Victoria Sapa Resort & Spa Hotel

Lao Cai

Covered with mountains and high plateaus over two thirds of its territory, Vietnam is situated on the eastern coast of the Indochinese peninsula facing the China Sea. At each end of the country, there’s a plain irrigated by a river, the Mekong in the south and the Song Koi, the famous red river in the north.

It’s in this northern part of Vietnam, once called Tonkin, that we find the mountainous province of Lao Cai and the city of Sapa. Perched on the side of Mount Fan Si Pan at an altitude of 1,600 meters, Sapa, in the early 20^th century, was a vacation retreat for French colonials trying to escape the tropical heat of the plains. It’s on these heights that numerous ethnic minorities took refuge throughout the centuries. There are about 17 of these groups adjacent to Sapa including the H’Mong, Muong, Dao, Giay and Tay all of whom live here in total autonomy, thus preserving their cultural identity. On Saturdays, in the Sapa market, many of them dressed in their colorful native costumes come to sell their hand made craftwork. For the past several years, these ethnic minorities and the beauty of the magnificent landscapes have attracted tourists throughout the world to this region.

The mountains are covered with man made terraced rice fields. Tourists enjoy walking through the forests of pine and giant bamboo as well as visiting the villages situated on the rocky mountain peaks in order to make the acquaintance of the diverse ethnic peoples and learn about their fascinating and varied cultures.

A chalet in the Vietnamese Alps

Situated on the heights of Sapa, the Victoria Sapa Resort & Spa Hotel, with its ocher façade and its numerous wooden balconies looks a bit like a mountain chalet. This member of the refined Victoria Hotel and Resort chain, is the ideal spot to return to after hiking on Mount Fan Si Pan. The interior décor with a predominance of stone and wood reinforces the warm chalet atmosphere embellished with colonial touches.

The spacious and comfortable rooms have a totally Asian décor with dark wood parquet floors and furniture, dark yellow walls enhanced in some of the rooms by wooden crosspieces which serve as headboards for the beds, ceiling fans and touches of vivid colors on the cushions and bedspreads which recall the colors of local, traditional costumes. The majority of the rooms have a large wood balcony with a magnificent view of the valley, the French style garden or the high, uniformly trimmed palms.

Just above the hotel, a spa, surrounded by a tennis and a volleyball court, offer indispensable relaxation treatments. Whether a guest is a trekking enthusiast or an occasional hiker, there is nothing like a long, relaxing massage at the end of the day. In the spa’s main room with dark parquet floors, guests can receive the treatment they need lying on a bright red mattress of an immaculate canopy bed. Other relaxing possibilities include swimming a few lengths of the pool or simply ensconcing oneself on a sofa with the same bright red color, around the fireplace with a cup of tea and a good book. After a drink at the bar or trying out the pool table, it’s time to enjoy the hotel’s excellent cuisine. Meat and fish dishes enhanced by a subtle blend of herbs and spices will satisfy even the most demanding palates.

Guests can reach the Victoria Sapa via the hotel group’s train called the Victoria Express. Two luxurious sleeper cars can receive up to 48 passengers for a mythical journey aboard this historic train whose line was opened by the French in 1910 and was reopened in 1992. There are six trains weekly linking Hanoi and Lao Cai, a small station 40 kilometers from Sapa.