Stop 1 Sapa Museum Some exhibits of a few of the many hill tribes, I hadn't been before so it was worth a visit- not a stellar attraction as far as museums go but still …
Stop 2 Mount Fansipan. once accessible only after a three day hike up the 3,143 metre high Phan Xi Păngwhich is the highest mountain in South East Asia, and rarely climbed- at least officially, because I'm sure some of the local hill tribe people made the trek as part of a pilgrimage to the holy mountain. All that has now changed with the opening of the relentlessly commercial combination Sun World Fansipan Legend Funicular – Cable Car – Funicular. Just near the town square is the start of Sun World; purchase tickets and go on the funicular to get to the cable station (about 20 minutes), go up several escalators and hop onto the record breaking cable car.
The cable car has the greatest height difference (about 1,000m) and span between the two end points (1,410m) of any three strand cable car in the world. After working up at Sydney Tower for so many years I was surprised to experience, as we went over the valley, a touch of vertigo, but then the Tower at 306m is relatively puny compared to the drop into the valley. After arrival it's a couple of more escalators to get to the first viewing platform, past warning signs advising people to be aware of possible altitude sickness and to walk slowly.
Up another 200 metres or so over several sweeps of stairs to the next funicular, or more stairs if you're so inclined– I wasn't, to the summit at 3,143 metres. The views were amazing and even better we were above the haze line with clouds sweeping around, below and above. At times the clouds closed in and then suddenly opened out revealing some startling views.
Stop 3 Nhà Thờ Đá (Notre Dame Cathedral) and Thuê Xe Máy (Town Square). Opposite Sun World is Thuê Xe Máy (Town Square) and Nhà Thờ Đá (Notre Dame Cathedral). Hill tribe people were socialising in front of the cathedral while some of the town boys were playing soccer in the square, also known as the Love Market. The concrete surface must be a good training ground for them to learn to stay upright while playing because I didn't see a single boy fall and scrape themselves, even though they were playing vigorously; rugby, however, would be totally out of contention.
