Sapa Sisters — Local services in Sa Pa Ward

Female solo backpackers PLEASE read this review before booking.

TLDR: Underwhelmed and disappointed with my experience with Sapa Sisters. I also did not feel 100% safe as a solo Asian female traveller, even with my guide. The only saving grace was meeting other trekkers and local guides at the homestay. Please read other reviews rated less than 5 stars before booking, as I’ve found them to pretty similar to my experience.

Background: I am a solo Asian female backpacker who just completed a 3D2N trek with Sapa Sisters. I booked with them hoping to support the local female community while getting an authentic, tailored tour.

1. I requested a talkative guide because I can be pretty shy but would like to learn about the local community. My guide was talkative—in the dialect—with other guides, homestay owners, and even the local lady who followed me to sell stuff, instead of engaging with me. I was just walking behind her for most of the trek. She also constantly took calls on her phone during the trek and even during dinner at the homestay with other Sapa Sisters guests. I only realised it’s not normal behaviour after talking to another Sapa Sisters guest.

2. I was not warned about the local sellers by my guide. One of them spoke to my guide when we left the office and then started following us on our trek. At one point, I was just walking behind my guide and the local seller lady while they conversed in their dialect (see picture 1). Ironically, the seller lady—rather than my own guide—helped me along the slippery parts of the trek, so I did buy something from her in the end, but some forewarning would have been great.

3. It’s not a fully customised tour as advertised. I was handed a map with the route circled on the day we set off, already detailing my route and even the homestay for the next two days (see picture 2). My guide briefly mentioned other possible routes but quickly brushed them off when I asked more about them. I realised during my trek that a couple of other Sapa Sisters guests (also 3D2N trek & started on same day) took a pretty similar route to mine. That being said, the route could be weather-dependent? I wouldn’t know better.

4. I’d hoped for a more informative tour, but mine was more of a “you ask, they answer” situation. On my first day, I only knew I’d passed two villages when we reached the third village where my homestay was. We just randomly stopped where big groups of tourists were, and I was given some time to take pictures, then we were back on the road. I felt like my guide only stopped to explain things when she noticed other trekking groups in front had stopped as well. It’s also ironic that I actually learnt things from other guests—because their guides shared with them. Heck, I was clueless most of the time about the day’s plan until another Sapa Sisters guest (also on a 3D2N trek) told me.

5. On my last day, my guide and I happened to be the first group to reach the lunch place. A local man approached us while we were removing our bags and settling down. He seemed to be bantering with my guide in their dialect about the hot weather and how sweaty we were. He then came over to my side and TOUCHED MY BACK—not just once, but TWICE—in the presence of my guide. Look, I was sweating, but I don’t need some RANDOM LOCAL MAN to touch me just to point it out. And for the record, he did not touch my guide—just me. I was so scared. My guide then left to order our lunch, and the man TOOK PICTURES OF ME (I heard the phone camera’s shutter) and tried to converse with me through Google Translate (I heard him playing the English translation: “Where are you from?”). But I was paralysed with fear—I couldn’t even look at him and could only move to another bench after I calmed down.

I want to support the local women, but I paid premium to feel like crap in the end. I still don’t know how to feel about this entire experience. So yeah, do what you want with this...

I had a wonderful experience trekking with Sapa sisters.

I booked a 3 day/2 night trek as a solo traveler in late-October. The booking experience was very easy and could easily include add-ons like the batik class and lunch in a local home (both which I would strongly recommend doing!) I also appreciated being able to pre-pay for everything so I didn't need to worry about cash upon arrival.

