Topas Ecolodge

When I went to Sapa I stayed at the Topas Ecolodge. It’s made up of these adorable little lodges up in the mountains with an infinity pool, spa and restaurant.

I booked my trekking tour through the lodge. They offer a handful of different tours such as a day trip to the city of sapa or mountain biking. I chose the trekking option. When I booked it I thought I’d be joining a group of people but when I showed up it turned out it was just the guide and myself. It was a two day trek, the second day was definitely more hilly, dirty, snakey and challenging as we’d gone off any paths and straight into the fields, I’ve gone into a bit more detail on the trek here.

Lunch was included on the second day when we reached their Topas Riverside Lodge (another lodge owned by the same company). Everyone on this little adventure was very accommodating towards vegetarians, I didn't have any issues.

They’re a plastic free resort so they give you reusable tumblers and have refill stations around the lodge. There are also a few designated stops during the trek to refill your bottles but I do recommend asking for a second tumbler because you’re going to get thirsty what with all that heat. I’ve never sweat so much in my life. They offered me a second tumbler before the first trek and I said “no thnx I’ve got one” and then I very quickly realized why they offered me the second bottle. The first day was about a 2-3 hour trek in the late afternoon after arriving at the lodge. The second day was closer to 6 hours total, beginning early in the morning and ending around 2 or 3 in the afternoon depending on how many photo stops you take.

They also picked me up and dropped me off at my hotel in Hanoi. It was a 5 hour drive both ways with a 20 minute pit stop around 2 hours outside of Sapa.

If you’re going as a solo traveler I’d recommend emailing the lodge to make a booking. On their site you could only book the hike for a minimum of 2 people, but if you email them and let them know you’re alone they’ll offer you a single person rate.

The rooms have a safe, some water to refill your bottles with, a variety of loose leaf teas and a kettle. The beds are comfortable and the bug net is useful.

The infinity pool at the lodge was definitely a highlight, however, the amount of influencers wearing over the top swimwear standing on the ledge in awkward poses was doing my head in.

Recommended Accommodation

Topas Ecolodge (It’s a bit pricey)

Topas Riverside Lodge (Cheaper option)

What to Expect on a Trek in Sa Pa

When I went trekking in Sa Pa I booked it through the Topas Ecolodge. It was a two day trek with just the guide and myself. The first day was a bit more relaxed pace and lasted about 2 or 3 hours in the afternoon after we’d arrived at the lodge. We went through some fields. We ran into a group of boys and their dog swimming in a river. They were cute. They helped me across the water. I had to take my shoes and socks off and just go for it while they carried my things to the other side. Then we walked through a little village and saw a school and lots of Black H’Mong women hanging their laundry. 

The second day was a lot more challenging. When we’d walk uphill it never ended. We’d go around a corner and I’d expect the path to flatten out but it just kept going up. The guide seemed to be used to it. I definitely wasn’t. 

The part that scared me the most was snakes. The whole time I was worried about spiders. I asked the guide before our trek about spiders but he said they weren’t an issue and that snakes are the bigger problem. I asked the guide if he ever sees any during a trek and he responded with “sometimes”. This is the exact response the lady at the lodge gave me when I asked her the same question - “sometimes”. Not even “nah don’t worry about it, they’re pretty rare.” Or a “yeah but don’t don’t worry you’ll be fine they don’t like people”. Just “sometimes”. I was very concerned. Anyway, on our second day we did have one cross our path while down in the rice fields. Nothing happened he just slithered across the path a few feet in front of us and into the bushes and we never heard from him again.

Another thing we had to be on the lookout for was mountain leeches. Something I never thought I’d be worrying about. We’d be walking through tall, wet grass and every time the path opened up we had to check our ankles. We didn’t have any, but a lady at the lodge had one later that day. And a family I’d met later on the trip had one.

Anyway, the trek was definitely filled with nature and beautiful sights and even though I’m now terrified of snakes I’d do it all over again (but, of course, I’d pack more bottles of water next time).