2D/1N Sapa Trek Homestay with Central Backpackers Hostel

Jan 10, 2018
4 min read

On the first day of 2018, I embarked on a 2D/1N Sapa trek with homestay option from Central Backpackers Hostel, which can be booked from here, and I can safely say that I had a great start to 2018!

We started the tour by meeting up in Central Backpackers Hostel Hanoi at around 9 PM. A few minutes later, we were then picked up by a mini van to proceed into the bus station, where we had to hop on a sleeper bus for a rough 6-8 hours overnight journey from Hanoi to Sapa. A sleeper bus is a bus experience unlike any other, where instead of sitting on average bus chairs, you get 'sleeper' chairs instead, which made the entire bus looking like a mobile hostel instead of an actual bus! Although the sleeper bus experience was unique and exciting, which I highly recommend all young and adventurous travellers heading to Vietnam to try it at least once, the quality of sleep which you will get from it isn't exactly ideal. Despite efforts to imitate the chairs as beds, the bumpy ride made it hard to get a good night's sleep. If you're lucky enough, you might get an 'exclusive' sleeper bus where the beds are bigger, and the bus is emptier (like my case to Sapa). However, on the sleeper bus back to Hanoi, we weren't exactly spoilt for choice as the beds were smaller and the bus was full-house.

There are 3 bed-options on a sleeper bus - bottom bunk, top bunk, and end bunk. Top bunk and bottom bunk being singular sets of 'beds', whereas the end bunk lies at the end of the bus (usually next to the toilet), and has 3 'beds' in one row, making it look more like a queen-sized bed instead. End bunk is particularly ideal for friends who are travelling in 3's to get more space! Otherwise, top or bottom bunk it is.

After the rough 6-7 hours overnight journey with constant bumps, stops, and false hopes (are we there yet?) we finally made it to Sapa! Note that I was travelling to Sapa in January 2018, which is considered winter in Northern Vietnam. This, and the fact that Sapa is located on the mountainous region, definitely made the weather a lot more colder than you think. As soon as we hopped off the bus, the temperature was so cold, mist was even produced from my own breath! We were then brought to Roxana Hotel Sapa for a wholesome breakfast buffet and some downtime to prepare for the hike. My only recommendations to prepare for the hike is to carry a set of warm clothing and coat/jacket, lightweight backpack, as well as to rent a pair of gumboots from the hotel. At first I thought the gumboots were only recommended in order to make profit, but my God! The trek around Sapa was so muddy, I definitely would need to throw my shoes away if I hadn't rented the gumboots! Definitely the best purchase I've made in 2018 so far.

The trek around Sapa was surrounded by gorgeous views consisting of tiered paddy fields, colourful village girls, and the occasional sighting of tame wild animals. While the trek itself was definitely do-able for everyone, it can get extremely muddy, particularly during the colder seasons of the year. Some of us were lucky enough to be helped by the local villagers and guides along the way, although take note that they will demand you to buy handmade souvenirs from them later on. So in case you are not prepared to do so, or isn't carrying enough cash, then perhaps it is better to help yourself through the trek.

As part of the 2D/1N Sapa trek from Central Backpackers Hostel, we were also given homestay option as the accommodation. After a day of approximate 12km trek, we finally reached our homestay, located on the mountainous region of Sapa. Our homestay was hosted by a local Hmong family, consisting of a Mum, Dad, 4 little kids, a pet cat, and a pet dog. It truly was a family affair! And although the house was locally-designed and simple, it was clean and comfortable, making it feel quite like home in no time at all. The only issue was despite the cold temperature, the house had no central heating whatsoever! Many of the locals, like the homestay we were staying in, heavily relied on the use of traditional wood and coal fire for central heating as well as half of the cooking, which did provide warmth, but isn't so good for the lungs on the long-term basis.

The next day we had to bid goodbye to our host family and trek back to Sapa town, to make our way back to Hanoi. I genuinely had a great time trekking through Sapa! Not just for the spectacular views, but also for the wonderful people I get to meet along the way as well. One reason why I enjoy group tours is that you end up befriending those who were once strangers at the start of the tour. Overall, would I recommend the 2D/1N Sapa trek with homestay option from Central Backpackers Hostel Hanoi? Damn right I do! It was also one of the most affordable Sapa tours offered, with the price of $55/person at the time of booking with homestay, transport and food! Before leaving, we had one last group photo with our guide Zhao, who incredibly treks up and down from her village in the mountains all the way to Sapa town to pick guests up on a near daily basis!