yis3

I am planning a trip to hanoi in dec, would like to know more about the sapa weekend markets. Do they have livestock (chickens, poultry etc) at the markets (really paranoid about the avian flu)? Or they are just trading in jewellery, handicraft etc?
Thank you!
Is it safe to travel to hanoi and northern highlands now in regard to the avian flu?

Lindsey

If you are talking about the Sunday market at Bac Ha, they have everything....produce, handicrafts AND lots of livestock. In one area they were selling horses and water buffalo. And yes, plenty of chickens, some of which were being killed on the spot to go into the cooking pots in the makeshift food stalls.
BTW, this market, which is the most famous one in the area, is actually a 3 hour drive from Sapa. People sometimes think that it's IN Sapa because that's where you stay when you go up into that area.
Bac Ha was one of the highlights of our trip to far North Viet Nam, but there is still plenty to see there, even if you skip the markets. Personally I would feel comfortable to go back there right now, just staying away from areas that have live poultry. But everyone has to find their won comfort level with those things.

Lyndie

Sapa town has a daily & weekend markets. Not all that fabulous & lots of fresh meat on display. Sapa is a highly over-rated experience, imho, especially in December. Rainy, cold & VERY misty. We froze up there in Dec 2003. Took warm clothes & still froze. We'd missed a visit to Sapa in July 2003 due to time constraints so went back to Vietnam on our way to Laos, specifically for Sapa. What a waste of time. We should have gone to Dalat instead.

Lindsey

To each his own....we loved Sapa. It was chilly, not freezing and the mist added to the admosphere as we hiked through the rice paddies and visited various hilltribe homes and schools in the villages. And once back at Victoria Hotel we warmed up right away with a hot beverage in front of the fireplace in the bar.

Lindsey

Oops, forgot to mention....we were also there in Dec.

glorialf

I found the market fun but it depends if this is "new" to you. I've been to lots of markets in my life and this one was probably in the B category. Certainly nothing like the Kashgar market or the ones in the high atlas moutains of Morocco. Nor did I find it as interesting as those in Burma.

Lyndie

chilly?freezing? to each his own. It was darn COLD! And it is a tourist trap. The locals are a jaded bunch!

glorialf

I was there in 1994-- it wasn't a tourist trap then but I am sure it has changed a lot.

Lyndie

Hi glorialf-we planned a visit in 1999 after talking with colleagues who raved about Sapa. Work took over and we finally got to go in Dec 2003. The Sapa our colleagues described had all but disappeared. Sad but true, for us. It's all in the eye of the beholder but for us Sapa was a major disappointment. Overbuilt, overpriced poor quality restaurants (except the Victoria) and noisy backpacker bars, rude, aggressive girls with kids on their hips & old women all dressed in local costume flogging poor quality handicrafts. Could not get out of there quick enough! All the best.

yis3

Thank you all for the prompt replies!
Lindsey, so do you think i would be able to stay away from the poultry and just concentrate on the handicrafts and jewellery instead? how near are the live animals from the other sections of the market?

Lindsey

It's a pretty chaotic and crowded place. You probably would want to stay more on edges of the crowd, so you can keep an eye on what's around you. That way you can avoid the areas where they have live birds penned and the areas where they are cooking. You could also carry disinfectant towlettes to clean your hands on departure.
If you are staying at the Victoria, they have a great shoe cleaning service, for after you get back. (I accidentally stepped into mud up to my ankle in a rice paddy, with my nice new hiking boots. After the shoe cleaners at the Victoria had them for 20 minutes, you couldn't tell which one had been in the mud.)

To me, the most fun about Bac Ha market was not the shopping....the handicrafts were not all that wonderful....it was the photo opps. My girls bought a few trinkets just to spend a little money with the local kids. But I was snapping away like crazy the whole time, because with all the different tribal costumes, it's a kaleidescope of colors.
One thing to keep in mind....Bac Ha is a market for local tribespeople to come once a week and socialize, barter, stock up on supplies, gossip, etc. Many of them walk hours through the mountains to get there. you will see them on the roads. So a lot of what's for sale is stuff they need to exist like cooking oil, tools, etc.
If you post your email address, i can send you some photos, so you can get an idea of what it looks like.

yis3

When do you folks think is the best time of the week to visit Sapa? Is the weekend market a definite MUST-SEE? Or weekday trekking would be sufficient to see the ethnic tribes?
What is the comfort level of the overnight train ride to Sapa?
Thank you so much !