Getting there: Hanoi to Sapa is a nearly 10-hour trip by road or train. Vietnamese trains can be uncomfortable for those accustomed to Western railroads, but there's now an extra car with soft sleepers that makes a Friday overnight run to Lao Cai and a return to Hanoi on Sunday night. Round trip $55.
Where to stay: The new Victoria Sapa, with rooms ranging from $82 for a regular room to $180 for a suite, is relatively plush with a health club, heated pool and tennis courts. Simpler lodging can be had for as little as $10 per night.Food: Though pricey, the Victoria Sapa offers good cuisine from a Swiss chef. On the other end of the spectrum, traditional pho ga (chicken noodle) soup can be found for less than $1.
Weather: A welcome respite from Vietnam's summertime steamy heat, it can get downright cold in winter in Sapa, where nighttime temperatures sometimes drop as low as minus 2 Celsius (28 F.).
What to do: Visit the colorful marketplaces and haggle for handicracts with Hmong, Dao and four other ethnic minorities. Watch -- surreptiously -- Sapa's Saturday night "Love Market." Hike or ride horseback in the surrounding mountains. Rent a Russian jeep or motorbike to explore remote villages.
Web site: More information is available at the Vietnamese government's tourism Web site, www.vietnamtourism.com.