If so and the thought of mountains trekking enthuses you, you shouldn’t miss the opportunity when in Vietnam.
Mt Fansipan, Vietnam's highest mountain is at 3143 meters. Although only 9 km from Sapa town, it takes at least three days to get to the peak and back. Fansipan is not only the highest mountain in Vietnam, it is also the highest mountain in Indochina - comprising of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. If you arrive in Hanoi, you can get a night train from Hanoi to Lao Cai.
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Photo by Hadzunghiep |
The next stop, the 2,800m mark and the second stage is quite tough. As you will crest the mountain landscape, this inevitably will lead to quite a few dips after some vigorous climbing. You will probably use our own hands to get some grip off the tree's stems. This 2,800m mark is also a fantastic spot for sky-gazing. As you will spend several days to get to the top, after the sun goes down, it is all dark and cold. Flashlight and basically anything to warm up became essential at such time. That "anything" could be a camp fire, some hot ginger tea, and a thick set of sleeping bags or even a shot of rice wine. Don’t forget to bring the in.
Apparently you won’t be an exception and will also have that nibbling doubt that always appears while climbing a mountain, the one that asks “why the hell am I doing this”?
But once you reach the peak, the view will clear away every bit of doubt along with the clouds. You will be above the clouds with a clear view on the orange colored horizon thinking “Damn, it is the beautiful sunrise”.