9th Sept 2018 - Sunday : Night
Took Sapa Express sleeper bus (38 beds) [24 USD return per pax] from Hanoi to Sapa. The website stated 10pm departs and arrival at 3 30am. They have free pick up from Old Quarters (a part of Hanoi), they picked us up from Old Quarters around 10 15/ 10 20pm, proceed to change bus and we reached Sapa around 3 30/ 4am. we're allowed to stay in the bus until 6am, and they will blast music to wake everybody up.
10th Sept 2018 - Monday
Had a dented luggage (probably due to road conditions or improper handling of luggage), which i believe is due to improper handling (never have any luggage issues via flights), and i complained via email and they told me to get to their office and they will un-dent the luggage for me. Well, i did not, worried that they will break it instead. That's the only downside of my trip to Sapa.
Booked Sapa Unique Hotel with mountain view, however, due to water pressure issues, they transferred us to Freesia Hotel (which is further from the Sapa cable car station and bus station). Anyway, we had a great stay with excellent breakfast and view.
Due to time constraint, we only spent 2d1n at Sapa. Went to Cat Cat Village and Mount Fansipan, weather was just nice to wander around.
Cat Cat Village - entrance ticket : 70k VND
we walked from hotel to nearby Sapa Station for breakfast and then to Cat Cat Village. around 3km from hotel to Cat Cat Village, it wasn't far, in fact we love strolling in cool weather. You have to go downhill to Cat Cat Village, and we took bike up after that, 3 pax squeeze on a bike, what an experience.
Mount Fansipan - railway and cable car : 750k VND + Funicular ride 80k VND up , 70k VND down / or take the stairs up or down
Sapa Station is just next to Sapa Express bus station. Took mountain railway from Sapa Station, change to cable car and ride up to Mount Fansipan and then either take the stairs to the top or take a funicular ride up/ down. The view from the cable car ride was amazing!
11th Sept 2018 - Tuesday
The next day, we went back to Hanoi with Sapa Express sleeper bus as well at 1pm and reached Hanoi around 8pm.