If you go to Vietnam, be sure you book a trip to Sapa. We booked again with Ocean Tours- though if you have time to get to Hanoi and then book something once you get there you can find much cheaper tours that did the same things we did through many tourist agencies in the Old Quarter.
If you book with Ocean Tours- make sure that they have informed someone to pick you up from the train station when you return- I think they are usually good about this, but they forgot to tell them about us. So we had to call the girl who made our reservations at 0430 in the morning (we couldn't find the phone# to the hotel), which I felt bad about, and she told us to go ahead and take a taxi and the hotel would reimburse us. Well, after asking several times throughout the day for the reimbursement, they decided that they would only reimburse 50,000 of the 70,000 dong it cost us. Now- 20,000 dong is only about $1. So, while the amount itself was not the issue to me- I find it to be poor business practice to not have reimbursed the full amount, especially because we were not told there should be a certain cost to the taxi, and it's their fault for not picking us up in the first place. I think that they should realize the impact of the negative feedback this will create regarding their company over $1. So, due to this, and that the tour we took seemed to be similar to all the other ones that cost half the price- I would not recommend booking with this company.
Now that you've got my recommendation for how to do this trip- I highly suggest booking one. You'll take an overnight train from Hanoi to Lao Cai, and then a minibus to Sapa. You'll be met by a guide- who has to be a member of a local tribe- who will guide you on your trek. Note that you are NOT allowed to trek without a guide. Our guide was So, and she was great- her English is excellent and she was very nice and great to talk to. If you can book with a company that books through the Sapa Golden Sea Hotel, try to request her. We booked for 3 days, 2 nights (plus 2 nights on the train getting to/from Hanoi). You spend most of the first day hiking down in to the valley, then you stay in a homestay, and the second day is hiking for about half the day up and over hills, and then you are driven back to Sapa. We had the rest of the afternoon to wander around Sapa and stayed at a hotel in Sapa that night. The next day we hiked through Cat Cat village and then had the afternoon to ourselves, before heading back to Hanoi. You can see everything we saw (except for much of Sapa- though there really isn't much except for the market to see) in 2 days and 1 night, as an option.
We went through the villages of Lao Chai, Ta Van, Giang Ta Chai, and Cat Cat. We saw people from the Black Mon, Green Zai, and Red Zao tribes. The tribal clothing is beautiful- all made from hemp cloth that they create the fibers from hemp and then weave together and dye, then embroider for countless hours. As you start each day, you will be met by a group of women from the next town's local tribe who will escort you the entire way in hopes of selling you items at the end. Now, the nice part is that they will not harass you or ask you to buy anything the entire time you walk with them, and they will help you over hard parts of the path. It can get a little much- I had 2 girls holding my hands on the second day leading me down the path (I looked like the photo above of Yolanda being helped) and sometimes I think it made it harder than if I didn't have help- but it was still nice of them. The bad part it that you will get the guilt trip at your final destination about how they helped you all day and what would you like to buy from them in return- so decide in advance if you are going to purchase something and for how much, otherwise try and avoid any help to avoid the guilt trip. Do not cave to any woman who brings her baby in to the mix for bargaining- it's normal for them to carry children on their backs the whole time they hike. They are persistent until you leave. It can be wearing while you eat- avoid eye contact with any of the women or the items they are selling while you are eating unless you want to be approached about purchasing something.
For bargaining- mind you I'm not great at this, and I hate doing it- I'd rather be told a fair price and just pay it. But this is the way of markets in Asia. So, I'd start with at least 1/3 of the price they ask and work from there- do not pay more than 2/3 of the original asking price at the very most. The easiest way to get the price you want to pay is to stick to it, and if they don't come down, walk away- this always works in your favor. For prices- I think the following is about what you should pay: a pillowcase-50-60,000, a wall hanging- 80,000, a blanket- 200-300,000 dependent on size,a purse- 30-60,000 maybe. We found out later that the market in town is much better to buy at- prices tend to negotiate more in your favor as there isn't a guilt trip attached.
So anyways, this is part of the deal when you do this, so be prepared for it. You do not have to buy anything-you'll just have to have a very good ability to ignore them while they stand next to you and guilt you.
The other thing to be aware of is that it can get cold and wet here very fast- this is the only place we suspected of possibly getting a little cold at, but we were surprised how cold it could get. Make sure to have some layers and a rain coat- there's quite a market for these items in Sapa for unsuspecting tourists. Bring good walking shoes and pack light- you'll be carrying it all.
The rice paddies and fields are beautiful. We had clear mornings and misty, foggy afternoons. Both were beautiful scenes- and I loved being in a quiet, peaceful place for a few days.
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