After a good nights kip at the wonderful Sapa Vista Hotel we’re all set to start our two day trek into the rice terraces of Sapa.
I have been waiting for this moment for 10 years! Ever since I returned from my first trip to the south of Vietnam I have been a trifle obsessed with the verdant terraces of the North.
And here they are!! Every bit as amazing as I had hoped.
We start off in a group but then head off on our our with our diminutive local guide, who tells us her name is Cuckoo!!
She’s a tiny ball of energy, bouncing from rock to rock like a nimble mountain goat as we struggle to keep up!
Cuckoo is from one of the local hill tribes, as are most of the guides.
Meaning she has an impressive knowledge of the area, plus seems to know everyone we pass!
As we visited Sapa in late April, the rice planting is just starting, meaning that we didn’t get to see the fully green terraces.
But the vivid lime green areas you can see are where the tiny new rice shoots are starting to grow.
At this time of year the terraces are full of water, which when hit by the sun, are almost blinding. Hence their name ‘broken mirrors’
Tiny clusters of houses cling to the terraces, almost in the middle of nowhere and add to the charm of this amazing area.
We’re heading for our evening rest stop in a local hill tribe homestead. More to come!