At five in the morning, the train departing Hanoi slowly comes to a stop at Lao Cai Station. Few people come to this city specifically to travel to Lao Cai. From the moment you step off the platform, sounds can be heard from all directions. “Sapa? Sapa?” Drivers shout, and travelers check numbers to find their pickup vehicles. For some, this city is merely a transit point. A place to get off briefly and then get back on the vehicle. I have stopped at this station more than ten times. Each time, not once [… ]

After booking a package tour to Vietnam, you have likely experienced something like this once you are there. During the itinerary, you are suddenly led into a lacquerware shop, and although the guide says, "You may just look around," an awkward atmosphere hangs in the air. You feel like it would be rude not to shop, but if you do, you don't feel like buying anything. Why does this happen? I have worked as a guide and operated a travel agency in Northern Vietnam for over 10 years. Package

When I meet a friend returning from a trip, I don't ask, "How was it?" because the answer is already predetermined. "It was good. The food was delicious, and the weather was nice." The moment I hear those words, I know what kind of trip it was. A trip I saw but didn't experience. A trip I went on, but nothing changed. A trip where only a new stamp was added to my passport. For years, regarding filling in the blank spaces of a passport...

Leaving Hanoi is always at night. Standing on the Hanoi station platform, the smell of oil, the unfamiliar scent of fabric softener from luggage, and the unique tension and excitement of people setting off somewhere mingle together. It is not sound, but vibration, that signals the train's departure. To anyone asking how to get to Sapa, I always ask back first, "How would you like to arrive?" The distance from Hanoi to Sapa is approximately 320 kilometers. As for what kind of experience those 320 kilometers become,

There are people who describe Sapa and Fansipan like this: “I took the cable car up, took some photos, and came back down.” That’s not wrong. You can actually do just that. The cable car is fast, the summit is high, and the photos turn out well. And then you go home and say, “I’ve been to Fansipan.” The highest peak in Indochina, 3,143 meters above sea level. “I’ve been there.” But something remains. I have been guiding this path for years. Hanoi

The feeling of first landing in Hanoi varies depending on the season. If you arrive in the summer, the air rushes in even before the airplane door opens. It is heavy and humid. It feels as if hot steam is entering your lungs directly. If you land in the winter, it is the opposite. Those who underestimated Southeast Asia and faced January in Hanoi wearing only a thin layer of clothing know this. They know there is a damp chill that penetrates to the bone. Spring and autumn are different yet again. Drizzle falling like fog, and a smell.