Issue link: https://bluemagazine.uberflip.com/i/25256
OUTFITTERS HANDSPAN TOURS, VIETNAM While there are many outfitters in the region, one stands out from the rest. The best of the "budget" adventure operators, Handspan knows the area exceptionally well; it uses local guides, many of them from Sapa vi llages, or young col lege students. Thei r booking office at 80 Ma May Street in Hanoi shares space with the best vegetarian restaurant in town, The Tamarind. Three days; $74 per person; group size three to six; year-round; 84-04-926-0581, www.handspan.com.handspan@hn.vnn.vn heads, local drivers in old Russian jeeps wait to take hikers on a bumpy and exciting one- to two-hour drive back up to Sapa. By law a guide is required to assist anyone wanting to hike for more than a day out of Sapa. This is more of a convenience than a hassle, as guides generally charge only $10 a day and are invaluable interpreters, helping to arrange home stays. A good place to start your search for a guide is the Cat Cat Hotel in Sapa. A popular hangout with breathtaking views from its restaurant terrace. Mrs. Le Loan who runs the joint is known for helping independent travelers. For groups, tour operators in Hanoi, 10 hours southeast of Sapa, can also help organ- ize multi day treks through the network of Sapa's satellite villages. The best time to visit Sapa is during the dry season, roughly from January to June. Sapa is the coldest region in Vietnam, so be sure to bring plenty of warm clothes-all of the home stays include bedding, so you don't need a sleeping bag. The Sapa region of northwest Vietnam is the country's hidden jewel. Overlooked by many of the tourists who are swarming throughout much of Vietnam, the mountains around Sapa are blessed with not only cultu ra l diversity but with unspoiled beauty. Finding untouched trekking opportunities has become harder and harder in today's rapidly shrinking world. Beyond the immediate vil- lages around Sapa, much of the land has yet to be explored for trekking, and adventures to such outposts could prove to be even more impressive.-Will Hair 49