Sapa is a name that resonates with adventure, but while many travelers stick to the well-trodden paths of the town center or the Muong Hoa valley's entrance, the true spirit of the Northwest is found much deeper.

Northern Vietnam is a land of vertical extremes, where the earth seems to touch the sky and the mountains are carved into a thousand emerald steps. While many travelers experience the beauty of this highland frontier through the windows of a luxury bus or on foot during a trekking expedition,