Landing in Sapa, Vietnam felt like a fever dream. We arrived around 8AM and it was foggy and cold. On the way to our hotel, I immediately noticed how beautiful the landscape was. The buildings didn’t feel like I was in an Asian country at all. I felt like I was in Europe. A quick Google explained this: for a time, the French ruled Vietnam. So that explained why the buildings looked like that.
Another thing I noticed was how the establishments were constructed. They were very narrow in width, yet the stores stretched several floors high. This pattern was consistent along the entire street. I assumed this was just how establishments in Sapa were designed. This was something I would notice throughout Vietnam: a café or store might look small from the outside, but once you step in, it’s surprisingly spacious. With multiple floors, there’s always more room than you initially expect.
First Meal in Vietnam
By this time, we were hungry (our last meal was on the plane) so we looked for a place to eat breakfast. We found Le Petit Gecko, the first café that caught our eye. It had a beautiful setup filled with flowers and a nice view of the street below.
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| We had a good view of the park below (lots of people watching commenced during breakfast 😂) |
Of course, I ordered coffee and got their egg omelette, along with chestnut soup because I wanted something warm for my stomach. The omelette was good! The chestnut soup was great at first, but after a while, it became too creamy for my taste, so I couldn’t finish it. Still, I got what I needed: a warm soup on that foggy morning.
We had some very "energetic" neighbors at the next table, and it was our first glimpse of what conversations sounded like in Vietnam. I didn’t mind it actually, it sounded normal to me. But my friends had a lot of comments about it. 🤣
Walking Around Sapa Square
After eating, we went sightseeing and explored the gorgeous Sapa Square. Sapa Station was also within walking distance from our hotel.
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| I actually have my eyes closed here (HAHAHA) but idc, I like this shot. |
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| My friend and I have some knee injuries, so we had our knee braces on since we were expecting to walk a lot during the trip. |
Since I was wearing glasses that adapt to UV rays, I noticed how dark they became, which meant the UV levels were high. It was only 10 AM, yet the weather was gloomy and cold. It felt like a dangerous setup for the skin, because before you realize it, you're already exposed to strong UV rays. Fortunately, I had sunscreen for my face, though I wasn’t able to apply any on my body.
We spent most of the morning just walking around and sightseeing. One more thing that really stood out in Sapa was the flowers. I loved seeing them everywhere. Of course, my friends and I took every opportunity to take photos.
It’s really nice traveling with my circle of friends. We’re all supportive of each other’s solo shots. We also capture moments when we’re not at our best, and those often end up being our favorite photos. Not necessarily the most “perfect” shots, but the ones that genuinely make me smile. I always tell them -- these are the photos I will look at when I'm feeling sad. 🤣
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| I'm not the only one smiling for the camera. 😂 |
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| My friends tell me I don't smile naturally when I pose for the camera HAHAHA so here I am being coached by one of them by pronouncing the vowels (a-e-i-o-u 🤣) to get a more naturally-looking smile shot. |
We continued walking around the area. We didn’t really have a destination and just wanted to explore freely while waiting for hotel check-in.
This was the moment when we met the sausage that would later become one of our favorites during the trip. 😍😍😍
The sausage tasted so good. 🤤 They were grilled over hot stones, and served with chili powder. It was so simple, yet so addictingly delicious. We fell in love at first bite.
Hotel Checkin + Siesta + Late Lunch
Eventually, we were able to return to our hotel and check in. We were still exhausted, so we spent lunchtime and the early afternoon catching up on sleep...finally in a proper bed.We headed out again around 4:30 PM to look for another place to eat (again HAHAHA).
We were all craving for pho, and after checking Google Maps, we arrived at Sapa Story Restaurant.
One of our delightful discoveries there was the mango salad. I ordered it because I wanted to eat veggies. A friend of mine, who promotes healthy eating, recently shared a simple rule: eat your greens first, then protein, then carbs. I’ve been trying to follow that, which is why I added vegetables to our order. My friends said that if it weren’t for me, they wouldn’t have thought of ordering it. The mango was so fresh and tasted the perfect level of sweetness, and it paired well with the savory taste of the salmon.
The pho was good, too, but I have to admit, I’ve had better back in the Philippines. So maybe this wasn’t the best pho spot... but it was still comforting. There’s something about sipping hot broth in Sapa’s cold, foggy weather that just hits differently.
Strolling Around Sapa Lake
After dinner, we walked around again and came across a sidewalk vendor selling chestnut pancakes. It was so good, definitely one of my favorite snacks from Sapa. I actually tried to find it again later in the trip, but nothing compared to this one. It was freshly made, warm, slightly crisp on the outside, and just perfect.
As the sun began to set, the place became livelier. The lights started turning on, and it was beautiful seeing all the store signages glow.
We continued walking until we reached Sapa Lake and stayed there for a while.
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| Group photo! Thanks to my friend's tripod setup for making this possible. 😁 |
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| I LOVE THIS PHOTO! My friend was using an iPhone, and amongst our other cameras, hers had the best photos in that low-light setup by the lake. |
Eating (again) at Sapa Night Market
We eventually made our way to the night market, where we found a grilling spot. It was crowded and a bit overwhelming. I didn’t recognize most of the food, and I felt slightly stressed trying to choose what to eat. There were a lot of tourists, and even the locals seemed busy and tense. Still, we managed to order and eat, and honestly, that’s what mattered most. 🤣
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| I didn't have much of an appetite during that time, so I ordered a few items only. Also, the busy environment was already getting on my nerves (because I was already exhausted and sleepy) My friends already noticed that I was getting.. quieter. They already know me well.. so they already know these signs 🤣) |
After that hearty grilled meal, we began walking back to our hotel. Some signs got our attention, and so out of curiosity, we checked out this "Love Market" area.
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| My friend asked me to pose here, and unbeknownst to me, I was being photobombed by a creature in costume. HAHAHAH |
There was nothing much to see in that market. It was just another area with a restaurant, people eating, and a stage wherein someone was performing. We looked around briefly, and left.
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| I liked the bonfire setup. It felt comforting during that cold night. |
As we continued our walk back to the hotel, I noticed that the streets had become more alive. There were lots of people (and cars and motors) going around. It was like a Divisoria-level kind of crowd. I was so glad we were already wrapping up our day and walking back home already, because my senses were already overwhelmed by everything. 😣
We knew we had to get some good rest tonight, because tomorrow we have a tour to participate in (booked via Klook). That will be in the next post. 😁
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