Top 3 Most Beautiful Biking Routes In Sapa

#Route 1: Sapa town - Sin Chai village

Located at the roof of Fansipan Mountain, Sin Chai village is the home of the Red Dao people. The village may not be a popular tourist attraction but once you get here, you will be amazed at the pristine beauty of the village, along with plenty of wonderful sceneries. You can enjoy these stunning landscapes better if you ride your bike. On your cycling routes in Sapa, you will always see the kids around playing, singing, and dancing. The people in Sin Chai village are lovely and hospitable. You will feel warmly welcomed and they will be excited if you teach them several songs and poems.

Explore Beautiful Sin Chai Village With Your Bike

Your biking trip will start from Sapa town, then ride downhill on a windy road passing Muong Hoa valley where you can meet people of Black H’mong, Giay and Red Dao minorities. You can enjoy the amazing scenery of the mountains and rice paddy terraces along the road. After a short break in Su Pan, your biking journey will continue to go downhill on a bumpy road to Thanh Phu village, which is a home of Tay minority. You will enjoy your lunch in a traditional Tay house.

After lunch, you will ride uphill to your destination – Sin Chai village. Here, you will have the opportunity to participate in the traditional activities of the village. For example, you can watch the locals weaving and dyeing textiles, they can even teach you how to do it if you are interested. After having a delicious dinner with the locals, you will spend a night here before riding back to Sapa town the next day.

#Route 2: Sapa town - Ta Phin village

Situated in Ta Phin commune 12km northeast of Sapa town, Ta Phin village is surrounded by mountains with stunning rice terraces. Tourists should visit Ta Phin in the late afternoon to enjoy an amazing view of the sunset over the village as well as the surrounding areas. Ta Phin is also a home of Black Mong and Red Dao people, who have a rich culture that you cannot find anywhere else. Also, visiting Ta Phin will be exciting for you as you can distinguish the difference in culture and their ways of living.

It Only Takes You 30 Minutes To Ride From Sapa To Ta Phin Village

It takes you 30 minutes to ride your bike from Sapa town to Ta Phin village. This is the nearest village of the Red Dao group within the area. The mountainous road can make it difficult for you to ride, however, if you are confident with your riding skill, your trip could be completely fun. Once you get to the village, you can see a lot of women and girls sitting together, gossiping and laughing. You will notice their colorful costumes which are made from embroidered brocade fabrics by hand. The costumes are also sold and traded in the villages and for the visitors. The locals are friendly, you will be invited to go to their homes, seeing how they live, watching them working in the field, etc.

Additionally, there are some local festivals occasionally held here such as “dancing festival”, “greeting for the new house”. Attending these festivals will help you understand more about the life of ethnic people. Also, if you are lucky, you can have an opportunity to participate in a traditional Red Dao wedding, seeing how complicated their customs are and how carefully they prepare for this occasion. Ta Phin village has become a famous destination for biking and trekking tours. Whether you choose to stay overnight in the village or just visit for a day, you will be warmly welcomed by the locals.

#Route 3: Sapa town - Lao Chai village

Lao Chai village is the beginning of Muong Hoa valley which is 6 km from Sapa town. When you are at the highest point of the main road from Sapa town, you can see a great view of the whole village. This marvelous panorama of the village combines high mountains from behind and the peaceful river in front. Once you get this cycling route in Sapa, you will enjoy the fresh air with stunning scenery of terrace fields and the river flows. In addition, you can visit and discover some of the black H’mong’s families. Similar to other villages in Sapa, local people here are very hospitable. You can find it easy to interact with them, learn about their culture and customs.

The Stunning Scenery Of Terrace Fields In Lao Chai

The best time to visit this spectacular landscape in Sapa is from September to next April when you can admire the village’s beauty with the most wonderful rice terrace fields. The biking route to Lao Chai village goes mostly downhill. You can plan some stops on the way to take pictures of the beautiful Muong Hoa valley and the harvested paddy fields. Lao Chai village is also a home of Giay ethnic people. This group is only 2% of Sapa’s population. They emigrated from China to Vietnam 2 centuries ago. However, they borrow flavors of Vietnam’s northern cuisine. In Lao Chai village, the Giay sustain their livelihoods and health by raising livestock and growing rice terraces, just like other ethnic minority groups in Sapa. Visiting Lao Chai village on your bike ride, you can discover its quiet charm by exploring a traditional Giay home and staying with a Black H’mong family.

All in all, these are the top 3 most beautiful biking routes in Sapa which allow you to explore the beauty of nature, the peaceful life of the locals, and the picturesque landscapes of this beautiful town.

You may also like: Itinerary Of 2-Day Biking Tour In Sapa

Nobita Hanh

(Images source: Internet)