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The final destination of our Việt Nam visit is a resort town named Sa Pa in the Northwest corner, at the foot of the highest mountain in the country, Fan Si Pan (3,143 m or 10,312 ft). Nestled in the mountains at 1,500 m (4,500 ft), Sa Pa benefits from cooler temperatures than in most of the country. Toward the end of the 19th century, the French discovered it and soon began building villas for French colonials to use to escape from the heat and humidity of the Red River delta. Today, both lowlander Vietnamese and foreign tourists from around the world come to Sa Pa for its beautiful scenery and to see the way of life of the ethnic minorities that inhabit the area.
I took the photo below from the window of our hotel room which faced Fan Si Pan. Clouds descended from Fan Si Pan to regularly shroud Sa Pa and the hamlets around it with a thick and fast moving fog. The scenery could actually change within seconds, and on many occasions, by the time I got set up to take a shot, fog had covered and hidden what I was aiming for.

View from hotel window. Most of the time Fan Si Pan, the highest mountain in Việt Nam was covered by clouds and fog.
A favorite for many are the rice terraces built over many centuries on mountain slopes by the ethnic minorities living in the area. The rice had been harvested when we were there, so most of the fields were brown and fallow, except where vegetables were grown.
The day before we left, the sun finally came out and illuminated the whole valley. Fortunately, we had climbed up to the top of Hàm Rồng mountain (1,800 m or 5,200 ft) which offered a clear view of the town of Sa Pa below it.
! Love the house in the clouds capture!
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! you captured so many amazing pictures of Sa Pa. I love the black/white Sa Pa in the clouds.
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Beautiful scenery, Hien! Love the house in the clouds capture!!
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In Viet Nam, Sa Pa is without equal for scenery. I was thinking how it would be to live in a house in the clouds. Now that I think of it, at times our hotel was also in the clouds, especially in the morning.
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Gorgeous! Such a well situated town, with the water and mountains. I like the contrast between Sapa in the clouds and the second to last photo.
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This is beautiful country indeed, and that’s why tourists are flocking there.
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Gorgeous photos and vistas, Hien. That is an enormous climb!
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It was along climb, but they had stairs in several places, with tall steps, so it was not too bad. Some people did abandon it half way through.
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So beautiful, love the mountain views and the rice field. 🙂
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Thank you Amy!
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Wow! you captured so many amazing pictures of Sa Pa. I love the black/white Sa Pa in the clouds. I may come back to see Sa Pa and Fan Si Pan in a few years. Thanks for sharing and have a nice day.
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If you go back, keep in mind they have a cable car now that will take you to the top of Fan Si Pan effortlessly!
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I had no idea that there were mountains that tall in Viet Nam, so once again, I learned something new from your travels.
I loved all the photos, the scenery was spectacular, and you captured it very well!
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Thank you Jerry. Mountains always enhance the landscape, and Viet Nam, at the end of the Himalaya range has a good number of them along its Western borders in the North and the Center.
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Des photos merveilleuses
Une magnifique invitation au voyage…
Joyeux dimanche
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Merci beaucoup! Vous devez aller là bas, un de ces jours.
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Beautiful photos. You had a beautiful trip. How did it feel to be back home after all those years?
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Thanks Katelon. I am happy I went back, but like the saying goes, “you can never go home again.”
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Very nice images
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Thank you very much Michael!
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Beautiful scenery! Really like the low clouds you have captured in several images.
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Thanks Tiny. This landscape is made for photography, whether the sun cooperates or not.
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