Sapa, Vietnam

Why go

Sapa is high in the far north where Vietnam runs into China, and the valleys have been terraced for rice so far up the slopes that they look built rather than farmed. The right way to see it is to walk: out of town down into the Muong Hoa valley, through Lao Chai and Ta Van, on paths between the water and the buffalo, usually with a Hmong or Dao guide from one of the villages, and stay the night in a homestay rather than in Sapa town itself. Fansipan, the highest mountain in Indochina, is above you, and there is a cable car if you would rather not climb it. September and October is harvest, when the whole valley goes gold.

Good to know

• Fly into Hanoi (HAN), then five hours by sleeper bus or the night train to Lao Cai
• Three nights, at least one in a valley homestay
• Trek with a local guide, it is better and the money stays in the village
• Gold terraces in September, water mirrors in May, cold and misty in winter

Best September and October, and March to May.