点评:TOUR MANAGEMENT
Jenny was an excellent tour manager - she was always quick to respond to any questions and on top of all our last minute requests. She arranged a custom trip based on one of those offered by them and was very accommodating when we added two people on to the trip and then had to remove them again a few days before we went. She met us at the hotel to ensure we got on our bus safely and kept in touch at all key travel points; she also came to meet us on our return to make sure we could get back to our hotel safely. We couldn't be happier with the work she put in.
TRAVEL TO AND FROM SAPA
We had 6 people in our group and the 6 hour bus ride was not something any of us were looking forward to however the limousine bus out to Sapa really was luxury - individual recliner seats with massagers, heat/cooling functions and in seat chargers - made it a really enjoyable ride. We stopped twice at different locations for toilet breaks and meals - nice opportunity to refresh and buy some souvenirs and snacks. The return bus was the individual sleeper pod which also quite luxurious however as we had two people in our group who do get motion sick, they found this more trying. They had little to no issues on the seated recliners of the Sapa-bound bus but the sleeper couch version to Hanoi did exacerbate the issue for them; it's worth bearing in mind that if you do suffer from motion sickness that it's better to have the bottom bunk (minimises the sway) or see if you can arrange to get the recliner seat limousine both ways. This is in no way a reflection on Jenny or the tour operator - more something to consider if it might affect you.
HOTEL STAY
The Sapa Passion Hotel was lovely - the rooms were much bigger than in Hanoi and while only a short walk from the main Sapa CBD, it was enough away that the lights and noise of the tourist hostel/restaurant district couldn't be heard through the night. The breakfast buffet was nice - not too fancy but plenty of variety to choose from.
LUNCHES
The lunches in Sapa were at two different places - the set menu was covered by the tour fee but drinks were extra (inexpensive). The food was plentiful and very good - we weren't able to finish it all even as hungry as we were.
LOCAL GUIDE AND KEY LOCATIONS
Our guide in Sapa, Lee Su of the Flower H'mong, was such a joy. He was positive, energetic and had a lovely sense of humour. He was very good at trying to optimise our time so that we could avoid the heaviest tourist crowds. He timed our first trip to Rong May Glass Bridge well and was happy to share his knowledge of the area. He even managed to get us to the Lonely Tree just at sunset for some absolutely stunning views and gave us some recommendations for quieter, less tourist-focused places to eat.
On day 2, he got us up to Fansipan before all the crowds had made their way up. It was shrouded in cloud but that did give it a wonderful sense of remoteness even surrounded by other tourists. The cable car view is incredible and the story of the project to build it was fascinating. After we came down to the Fansipan Legend village, he took the time to talk us through the different local tribe living exhibits and identified the made on site vs the mass produced souvenirs.
He (and Jenny) were also good enough to do a last minute addition for us to take us to his own hown village, Lao Chai and talk very openly about their day-to-day lives and customs. We were incredibly grateful that we were able to do this as having talked with him during the tour, it was a privilege to get to see and understand more about what life is like there. When I asked, he was also very honest about tourism being a great thing for the area; prior to Sapa becoming a tourist destination, many of the local people had to leave their homes and communities to find work. Now, they can continue to live the way they prefer but also have money coming in so they have more to subsist on than their personal farming. I really appreciated his openness on this and they way they live as it can feel intrusive to treat their home/life as an exhibit; however this helped me to understand that they've found a way to make it work for them so they can work and live more prosperously without sacrificing their family/tribe values.
ADDITIONAL NOTES
Don't forget to take your passport with you as you'll need them to check in to the hotel.
There is a lot of walking to get to the Fansipan summit and it can be quite crowded. If you have mobility issues, definitely consider using the funicula to make it close to the top.
You only get a few hours on each day to explore so plan the key things you want to do ahead of time and talk to the tour operator to see what's feasible.
The temperature difference between Sapa Village and the summit of Fansipan is quite extreme - it remained in cloud for us so Fansipan was about 14 degrees with some strong winds while Sapa Village was in the 30's and had high humidity. Pack wisely.
There are a number of activities if you go to Rong May Glass Bridge - if you're intending to do them, make sure you have shoes that are unlikely to fall/fly off. It can also get quite windy so take some layers to combat any wind chill.
FINAL REVIEW
Excellent trip, good value for money and a local guide is invaluable. Very much wish we could have extended our time there as there are a lot of beautiful hikes and trails that Lee Su was able to recommmend.
