March 6, 2009 | 9,124 viewsContinuation from Day One in Hanoi …..


Sa Pa … with a population of roughly 36,000, mostly consisting of the minorities scattered in town and throughout the villages in the district (source : Wikipedia)
#Tip : Do not be intimidated by the entourage of tribal people tailing your group from the hotel to your destination. They’re there to assist you, but of course with ulterior motives. Hahahah …. They’re just trying to make a living. Buy something from them and bring a smile to their faces. #

The weather was rather foggy on that morning, as Feb’s still within the winter period. But not necessary to bring thick sweaters for the trek
That’s our reliable and friendly tour guide with the violet umbrella ….. She’s afraid of the sun, it seemed … Ironic?

“When I grow up … I wanna be a Motormouth!!!!” =P




You had a big group. Must be fun travelling with big gang.
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i skipped sapa when i was in vietnam. was about 6 degrees (or lower) in sapa and i didnt have thick clothings :(. good to travel larger group, i was there with just another gal and we were taken advantage of there 🙁
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very beautiful scenery; it jz screams country!
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U forgot to mention that those kids were playing just right beside a 8-10 meter cliff lor…
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So great to read and see the pictures in this post especially I didn’t get the chance to visit cat cat village during my visit to Vietnam.
I like the cute cat pic a lot 🙂
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Wow BUFFALO satay! First time i heard of this. LOL Was the weather cooling like that all year long? Or only during winter? (They have 4 seasons?)
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very nice write up!! makes me wanna really visit vietnam now.
but seems like you guys did A LOT of walking! lol
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SO FOOD was good huh? I heard it’s quite weird to Msian tastebud?
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2 ringgit for buf satay?! I hope it’s king size man! lol..
so.. i am guessing the next chapter has some windy bumpy road ride to ye ole junk .. no? lol
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Cat Cat Village no cat was found but can see a lot of abandoned dogs n wild boars everywhere instead… 1st time stayed so near wf those wild boars… good experience rite?? =P
those kids are cute to see but not cute to play with…. they r 100x smarter than us… dun play play ya… sai lou ng kan dan ar.. hehe!!
the dishes… hmmm.. i like the claypot BBQ pork wf lemongrass and deep-fried aubergine… YumYum..
ei.. faster blog the remaining SAPA trip… a lot more to comment… =P
‘blog’ for me… ‘blog’ for me… muahahahha…. (tension le…) haha!!
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I was waiting for more of the Sapa pristine landscape and is a bit disappointed with the land clearing like Gua Musang. I like the buffalo sate. Its glistening with sauces.
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soo sean : there are pros n cons. the most prominent con being hard to squeeze 6 of us into a sedan taxi. which we DID!!! =)
sc : taken advantage of?! geez, that's too bad. a group of 4-6 would be perfect, IMO.
thenomadGourmand : yeah … but we were expecting so much more actually. rather hazy/foggy when we were there, hence the lack of lush green background.
Mboy : they WERE?!! seriously, after snapping them, the gal opened her purse and proceeded to do her 'thang'!!! BUY FOR ME !!! BUY FOR ME!!! hahahaha ….
Selba : there are more dogs than cats. unfortunately, dogs are eaten as well. hmm.
iamthewitch : dec-feb coolest i think. forgot lah …weather wasn't my dept, but FOOD was.
Lingzie : wait til you see the next post …. hahahah …
SimpleGirl : it isnt weird. in fact most of the food were palatable, emphasized on fresh ingredients, herbs, and more to Chinee style of cooking. not spicy mostly.
Cumi & Ciki : it's double the size of the usual one, that's for sure. but still, a novelty. not in the next chapter, as Sa Pa needs another 2 posts. i'm long-winded.
KCA : yeah… i was thinking should i post the pic on the boars … since they're as UN-halal as animals can get. esp the pic when two were being beaten mercilessly, rmbr?!
worldwindows : erm, the weather wasnt too clear. nothing too pristine, except the water at the waterfalls and the river. but the next posts should have more lush scenery.
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My next destination is vietnam! Thanks for all the tips. 🙂
