Sunworld Fansipan Legend, Sapa

- July 13, 2019

When you come to Sapa, Fansipan must be in your itinerary. The entrance fee is 600,000vnd. It costs a bomb but it is still attracting tourists to be there even it is 1,000,000vnd. Many reasons why you should be here versus the costly ticket price.

There are a lot of photo taking places and markets around the cable car station and it is free. It starts to cost you money when you plan to take the cable car.

Fansipan is a mountain in Vietnam. At 3,143 metres (10,312 ft), it is the highest mountain in the Indochinese Peninsula (comprising Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia), hence its nickname "the Roof of Indochina". It is located in the Lào Cai Province of the Northwest region of Vietnam, 9 km southwest of Sa Pa Township in the Hoang Lien Son mountain range.

Located in the Hoang Lien Son mountain range. It was once only visited by adventure seekers fit enough to make the strenuous hike, but now this mountain offers a few different experiences for all types of travelers.

A cable car is really huge. It can easily accommodate more than 40 people in it. This is the biggest cable car I have sit on to date.

Opened since February 2016, Fansipan cable car tours have welcomed thousands of both domestic and foreign tourists. Many people are eager to go to Sapa to experience the Fansipan cable car. The special cable system with two Guinness World Records is one of the reasons to be here.

The scenery below the cable car is truly amazing. The view of the rice terrace is just so captivating and you just can't get enough of it. This is the best aerial view you can get unless you have a drone.

The ride will takes about 20 minutes. However, try to get as many photos as you can because after that you will see nothing because you are already within the cloud.

Oh by the way, to get to here. It is either by taxi or you rent your own motorbike for about 20 minutes from Sapa Town. There is no public bus to reach here. The good news is there is a better option which is just began on March 2018. A train is available! The 2 km long rail route comprises two tunnels and four viaducts, passing over Muong Hoa mountain. It allows trains to run at a maximum speed of 10 m/s. It is only 4 minutes ride and costs 200,000vnd per person.

Once you have reached there, you will start to feel the cold breeze to your bone but that's not the peak yet. There are two options to get to the peak. You can choose either taking the train or walking up by yourself for about 20 minutes or more if you are taking your own sweet time for photography.

The price of the train is 70,000vnd to go up and 80,000vnd to go down. No idea why is going down is costing more.

Alright, let's rock you some awesome pictures! I have been there for two times but I compiled it in one post so you get to see the difference between two different season when visiting. This picture was taken during the month of August which is the autumn season.

This picture was taken during the month of February which is still a winter season at the same spot. One is clear while this one is so misty and basically you see nothing.

Since the first time during the autumn, I have taken the train to the peak. So during the winter which was the second time visit, I decided to climb all the way up and experiencing the chilling bone weather.

Basically, you can't survive without a winter jacket. Getting one isn't expensive at all at Sapa Town. It just cost us 300,000vnd for one. It is pretty decent quality too.

Cold is nothing to us especially we still able to take awesome pictures like below. For your information, at that time was 3 degrees Celsius.

And we had ice cream too! Can't find any better challenge than this.

The initial metal pyramid was made and installed here by Soviet engineers from Hòa Bình in 1985. The amateur mountaineering expedition was the first one since the end of the colonial period and was officially timed to the 40th anniversary of the Victory Day of the Soviet Union over Nazi Germany.

We got to the peak but the cold wind was really merciless here and we were unable to stay there for long. Can't wait to get to the indoor. No matter what, we still feel it is a waste of money for not able to see anything around except experiencing the coldness. As you can see the pictures below during my autumn visit is way more breathtaking.

The origin of the name Phan Xi Păng is unclear. The most accepted theory is that the name evolved from Hủa Xi Pan (the tottering giant rock) - the name that the locals called the mountain based on its shape. Another theory suggested that the name came from Hmong people as the name means Azalea Mountain in their language due to the prevalence of azalea and other species of Rhododendron genus on the mountain.

It has also been suggested that the name could have derived from Phan Văn Sơn, a geography official in the Nguyen dynasty who helped the French to map the area and define the border with China in 1905. Due to the inaccurate local pronunciation, the name generally evolved into Phan Xi Păng.

Fansipan was formed around 250-260 million years ago, between the Permian period in the Paleozoic era and the Triassic period in the Mesozoic era. The Himalayan orogeny since Late Meosozic has further uplifted Fansipan and the Hoang Lien Son Range and created the Red River Fault to the east. Currently, the mountain continues to be raised at a rate of 0.032 m (0.10 ft) a year.

Enjoy my following pictures so you know when you should be here.

Things to Remember When Taking the Fansipan Cable Car

Opening hours: 7.30 am to 5.30 pm everyday
Visitors with a history of cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases are highly recommended not to conquer Fansipan because the elevation above 3,000 meters, high humidity, and oxygen-deficient air can endanger your health.
Bring snacks, drinking water or some favorite food so you do not get hungry or thirsty because food and services on the mountain are expensive
Do not bring too many things, bulky items because the management will not allow you to take the cable car cabinets
Dress neatly, warm enough for climbing, dress clothes which can be easily take off if it is hot. Whether you take your cable car tour in the morning or afternoon, remember to bring your gloves, towels, and woolen hat because the temperature on top of the mountain is just about 8 degrees Celsius
When climbing, you should remember to take a break and should not be too hard because the steps are high and steep. Fansipan is nearly 3000 meters high so the oxygen rate is quite low. You have to go slowly to avoid low blood pressure and shortness of breath.
When climbing, absolutely do not smoke because it is easy to cause the forest fire
Do not litter along the way as you will affect the surrounding landscape

Overall, this is one of the best place that Vietnam can offer which you just cannot resist it. I highly recommend this place regardless how much the price it costs. It cost way more cheaper than hiking up.

Total Damage: 600,000vnd per person
Ambiance: 5/5
Service: 4/5
Price: 1/5
Recommended?: Absolutely!