翻译:旅游管理
珍妮是一位非常优秀的旅游经理——她总是能迅速回复我们的任何问题,并及时满足我们所有临时提出的要求。她根据他们提供的行程之一为我们定制了一次旅行,而且在我们出发前几天临时增加两位成员又取消时,她也非常通情达理。她亲自到酒店接我们,确保我们安全上车,并在所有重要的旅行节点与我们保持联系;返程时她也来接我们,确保我们安全返回酒店。我们对她的付出非常满意。
往返沙巴的交通
我们一行六人,六个小时的巴士车程并非我们所有人都期待的,但前往沙巴的豪华巴士确实非常舒适——配备按摩、加热/制冷功能和座椅充电器的独立躺椅,让旅程非常愉快。途中我们在不同的地点停留了两次,方便我们上厕所和用餐——这是个放松身心、购买纪念品和零食的好机会。回程巴士是单人卧铺舱,虽然也很豪华,但我们团里有两位晕车,所以他们觉得比较难受。去程沙巴的巴士是躺椅式座椅,他们几乎没有晕车,但回程的卧铺沙发却加剧了他们的晕车症状。如果您容易晕车,最好选择下铺(可以最大程度地减少摇晃),或者尽量安排往返都乘坐躺椅式豪华巴士。这并非针对Jenny或旅行社,只是提醒您如果晕车可能会影响您的行程。
酒店住宿
沙巴激情酒店 (Sapa Passion Hotel) 非常棒——房间比河内的大得多,虽然离沙巴市中心只有几步之遥,但又足够远,晚上听不到旅游旅馆/餐厅区的灯光和噪音。自助早餐很不错——虽然不算特别豪华,但种类丰富。
午餐
我们在沙巴的午餐是在两家不同的餐厅享用的——套餐包含在团费里,但饮料需要额外付费(价格不贵)。食物分量很足,味道也非常好——即使我们当时很饿,也没能全部吃完。
当地导游和主要景点
我们在沙巴的导游李苏(Lee Su)来自花苗族,他非常热情友好。他积极乐观、精力充沛,而且很有幽默感。他非常善于优化我们的行程安排,让我们避开了游客高峰期。他安排我们第一次去荣梅玻璃桥的时间非常合适,并且乐于分享他对当地的了解。他甚至设法带我们赶在日落时分到达孤树,欣赏到了令人叹为观止的美景,还推荐了一些比较安静、游客较少的餐厅。
第二天,他带我们登上了番西邦峰,避开了游客高峰期。虽然云雾缭绕,但这反而营造出一种奇妙的静谧感,即便周围都是游客。缆车上的景色令人叹为观止,而建造缆车的缘起也引人入胜。抵达番西邦传说村后,他耐心地为我们讲解了各个当地部落的生活场景,并区分了当地制作的工艺品和批量生产的纪念品。
他(和珍妮)还非常热情地临时安排了行程,带我们去了他自己的家乡老寨,并坦诚地向我们介绍了村民们的日常生活和习俗。我们非常感激能有这样的机会,因为在游览过程中已经和他聊过天,现在能亲眼目睹并深入了解当地的生活,真是莫大的荣幸。当我问起时,他也坦诚地表示旅游业对当地来说是一件好事;在沙巴成为旅游胜地之前,许多当地人不得不离开家园和社区去谋生。现在,他们既可以继续过自己喜欢的生活,又能有收入来源,生活开支不再局限于自家耕种。我非常欣赏他坦诚地分享自己的生活方式,因为把他们的家和生活当作展览品来参观可能会让人觉得有些冒犯;但这让我明白,他们找到了一种适合自己的生活方式,既能工作又能过上更富裕的生活,同时又不牺牲家庭和部落的价值观。
补充说明
别忘了带上护照,因为入住酒店时需要用到。
前往番西邦峰顶需要步行很长一段路,而且那里可能会非常拥挤。如果您行动不便,强烈建议您乘坐缆车前往山顶附近。
每天只有几个小时的游览时间,所以请提前规划好您想体验的主要项目,并与旅行社沟通,了解哪些行程可行。
沙巴村和番西邦峰顶的温差非常大——我们去的时候山顶云雾缭绕,所以番西邦峰顶只有14度左右,风也很大;而沙巴村则高达30多度,湿度也很大。务必做好充分的行李准备。
如果您前往荣梅玻璃桥,有很多活动可以参加——如果您打算参加,请务必穿不容易脱落的鞋子。那里风也比较大,所以最好多穿几层衣服以防寒。
最终评价
这是一次非常棒的旅行,物超所值,当地向导非常宝贵。我们真希望能够延长在那里的时间,因为李苏推荐了很多美丽的徒步路线和步道。