Each year, Sapa Vietnam welcomes millions of travelers who come here for an experience of hill tribe daily culture and a vision of nature. And November and December are the best times to meet Sapa when the atmosphere becomes colder and cloudier. One can say that it’s when Sapa Vietnam comes in the prime of its beauty.
Sapa Weather
Sapa weather in November is still sunny in the day time and gradually becomes colder by night. And if photography is your thing, it’s definitely the “golden” time to capture the moment of aureate sunlight glossing over the green hills that makes the valley looks more vivid and joyful.
However, Sapa weather in December is much colder. If you are lucky, you will get a chance to see the first snow. How romantic it is! If November is the perfect time to behold the majesty of nature, December is the season of ethnic festivals. Dancing around the campfire in a traditional brocade costume is also an exciting cultural activity that you should try.
Sapa beauty in November and December
In the absence of golden rice terraced fields – Sapa’s famous feature, the terraces after harvest season has its own beauty, in harmony with the fresh weather and the romantic scenery. Sapa in November is a colorful picture with the dark brown of paddy fields amid the green trees, dotted by the yellow of late-maturing rice fields.
Besides, you can only see snow falling down to the valley in December, the beginning of peach blossom season. According to many experienced tourists, they were stunned by Sapa villages in the crack of dawn, when the morning dew covering the whole land while white clouds traversing the mountain slopes. After a while, the first rays of the sun come lifting the shroud of fog little by little to show the rustic houses and the endless rice paddies. Then once again, Sapa is overlaid with fog by the dying sun in such a powerful way that even after the sun had dropped below the horizon, it’s like a fairyland that you can’t take your eyes off.
Where to go?
With such a fabulous landscape and comfortable weather, visitors come to Sapa should follow the hereinafter activities for getting to know more about the destination:
1. Climb Fansipan or Ham Rong Mountain
November is the best time for you to conquer Fansipan or Ham Rong Mountain. On top of which, viators can get the finest aerial views over Sapa surrounded by a mysterious mist and clouds drifting across the sky.
2. Plucking Docyniaindicain villages
Autumn is the season of Docyniaindica – a specialty of Sapa, yet November and December are ideal times to join the locals in plucking the fruit. People often have a taste of the fruit right after taking it down from the tree or soak it thoroughly and store the essence to make liquor. You will have time to meet up with the ethnic minority groups of H’Mong and Red Dao and be all ears to their mystic stories about forested mountains. From there, you will understand more about the villagers’ daily life.
3. Cat Cat Village
Late autumn is the right time to uncover Cat Cat Village, 3km away from Sapa town. It’s highly recommended to take a walk there for sightseeing. So don’t be lazy or it will be a big omission for your trip! It’s a great opportunity to go native with the indigenous people’s ethnic life, enjoy the fresh air, admire the picturesque spectacle, and learn about their traditional crafts.
4. Sapa Stone Church (Holy Rosary Church)
Located in the center of Sapa Town, the Sapa Stone Church is also known as the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary, which was built by the French in the early 20th century. The Church is considered as the most intact ancient French architectural work in the town. In spite of the old age, it still keeps the nostalgic and peaceful beauty that is a huge inspiration to lots of youngsters for an out-of-earth photo shoot.
5. Sapa Love Market
The Love Market is a must-see attraction in Sapa, the original cultural trait of H’Mong and Dao ethnic people. Each Saturday, the market is crowded with young men and women. There, you can watch H’Mong girls performing “xoe” dance and boys playing the H’Mong flute (Khen). It’s not merely for selling local commodities but a place for those young people to date with or look for partners through these traditional performances. Don’t forget to buy some souvenirs from this market to bring home to your friends and family.
6. Grilled skewered food – The special treat of Sapa
Relishing grilled food next to the warm fire is indispensable when having a night out in such chilly weather. Sapa offers its visitors many delectable dishes such as rice cooked in bamboo tubes, skewered pig, roasted chicken, grilled corn, roasted bird, and grilled stuffed pancake, and so on. All these foods are rich in highland taste.
7. Sapa Heaven Gate
As a real biker, you must have heard O Quy Ho or the Heavens Gate in Sapa. The gate lies on the peak of Tram Ton Pass, located in the middle of the majestic Hoang Lien Mountains. Standing at the grey gate, travelers can see a panoramic view of Sapa with its marvelous terraces and the looming houses in the seas of clouds. This natural setting is a photogenic backdrop for Instagrammers. What are you waiting for? Let’s dress up and jump on the saddle for a two-wheeled trip to this striking spot.
8. Love Waterfall
4km from the Northwest of Sapa Town, the waterfall stands in San Sa Ho Commune, Sapa District, Lao Cai Province. From afar, it looks like a glittering pyramid under the mighty sun. With the height of 100m, the waterfall’s sound of water pouring down to the lake can impress any tourists approaching near the place. The legend has it that it was the place where fairies bathed a long time ago. And one day, one of those fairies heard a young man playing the flute and fell in love with him. Unluckily, her parents forbade her from ever coming back to the waterfall. Drowning in sadness, the fairy transformed herself into a bird of heaven to be by his side eternally. The echo of the waterfall also represents the immortal love of the poor fairy. Beside this tearjerker, Love Waterfall is a must-see destination for tourists amid the imposing leafy plateau.
Joining off-road Sapa motorbike tours with scenic off-road routes designed by BM Travel Adventure, you will have the opportunity to witness the majestic mountains, the towering peaks, and dense forests on the way to Sapa poetic town.
With our Sapa motorbike tours, you can try some challenging off-road routes like Hanoi to Sapa via Thac Ba Lake, Sapa to Ha Giang, Sapa to Halong Bay… Those routes will surely satisfy your adventure heart and leverage your off-road riding skills.
BM Travel Adventure is a leading motorbike tour operator and motorbike rental in Vietnam. Annually, we have operated hundreds of off-road Vietnam motorbike tours, Vietnam dirt bike tours, Vietnam enduro tours from north to south (Northern Loop Vietnam, Northeast Vietnam Motorbike Tours, Northwest Vietnam, Ha Giang Motorbike Tours via Hoang Su Phi, Sapa Motorbike Tours, Vietnam motorbike tours on the Ho Chi Minh trail…), and also motorbike tours to the neighboring countries like Laos, Cambodia, Thailand. We are sure to offer visitors the best places to travel to matching their lifestyle for a fun experience and the most unforgettable motorbike tour.
