I'm glad we've decided to give Sa Pa a wide berth in February...

https://m.talkvietnam.com/2016/11/on...n-site-photos/

...and get off the beaten track and fly from Hanoi to Quy Nhon for afew days instead.

Not looking good - to say the least. Have you considered Ha Giang as an alternative?

No. Am more than content wih choosing Quy Nhon. Got good flights, and booked a recommended comfortable guesthouse.

If predictions are correct Quy Nhon could be the next coastal boom town, and turn into a construction site. So I want to visit while it's still off the beaten track.

I don't think that Ha Giang or the Far North in February is the best time weather wise really, at least not for us.

Wow, I'm glad that I hiked in Sapa in 2012. It's turning into the Luang Prabang of Vietnam. Is there anywhere left to go now, that has not been destroyed by massive tourism?

Thanks for posting, LL.

I'm skipping Sa Pa in Feb. and spending time in Phong Nha Ke Bang and Mai Chau/Ninh Binh areas instead. Sp glad I had not planned to go there.

thanks, LL. I didnt go a yr ago, and regretted it. Now, i no longer do. It was a difficult decision, as i heard negative stories about the omnipresent pressure to buy, vs positive experiences (like California Lady's). Looking back, i realize all the good stories were from people who'd been there at least three yrs previously.

CaliforniaLady: from what I read Phong Nha has not been crapped up yet. But since it is likely to be that's the number one place I wanted to visit on this second trip to Vietnam coming up in Feb. There's a proposal by a Chines company to turn it into an amusement park place. I wanted to get there before that happens.

Try going to Borneo soon. It's getting more popular but it wasn't too bad in May 2014 when we went. Lots of remote unspoiled uncommercialized areas to see there. Mulu Nat'l Park was amazing.

susiesan - Phong Nha looks gorgeous. Oh no, an amusement park there? I went to Borneo last year, and you're right, for some reason, it remains unspoiled. When I went to Mulu, all of the flights from Miri had been canceled due to weather, but since I was arriving from Kota Kinabalu, my flight was only slightly delayed. I had the park to myself for a full day, and my guided tours of the caves were "private." My favorite part was the night walk, as we saw a civet and other great animals.

LL which guesthouse did you book in Quy Nhon? It may well be on our list for next year.