2 Best Places to Shop in The Northwest, Vietnam

Run by a H'mong woman and her husband, this is by far the most stylish of Sapa's small boutiques. The craftsmanship of the H'mong minority is legendary, and this skill shines through in the shop's well-chosen selection of bags, clothing, pillows, and belts. Authentic batik classes can also be arranged through Indigo Cat.

Situated just two kilometers from Sapa City itself, Cat Cat is a village populated entirely by local H'mong people. Unlike the population in Sapa, which in recent years has ballooned with an immigrant influx from richer parts of the country, Cat Cat is a protected heritage zone under the auspices of the Vietnamese government's cultural craft preservation policy.

While Sapa remains the undisputed capital of Northwest Vietnam, concerns over mass tourism and the local population being pushed out of their homes due to high tourism interest remain valid points of contention. Cat Cat and other tribe villages of its kind are among the solutions being pushed by the local government.

Here, the H'mong population does not need to worry about being priced out of the land their forefathers cultivated.

It's not completely clear of all the problems of over-tourism, but here you actually get to see H'mong craftspeople practicing their own crafts and selling the fruits of their labor right out of their own abodes. The offerings include some of the best dye and fabric work of the region, beautiful brocaded pieces, and silver jewelry.

There is an entrance fee to the village itself, from $2 to $3, which goes toward maintenance and development of the village itself. There are also weekly cultural programs and performances organized by Cat Cat citizens as a celebration and promotion of the tribe heritage.