Xin Chai @ Sapa

Cat Cat is a village right down the hill from Sapa which is a bit fake and pretty much inundated with tourists, however, if you continue on the same road another couple kilometers you arrive at a much more interesting place called Xin Chai. In between a couple of rainy days, I had one day of sun, so I took advantage of the opportunity and had a taxi drop me off here for some exploration.

Xin Chai

Hmong dude playing music

Tavan and Lau Chai @ Sapa

Located about seven kilometers to the east of Sapa, you can find the villages of Tavan and Lau Chai coupled next to each other at the bottom of the Muong Hoa valley. My effort to visit these villages started on foot until after about two kilometers when I gave in and decided to ask a motorbiker for help, minutes later I was zigzagging down the hillside into Tavan. Entering from the north there is a bit of a hip newer area dotted with upper-class cafes and homestays, not far past this begins the path into the more scenic area. The first hundred meters or so of this path has been taken over by local Black Hmong minority group who have set up a long row of trinket shops, until I made it past this stretch I was basically fighting off hawkers left and right.

Looking into the Muang Hoa Valley