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All those hiking should be good for anybody. I was in Cameron hiking up a friend’s family farm. Only 30 mins of hiking ma…already there were ‘ngam ngam chum chum’ (grumblings) from the siao cheh of the group.
Of the many pictures posted here, please, may I ask you the question of the century, why not a picture of you in it?
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Allie : most welcomed, Allie! 🙂
ahlock : picture of ME? hahahah … cannotlah. this is a food blog after all. dunwan ppl to lose appetite.
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Luckily we chose to stay at Summit Hotel instead of homestay, the journey was too hectic la, bus fr IPOH-LCCT, then early flight, then 9-hour train journey, really killing me…really enjoyed the afternoon nap at Summit Hotel, hehe…
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this is life indeed! u know, i’ve never thought of the vietnamese highlands before. very interesting la. and the package is quite a deal, i must say. the hotel rooms look good too!
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Min : yeahloh! thankful that we stayed at Summit. and the nap was refreshing, followed by early dinner and then desserts+coffee …. blissful!
Nic : yeah, initially we thought it was rather pricey, as USD88 = RM300+. but after the trip, i’d say it’s worth the price paid.
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Ah… the sticky rice looks like lemang leh. And I must say you whetted my appetite to return to Hanoi since I didn’t get to go to the highlands the first round. 🙂
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Good choice going for Summit to recuperate from the travelling! What an absolute bargain! I need a trip back to Vietnam, pronto!
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Life for Beginners : yeah, but rather tasteless. we ended up donating some to the children. 🙂
550ml jar of faith : yeah … napping during a trip sounds out of place, but it was perfect, amidst the cool weather.
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me is so jeles ;p! I didnt get to go to Sapa.. it was winter and Hanoi itself almost killed me. Sapa would have been freezing cold. But damn nice la your pics!
Btw, will you be in KL on Apr 4th?
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teckiee : aiya, more or less like Cameron only. what’s on Apr 4th?!! whose BIG day? i wont be in KL as most probably will be in Kedah by then.
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wao… looks like Sa Pa will be my next destination to be. Moreover the hotel room looks cozy leh. The sticky rice quite similar as the Cambodian skicky bamboo rice too. I am now starting to plan for there on my next trip dee.
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Cat Cat Village but no cat shots? Haha.. sorry.. I’m a cat lover 😛 Well, it looked like a great experience for you guys… I wished I had the time for such an adventurous trip out of Malaysia.
http://crizfood.com/
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StevenGoh : serial traveller you! hahaha …. never been to Cambodia lah … maybe should plan a trip there. covering ASEAN countries sound not so intimidating.
Criz Lai : i know you love cats. but sorry lah.. cat cat village got lots of dogs n puppies though.
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hmm tot of asking u out for dinner with jason and wmw
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teckiee : oooh … but why must Apr 4th leh? i’ll be in KL next wkend though.
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[…] two days in Dalat; which to me, was a highly recommended visit much like how you should not miss Sapa when you visit Hanoi. The ordeal of an 8 hours bus ride was scary but the relatively smooth and […]
[…] a dual days in Dalat; that to me, was a rarely endorsed revisit most like how we should not skip Sapa when we revisit Hanoi. The distress of an 8 hours train float was frightful yet a relatively […]
[…] a dual days in Dalat; that to me, was a rarely endorsed revisit most like how we should not skip Sapa when we revisit Hanoi. The distress of an 8 hours train float was frightful yet a relatively […]
Various Vietnam tourism carrier’s networks have their own websites. “Vietnam is spellbinding, and allures travelers for countless reasons,” says Peggy Goldman, President of Friendly Planet Travel. Dalat can be a top resort destination for Vietnamese couples engaged and getting married or honeymooning. Booking your airfare tickets early is best plan.
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