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If you consider yourself to be a traveler instead of a 'tourist,' you might probably find the whole concept of sapa tours on the cheesy side. We can't say we can blame you. After all, who hasn't been traumatized by the whole experience of having to mark yourself with stickers on your chest and follow brightly colored flags waved by tour guides who seem to be always in a hurry? Who doesn't get annoyed at the distinct hassle of zipping from one tourist bus to another as the whole group rushes from one tour destination to another? Talk about draining the essence out of a vacation. Talk about draining the life out of what would otherwise have been a great destination. The good news is that travel tours and, if you are interested in seeing the great rice terraces of Sapa, Vietnam, sapa tours, do not have to be cheesy. Really, they don't have to be. You just have to find a more modern tour operator that doesn't believe in herding people or sucking the marrow out of what would otherwise be an awesome exploration of a manmade wonder. If you want your sapa tours to be cheese-free and less 'touristy,' look for the following features.
Flexible groups
The best tour groups are those that let you blend in and out of the same tour operator's tour groups. Say the same operator has four groups visiting the same set of itineraries. If you are using a tour operator who runs flexible groups, you can leave your group, walk around and take your time exploring the local flavor and food and then meet up with the next group run by the same operator. Of course, not operators offer this flexibility due to the fixed amount of seating at tour buses so you need to look for the right operators.
Extended experiences on the terraces
The Sapa terraces look awesome when viewed from afar. How can they not? After all, when you look at them from far off, you get to see them from one hill to another. You see the full picture. However, if you really want to experience Sapa on a personal and immediate level, there are no two ways about it-you would have to get off the bus and walk. Walking the terraces sure is a different experience than looking at the terrace from afar. Looking at the terraces from far off creates an emotional detachment. Sure, you are blown away by the scope and scale of the terraces but it is a purely detached image. If you want to tap into the culture that made the terraces happen, you might want to pick sapa tours that let you walk through the paddies and, if you are lucky, even help some tribe members plant some rice. Talk about an up close and personal way to experience Sapa. In fact, rolling up your sleeves and putting on a farmer's hat transform you from a mere tourist to an actual Sapa traveler. It helps you lock in the experience.
Flexible groups
The best tour groups are those that let you blend in and out of the same tour operator's tour groups. Say the same operator has four groups visiting the same set of itineraries. If you are using a tour operator who runs flexible groups, you can leave your group, walk around and take your time exploring the local flavor and food and then meet up with the next group run by the same operator. Of course, not operators offer this flexibility due to the fixed amount of seating at tour buses so you need to look for the right operators.
Extended experiences on the terraces
The Sapa terraces look awesome when viewed from afar. How can they not? After all, when you look at them from far off, you get to see them from one hill to another. You see the full picture. However, if you really want to experience Sapa on a personal and immediate level, there are no two ways about it-you would have to get off the bus and walk. Walking the terraces sure is a different experience than looking at the terrace from afar. Looking at the terraces from far off creates an emotional detachment. Sure, you are blown away by the scope and scale of the terraces but it is a purely detached image. If you want to tap into the culture that made the terraces happen, you might want to pick sapa tours that let you walk through the paddies and, if you are lucky, even help some tribe members plant some rice. Talk about an up close and personal way to experience Sapa. In fact, rolling up your sleeves and putting on a farmer's hat transform you from a mere tourist to an actual Sapa traveler. It helps you lock in the experience.
