Arriving in the Sapa highland town, tourists will be impressed by the splendid landscapes and professionalism in doing tourism business of the people here.
Ham Rong Mountain is kept clean, and trees are well taken care of. Cat Cat Village has many souvenir shops and local sellers are always friendly and happy to local and foreign visitors.
The most striking factor in Sapa is its culture and people, but they seem to fall into oblivion. Typical roofs of houses in Cat Cat Village seem to be lost in the commercialization process. Roads are opened but in remote villages, under the extreme cold weather, children still wear very thin clothes and worn-out slippers, or even go to school on bare foot. And at nights, many kids huddled themselves in the chilly wind of one Celsius degree to dance with khèn, a local music instrument, to make fun for guests so as to earn some money for their families.
All show that Sapa people are more aware of the importance of luring visitors to come back than those in other tourist sites nationwide. Sapa people protect their scenic spots well and decrease charges of some tourist destinations, and says ‘no’ to overcharging visitors at hotels and restaurants during the peak season.
Japanese sakura flowers are blooming at the Sapa People’s Committee and visitors can take photos or take a walk around this place as there is no barrier between governmental offices and tourists.