My guide was Ker, who was very kind, knowledgeable, and had an excellent command of English - our conversation flowed throughout our three days together. We set off and the further we got from Sapa, the more beautiful the surroundings became. Although on the road at times, it was definitely the exception and we spent most of our time on trails or traversing the rice terraces. It was quite a technical trek (not so much strenuous) and I was thankful to have the appropriate footware. By late afternoon we arrived at the homestay in Ta Van that I would spend my two nights at and just hung out with Ker, the family of the homestay, and a couple other guides and their clients (usually only two other groups of no more than two people) until bedtime. This downtime was really pleasant as we sat among the women as they're making their handicrafts and chatting away. It was peaceful and felt very much like being part of the fabric of their day to day life. I also partook in the batik class which was so fun - you really gain an appreciation for the effort it takes to produce such detailed work! The meals at the homestay were also great - white rice accompanied by a plethora of dishes, mostly chicken and vegetable based.

On day two of the trek we could leave our things in the homestay (so our packs were much lighter) and went on a slightly more strenuous hike into the mountains. This area felt more pristine than other parts of Sapa and it was gorgeous. It was quite remote and we did not meet any other trekkers on our way. We stopped at a local home to have lunch and had a fabulous meal with the homeowner, my guide, and another group of two. At the end of the meal we shared many rounds of "happy water" (aka homemade rice wine) and we all were a bit tipsy and in fabulous moods on the hike back down. It was so much fun and is one of my favorite experiences from my entire trip in Vietnam.

Overall, I had a fantastic experience. The scenery is beautiful, but for me the highlight was spending time with my guide, Ker, and other Hmong women/families.

Some tips:

Please bring shoes with excellent traction. There are a lot of slippery parts on the trails. I brought waterproof hiking shoes and was fine, but I met other trekkers in sneakers who had fallen many times. Make sure to have some cash on you. This could be to buy the local handicrafts (which are beautiful and would make excellent souvenirs/gifts) but more importantly to tip your guide. These women work very hard to provide for their families, spend so much time with you on the hike, that a healthy tip is more than reasonable. I don't think I would have liked the experience as much if it was just one night; if you have the time, try to do the 3D/2N night trek. The restaurant lunches are really just OK - if you have the chance, try to do the local lunches instead as these...

Our experience with Sapa Sisters was amazing.

We did 3 days 2 nights.

Our guide Cha was an absolute inspiration and incredible at what she did. Learning the culture and lifestyle of the communities in the mountains, from someone who lives and grew up in it was the best way for anyone to learn. And her ability to answer any questions we had (which we had a lot of) was so well answered.

Cha, was also incredibly caring and kind during our hike when we were clearly struggling with the humidity and vertical changes. Taking breaks and asking if we needed anything.

Also stopping for my partner who is a keen photographer with his film camera when we stopped to take lots of photos it was never a problem and she also aided in translating when we asked if we could photograph areas and people.

She also had a great sense of humour when we all got more comfortable on days 2 and 3. We joked about things and it made it a really nice experience for us to have someone so personable and positive.

We shared some pineapple she brought on the walk on day 1. She was great at checking with us over lunch periods, making sure we had everything we needed.

Lunch stops themselves were very filling. Large portions of what you chose. Options being: Fried noodles Fried rice Pho Paired with pork or chicken. If you are vegetarian you contact ahead with the tour to explain your preferences.

I did hear of some people experiencing what is already mentioned in some reviews. Of the guides allowing their patrons to be followed and mildly harassed by street vendors but we didn’t have any problems on our walk. But others we met had, so be aware of that.

The homestay we stayed at was a lot more modern than we expected. With individual couple rooms, bathroom with a shower and running water. Mosquito nets. Etc. The homestay we stay at we stayed for both nights and they allowed us to leave our things in the room which was nice. And the food was lovingly prepared and very tasty!

The views were the most incredible sights. So traditionally Vietnamese. Exactly what you would want and expect from a trip like this.

We even had the privilege of going for lunch at Cha’s Sister In-Laws house. They prepared a traditional meal and we all tucked in. One of the best meals we had and they were incredibly inclusive and understanding that some of the food was very out there for us. But helped us try different part of the chicken, and we’re not pushy if you didn’t want to try some dishes. We did try the chickens blood and it wasn’t bad at all!

We also drank ‘happy water’, which they described as rice wine, but was extremely strong and more like vodka.

After a whole month in Vietnam this was 100% our favourite part. And is also the part most people have asked about since...