Its magnificent collection of almost 850 older structures and intact streetscapes just beg to be explored. They include merchants' homes, pagodas, public buildings and a whole city block of colonnaded French buildings. Sapa Located at an altitude of 1600m in the remote North-Western Highlands, Sapa entrances most visitors. It was built as a hill station for the French in 1922, but went into a long decline from which it has only recently recovered. The Saturday market is the best place to buy handicrafts.
Accommodation can be tight, especially on weekends when tour parties visit.
A hike to the top and back takes about four days, and you'll need a guide and decent equipment, as it is usually wet and cold. You can get to within 30km of Sapa by train from Hanoi. Once you reach Lao Cai, you'll need to transfer to a local bus. Dien Bien Phu Dien Bien Phu, in the heart-shaped Muong Thanh Valley near the Lao border, is in one of the remotest parts of Vietnam. The valley is surrounded by steep heavily forested hills and the area is inhabited by hill tribes, notably the Tai and Hmong.