The thing to do is rent a scooter and go on your own. There are more
than enough places offering you bike rentals in Sapa town proper. If you
are good with motorbikes, you can do 30km each hour with good breaks to
enjoy the view and stop at local shops and food places; top speed is
50kmph average going up and down the hills. You can do a bit better if
you are alone but do this only if you are used to driving on winding
hills and bumpy roads.
Pay 10 dollars for a full day rental… you can get it for 6-8 as well.
You don’t need a driver’s license here… passport is good and no one
checks as far as you pay the entrance fees. If you are not confident of
driving here (there are no rules apart from being the hills), fill up
petrol from the gas stations as and when you require. But, if you can
drive, you will get a better deal with a full tank… they will fill it up
for the equivalent for 3 liters since they expect travelers to drive
more than that ;-D Expect 30km or so per litre so work it out for
yourself.
The town is a nice start if you need a bit of time to get used to
your bike. Enjoy roaming around places that are not already crowded with
the usual group of backpackers and Hmong women. If you fancy it, you
can make it to the entry point of Cat Cat Village. Bikes aren’t allowed in.
Head off to Tran Tom pass which has amazing views of the mountains
and beyond. The roads are even better to ride around after the pass as
it gets progressively more into the hills and the forests. Come back to
Sapa and make it to rice paddy terraces and then down to the valley
floor of Ta Phin which inverts the views you just had… from the bottom
instead of the top.
Better yet, instead of hopping on to a tour, take your motorbike to one of those remote Hmong markets in Bac Ha or Coc Ly and spend a few days out there.
NOTE: Be respectful of the tribes. If you are part of a tour, they
will take you to a lot of huts. Unlike the local guides, they don’t get a
penny from your tours. They are just polite and don’t mind if you enter
their premises but they do lead difficult lives. If you do enter their
homes for travel purposes and showing pictures back home, do give them a
bit in return.
For more details, click on our Sapa Travel officical website http://www.travelsapa.com/rent-scooters-in-sapa/
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