Ms.Kenneth Tan Yan Han’s reviews
We have only praise for Trekking Sapa. We are convinced that we had a much better experience in Sapa thanks to them.
First, they are so well organized and helpful. Getting to Sapa can be confusing and tiring, but they make it smooth for you: booking your train tickets and train station transfer, welcoming you with shower and breakfast, storing your luggage. From the beginning, Hoa was super helpful and gave a lot of information by email.
Second, they really care about Sapa and its people. Phil took the time to explain to us the history of the area and its people and their current situation. That is what we are interested in when we travel and it was important value-added.
Third, their tours are genuine and community-focused. We did 2 different tours and they felt less “touristy” than anything else we did in Vietnam so far.
We did 2-day trekking with homestay. Our tour guide speaks very good English and enthusiastically answered all our questions about her culture. We had lunch with a family in a village, and then we stayed with our guide and her family overnight, which was great. The trekking itself was good. It rained heavily for about an hour the first day and even though we thought we were well-equipped, our rain jackets were quickly soaked and we bought plastic ponchos that were much more efficient. Except for that, we got beautiful weather and we had great views. We didn’t find the trek very hard. Overall, we enjoyed our two days and learned a lot about the Black Hmongs.
Then after a good night of sleep in a hotel in Sapa, on our 3rd day, we did the Mountain Riders motorbike tour, which was an absolute highlight of our trip. Our two guides were great. Everything that day was perfect. We had the most beautiful weather and the views in the mountains were stunning. We had a delicious lunch with a very friendly Tay family. We really liked the caves. Everybody at the Trekking Sapa office is extremely nice and the girls welcomed us and assisted us with everything else.
In the last part of our trekking, we spend a very short period of time in more touristic areas, we saw big groups of tourists, and we realized then what our stay in Sapa could have been. We are grateful that it was made possible for us to see it differently. We feel like we learned a lot about the minorities.
Thanks again to the team. Your work is impressive and invaluable. You are making a difference. Good luck.
Ms.Kenneth Tan Yan Han –Singapore